Public Image Limited - "Live At Rockpalast 1983" DVD + CD

Packaged separately, this set of classic PiL sees John Lydon joined by a young Martin Atkins and some session musicians for a roll through the band's finest era. We get well-played classics like "Public Image", "Religion", "Flowers Of Romance", "Chant", "(This Is Not A) Love Song",, "Under The House", and even an odd cover of "Anarchy In The UK".

The band were at the end of their reign as innovators by 1983, with a move towards a more streamlined sound (hinted at by "Love Song", "Bad Life", etc.), but the tracks here are faithful to PiL's early and influential melding of dub, punk, and krautrock.

The DVD is a wonderful pro-shot, multi-camera presentation, capturing both Lydon's charismatic antics and Atkins' sinewy drumming. The CD is equally as superb, with a clear, well-recorded sound that could almost be mistaken for a studio product. Essential documents for Public Image fans, and far from the bootlegs that these may look like. (MIG Music)

PiL Official site

Pigface - "Free For All" DVD (dir: Clint Sieloff)

Being a longtime fan & longtime-ago Invisible/Pigface Field Rep myself, I've seen (and heard) my fair share of Pigface shows. I had sort of lost interest over the years as releases became far too redundant (remixes of remixes of remasterings, re-hashings, bleeding 'Suck' dry, etc.). Anyhow, this release makes me like the 'new' group more, believe it or not.
Their earlier videos/DVDs were chiefly live footage, but this one reveals the numerous behind-the-scenes trials and tribulations behind touring - with a wide array of people from all over the world, and in the same bus. It's engrossing, interesting, and a fascinating look at what life was like for this assemblage (instigator Atkins, Charles Levi (Thrill Kill Kult), Hanin Elias (Atari Teenage Riot), En Esch (KMFDM/Slick Idiot), Lee Frazier (Sheep On Drugs), Kryztoff (Bile), Lacey Conner (Nocturne), Curse Mackey (Evil Mothers/Grim Faeries), the Enigma (Jim Rose Circus Sideshow), and the many others who accompanied the band on stage and off.
From inter-band arguments to firings, hirings, bus troubles, ego-clashes, rabid (and naked) fans, club issues, crew issues, disagreements, sword swallowing, fire-eating, broken spines, new friendships, and, in-between it all, some fun music, 'Free For All' tells all. The interviews are candid and honest, and the whole documentary flows well. To director Clint Seiloff, nice work. And to Atkins/Invisible/Pigface, thanks for the years of interesting (if not always particularly memorable) music. (Invisible/Underground Inc/MVD Visual)

The Damage Manual "The Damage Manual" DVD

When Martin Atkins enlisted the considerable talents (not to mention pedigrees) of Jah Wobble (PIL), Geordie Walker (Killing Joke), and Chris Connelly for his Damage Manual project, the result was a startlingly powerful EP. What followed was a lesser LP, then a slew of remixes, dub versions, and recycled releases that really put some tarnish on this landmark post-punk 'band''s "public image".
This video is a collection of Atkins' handi-cam tapes from the original sessions. There's what seems like an endless array of in-studio footage, from raw takes, horsing around (leave the damned doorbell buzzer cam alone already!!), photo shoots, Geordie smoking, and unrecognizably muttered comments. Needless to say, regardless of anyone's involvement, this is a fairly tedious watch. Plenty of bored faces, people shuffling about, and unsteady camerawork. Granted, the couple of tracks that the band plays live in the studio are heavy and amazing (what an amazing collision of musicians), but overall this is one for the completists only, and much of it should've stayed in the vault. (Invisible Records /MVD Visual)

"Look Directly Into The Sun: China Pop 2007" compilation CD

Compiled by Martin Atkins during his extended stay in China, this 18-song set samples the revolutionary indie rock scene there as Atkins saw it. Starting with the raw post-punk sounds of Snapline's 'Close Your Cold Eyes', 'Look Directly...' includes other standouts from Caffe-In ('Mario And Peaches' is a fun pop-punk number), the moody and dynamic 'What More' from Subs, the early PIL-flavored 'Hang On The Box' by Shanghai, Voodoo Kungfu's wild and heavy 'Chian', which could almost be Seattle's old Blackouts if they met up with the Melvins - praise indeed! Rococo closes with their sparkly surf-pop of 'We Just Free'.
The vibe here is of early, pre-commercialized indie rock. There are plenty of flavors here, from straight-ahead rock to punk to electronic to rap, and it shows there's a burgeoning music scene in China that may go unnoticed in the West if not for recordings like this one. Kudos to Atkins for getting these folks some much-needed PR and attention outside of their own 'scene'. (Invisible China/Bloodshot Records)

Martin Atkins China Dub Soundsystem - "Made In China" CD

Drummer extraordinaire (and Invisible Records/Pigface founder) Atkins documented his 2007 trip to Beijing not only in photo/video form, but by recording this album (as well as compiling the 'Look Directly At The Sun' comp). For 'Made In China', he assembled a troupe of China's finest indie musicians and managed to record alongside them and produce/mix these 11 tracks - essentially a Chinese Pigface album. It's an entertaining inter-cultural mix, with traditional Chinese instruments and melodies accompanying Atkins' drumming and scratch-n-dub production. There's funky hip-hop ('China MC Brothers vs. Martin Atkins', 'Re:Load'), electronica ('Mostly Hulusi', featuring Shao Feng on the bagpipe-like hulusi instrument), traditional Tibetan-meets-industrial rock ('Tibetans vs. Dirty Girl'), cynical indie rock ('Yellow Cab', with Chen Xi of Snapline sounding not unlike Mark E. Smith of The Fall), and other odd creatures that co-exist peacefully. The wonderful 'Beijing Taxi' is my favorite, with super-huge drums, dub effects, Dave Wright of Not Breathing's electronics, and traditional Chinese female vocals. A great cultural melding and a fun listen. (Invisible China/Bloodshot Records)

Martin Atkins - "Sixteen Days In China - A Documentary" DVD

When Invisible Records/Pigface honcho Martin Atkins visited China back in 2006, his intention was to 'sign some bands'. His trip ultimately found him in a club which reminded of some great scenes - London late 70's and New York early 80's. Tons of bands, unusual sounds, a diverse 'scene'...no restrictions, pressures, or concessions. Very cool, especially as China's highly restrictive government could easily squash all hope from these musicians (censorship in China is a way of life even more than in supposed 'free societies' like the US).

Along Atkins' way, he encounters trepidation (Westerners are viewed with skepticism to some there, apparently), but he makes some valuable contacts and friends, anyway. His interactions with Chinese rock kids are curious and sometimes a bit standoffish (maybe that's just the language barrier), but he does manage to meet some folks there who are familiar with his Public Image Limited/Killing Joke/Pigface heritage. That's got to be flattering, though you have to wonder how these kids got those records...

As a fascinating intro to the burgeoning Chinese indie scene, this superb documentary chronicles some bands who you will one day hear more from. Atkins is charming, talkative, and quite a fun character to see/hear (somebody give him a talk show already)! And his China Dub Soundsystem mixes smoke. Watch the trailer below to see/hear for yourself.

As in any road trip or extended vacation, there are hitches and problems. We're all entitled to a little bit of crankiness and jetlag. Even when he's tired and things don't go his way, Atkins genuinely wants to expose some of these Chinese bands, and this documentary is a great place to start. It's also a prime glimpse into a world that differs so much from the democratic USA/UK ways of life, but at the same time, it's much the same - artists want to create, and dream. And, of course, they want to rock just as much. Kudos to Atkins for this gem of a film. (Invisible Records/MVD Visual)

Martin Atkins - "Tour Smart - And Break The Band" DVD

Martin Atkins has spent the better part of 30 years touring, recording, performing, networking, running a label, screenprinting, and generally 'fucking it up (pigface)'. He's spent time with a number of pretty damned important bands. (look it up, or read my old Godsend Online interview with him here.)

In essence, Atkins knows his shit.

In-between all this musical work, Martin has been working as a lecturer, and he's now an author. His book, 'Tour Smart', has been hailed as an essential read for bands or artists who are looking at touring and building up a fanbase.

This DVD release, which basically collects a bunch of (mostly brief) clips of Atkins explaining and demonstrating his ideas and experiences, is an entertaining and oftentimes enlightening bit of work. From mapping out and strategizing a tour (his easy 'how-to' here could logically save new bands hundreds of dollars and many hours), to his no-nonsense marketing basics, this DVD is a wise investment indeed, for any musician or artist, regardless of genre or affiliation. Atkins' charismatic and animated personality is down-to-earth, and his tips are easy to grasp. This one's fun to watch if you're a fan of any of Atkins' many musical projects, but it's a must-have if you're starting a band, or even thinking about it. I, personally, am wiser for seeing this one! (Invisible/MVD Visual)