Texas

I bought the loaded DVD at one of TOFOG's Austin shows his past summer. It has loads of hidden features which can only be viewed using the clues provided at gruntland.com. For those of you not familiar with Thirty Odd Foot of Grunts [TOFOG] you will meet a terrific roots rock and roll band and see them preparing to perform, behind the scenes, rehearsing and kicking back.

In Texas, the language is raw and uncensored, the music rocking, the beer flowing, and the men antipodean to the core. Lead singer, song writer and driving force for the band is actor extroidinaire, Russell Crowe. But this is no vanity band. Crowe has been a musician longer than he's been an actor. This is a different and important creative outlet from his "day job", which just happens to involve creating characters on screen and winning Oscars in the process.

His music exposes the man, his thoughts, his heart and his soul. His band mates are also his friends. Lead guitarist Dean Cochran has been his closest friend since they were both teens in New Zealand.

Above all, this documentary allows us a look at how this unique band tries to pull it all together to perform and record, and the interaction with fans. It is one of the best Rock and Roll docu's I've seen. Fantastic cinematography, sound and cinema verite' style.

I love this DVD. It has great photography and the scenes with the group backstage really shows off their unique personalities. Thirty Odd Foot of Grunts is so much better when seen in concert; the CDs are great and their music is really great, but nothing compares to the concert experience. They're great performers and it is easy to see just how much fun they have playing the music. I wish all bands had this much personality on stage. The DVD allows for viewing on different camera angles and includes a large number of music videos from the band including "Circus" and "Photograph Kills." If you can't see the guys actually on stage then this is definitely the next best thing. The ability to switch the angles of the camera and to look at the song lyrics is great. Great concert DVD all around.

Dean (Mr. Shy himself) actually speaks! Not only does he speak, but he did a great job narrating. I liked everyone's sense of humor. OK...Maybe Mark could tone it down a bit...but just a bit. LOL

This DVD is the first thing I've seen that gives real insight into the band that is TOFOG. The DVD covers the band's creation and the changes the guys have experienced over the years. The fans finally get to hear Dean Cochran, Dave Kelly, Garth Adam, Russell Crowe, Stewart Kirwan, and last but NOT least, Dave Wilkins talk about the music and, of course, they get to hear the music as it was recorded live in the summer of 2000.

As I don't own DVDs of other bands, I have nothing to compare. All I know is that I have enjoyed this DVD immensely. As a fan of the band, I find it to be a real treasure. Would it be a S P O I L E R if I said that it also contains my favorite song, All the White Circles (the loooong version!). The music is, of course, the best part!

While I loved the concert footage, which truly ROCKS, this film is more importantly a unique glimps into the personalities of the band members, their relationships with each other and what goes into preparing and putting on a concert. I've spent a little time with some of the band members and can honestly say that they are exactly the same as in the movie. Funny, fun loving, very nice people who take their music very seriously. As great as TOFOG's albums are, their live performances are 10 times better because they love to perform and that energy and excitment comes across well in the film.

The hidden parts of the DVD are wonderful. It's like seeing a different movie each time you watch it. Being able to change the camera angles and scenes keeps it fresh, new and exciting.

TEXAS is a raw, honest documentary with behind the scenes footage of a band on location to make a CD. Russell Crowe is a serious musician. He and Dean Cochran have been best mates since their teen years and have experienced the down side of trying to make it in the music business.

This film shows the band traveling to London, Italy and Austin Texas with some clips of Russell and Dean's early years. It's funny, raunchy (as people who have worked hard and are jet lagged frequently become)and very full of soul touching music. You will go on a journey that will give you a real insight to how difficult it is to produce music and put on a live show. You will see a portion of the sold out Austin, Texas performance that will make you wish you were there.

I loved this DVD and I hate cursing. But, the bad language is not done for shock effect, it is just how these guys interact.

There are surprises on the DVD that you have to dig deep to find but they are definitely worth the effort. Some of my friends who considered TOFOG a vanity project of Russell's are die-hard fans of the band since watching the DVD.

These are first class musicians who are not only a band but true friends that enjoy making music and are determined to give 100% to ensure their fans are entertained.

I highly recommend the DVD.