Rush: A Show of Hands

i was there... saw it live... then bought the video.... and it reminded me of one of the best ,if not the best concert i have ever been to....awesome does not even come close.... the video sound does not do Rush justice, when you are there the live sound is just as though you are listening to the studio album.. this is a band that pride themselves on reproducing their sound perfectly on stage and they have never failed me yet..a supposed remastering and subsequent release on DVD is greatly anticipated in my house.. BTW(the bit during la villa is just alex singing la la la la and mumbling incoherently about something or other!!!)....

A stunning performance from the worlds greatest rock group. A show of hands is a visually stunning performance showing Rush at there very best.

The three stooges music introduce the show with the band flying (falling??) onto the stage as an abstract art form of themselves, after this slightly surreal opening the show kicks off with The Big Money.

Tracks include The Spirit of Radio, The Big Money, Closer to the Heart and many others, if you have not seen it yet you are reallying missing out.

All in all a fantastic performance and DVD.

Interesting to see that the "goof" above mentions the change of guitar colour. While it is true that the live album and film were recorded over 2 nights I was actually there the first night. The reason for the change of guitar colour is actually more spectacular than you might think. Watching the film you will notice Geddy Lee point his thumb at Alex Lifeson, just before they go into The Temple Of Syrinx. The reason for this is one of the quickest guitar changes in rock history. Between the previous song and the start of Temples there is a natural pause of about 4 seconds (it's during this pause that you see Geddy point at Alex). It was at this point that Alex broke a string on his guitar, and within 4 seconds he threw (yes, threw) his guitar to a waiting technician off stage who then threw a replacement guitar back to Alex. The whole change, from unhooking the old guitar and plugging in and starting to play the replacement guitar was within that 4 second pause. During the video the only evidence that this happened is Geddy's gesture and the change in guitar colour. Musically that night was without doubt one of the best concerts of my life, with a selection of Rush tracks at their best.

A Show Of Hands is a great snapshot of the band at their best as the 80's wrapped up. If you can find the laser disc make sure you watch it before you buy it. The copy I have is inferior to the VHS as it was a bad pressing and doesn't track very well. When it does work the sound and picture are great. If you can only find the VHS grab it. Don't hold out for the laser disc. Like all great RUSH shows this one features a fabulous audience that feeds the band and makes them play harder as the show goes on. Neil's drum solo is fantastic, as always. It's a shame this one hasn't been transferred to DVD but I suspect that's because this video was released by a different label than the one the band is currently with. If you really want to see the band at their very best just watch Rush in Rio. Still, A Show Of Hands is a must have for all die-hard fans.

These guys are excellent and anything they put out to the public is first class. The musicianship of this band is amazing and we should all be very thankful we live in a world where Rush exists. Future generations will never be able to see such mastery live and in person. Get this DVD and you will enjoy it throughly!! I was recently able to see these incredible musicians play in Houston, TX and was blown away. I have not missed a show since power windows and I have to say that they are better than ever. Everyone should embrace these guys and teach others what real musicianship is! There will never be such a tight and well put together trio again in our lifetime. Lets just hope and pray that they do not retire anytime soon!