The Rare DVD collection is a retrospective release from guitarist Gerry Laffy with main emphasis on Girl. Girl only released 2 studio albums and was founded by Laffy along with singer Phil Lewis. Girl later recruited guitarist Phil Collen and those names certainly should ring a bell for most rock fans
Girl was founded in the late seventies and the main footage is the original video showcase that actually got them their record deal. A young Phil Lewis proves his ability as an energetic frontman, which he still is. On the song
Doctor Doctor he really devotes himself and gives the potential label bosses a great show
The cover of
You Really Got Me didn't really impress, but the demo for
My Number is splendid with Phil Collen playing much rawer guitar than he ever did in Def Leppard.
There is also a video promo of the Kiss track
Do You Love Me and a splendid TV performance of
Hollywood Tease from a German TV show. The band is all dressed up with powder in the face and make up.
Hollywood Tease later ended up on L.A. Guns debut album, but this is the real deal.
As the title "Rare DVD collection" indicated this is rare footage from early the 80's before MTV. Keep in mind this is a bootleg, but with good quality (Especially the sound). Furthermore there is a 23 minute behind the scene segment of Girl´s last interview - filmed in Hong Kong 1982.
Phil Collen had just joined Def Leppard and Girl disbanded shortly after. Phil Lewis went to play with Bernie Torme and later formed L.A. Guns. Guitarist Gerry Laffy pursued a solo career and two solo songs are included on this collection. Both solo songs are polished rock songs with late 8o's rock influences. The quality of both Gerry Laffy videos is pretty good. Girl's rhythm section, including Laffy, also formed the band Sheer Greed. The Sheer Greed song
No Way
out is decent.
Furthermore there is a Girl bonus live CD. At present the CD is only available when you buy "The Rare DVD collection" as a free item. The CD is a bootleg and sounds pretty bad to be honest. It's a one hour show from Tokyo November 1980. Girl also plays songs from "Wasted Youth" released in 1982. It's nice to hear my personal favorite from "Wasted Youth"
Old Dogs, but the sound makes the pleasure limited. With the Internet you can get so many bootleg recordings, which sound a lot better than the Japan recording, but again it's a free item and for collectors.
However, there are 4 bonus songs from Hammersmith Odeon 1982 and those songs have a good live sound. These 4 songs from Hammersmith are splendid in both sound and performance. Sound quality wise it would have suited the excellent DVD if the complete Hammersmith show was the bonus CD.
Girl fans can hope for this show to be released on CD later or maybe more rare material from the vaults of Gerry Laffy. I really enjoyed this DVD release and the 4 live songs on the CD. The second time I had watched the DVD I went straight for the computer to order Girl "Sheer Greed", since I only have "Wasted Youth".
Gerry Laffy's back catalogue and this DVD/CD is available from Gerry Laffy's own label Die Laughing Records. Rock Candy Records are about to re-release the two original studio albums from Girl. I sense that this band could get lots more recognition in the coming year, which they truly deserve.
Rating: 6/10Written by
Michael Wednesday, February 14, 2007
