Movie/DVD Review

PJ Harvey on Tour is a live performance DVD as you may have guessed, but it’s far from a polished concert film. Harvey, one of today's most vibrant rockers, wanted to capture the "patchwork quilt of what it's like. . . more of the ramshackleness. . . and brokenness of not knowing how it's going to sound on stage." Which is exactly what you’d hope for, but curiously, the result is a soundtrack devoid of any crowd noise and the visual is an ever-escalating collection of clips spliced together from various live shows at a dizzying pace. As a spectator, I'll take the full live performance, blemishes and all, over a montage synced up to a soundtrack, which extinguishes the spontaneous spark you’d look for.

As with most rock DVD releases, the best bits are in the extras, which in this instance culminate with a PJ Harvey interview and backstage footage. In these sections Harvey reflects on her artistry, chooses photos and tag lines, and dances around her L.A. high rise in her skivvies. Though the notable highlight is the short clip of her performing "Rid of Me," with the camera voyeuristically stationed behind her at floor level while her high heels are firmly planted at the edge of the stage. As Harvey belts out the lines, "lick my legs, lick my legs," it’s easy to see several audience members would do just that if it weren't for the hulking security officer located between them.

PJ Harvey is a powerful performer and an interesting artist. If you can get past the music videos posing as live performances, there are truly some gems worth the look.