Keane: Live Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Keane: Live Blu-ray Movie Review

If I had to use one word to describe the music of Keane, it would probably be pure. When you listen to Tom Chaplin, Tim Rice-Oxley and Richard Hughes singing and playing, you feel, you understand everything they want you to know. Their music is simple yet elegant and powerful.

Recorded live at the O2 Arena in London on July 21, 2007, Keane: Live contains a total of twenty one songs taken from the band's first two albums - Hopes and Fears (2004) and Under the Iron Sea (2006). During the course of well over two hours, Keane perform every single one of their big hits – “Everybody’s Changing”, “Nothing In My Way”, “We Might As Well Be Strangers”, “Somewhere Only We Know”, “Crystal Ball” and “Bedshaped”.

There are two key reasons why Keane: Live is an incredible show. First, the band is as good performing live as they are in the studio. The easiness with which Tom Chaplin sings is indeed very impressive - his voice literally fills up the O2 arena. Second, the chemistry between the band and the audience has to be seen to be believed. Whether it is a powerful ballad (“Bedshaped”) or a more energetic song (“Crystal Ball”), when Tom Chaplin urges the audience to sing with him, they immediately respond. Simply put, it is incredible to see and hear hundreds of people singing in unison.

Technically, the show is undoubtedly one of the best ever staged at the O2. The stage is neither too big nor two small. The lighting is also very effective - the large ball used during the acoustic session is fantastic - it is neither too elaborate nor too simple.

The tech crew responsible for the recording of this show deserves a lot of credit. The camera operators literally follow Tom Chaplin everywhere he goes. I also strongly recommend that you take a look at the raw footage from the show supplied in the extras department on this disc to see what type of work has been done so you could get as good of a feeling about Keane when they perform live as possible. Indeed, magnificent work!

Thank you, London!

Keane: Live Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 (only Nothing In My Way is framed in 2.35:1), encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i "live" transfer, Keane: Live arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Universal Music.

Keane: Live was first released on Blu-ray in the United Kingdom, but due to the manner in which the said disc was encoded (1080i/50), many of the band's fans could not import it. I am beyond grateful that Universal Music decided to bring this fantastic show to the United States.

The transfer is excellent! Multiple strategically positioned cameras follow lead vocalist Tom Chaplin, pianist Tim Rice-Oxley and drummer Richard Hughes as they deliver one of the best shows I've seen during the last fifteen years. I am unsure exactly how many cameras were used but if I had to guess, I would say that there were at least twenty. Halfway through the show, when Keane move in the middle of the venue to perform amongst their fans, the camerawork is absolutely superb – one feels as if one is right next to the band, so close that one could literally reach out and touch Tom Chaplin.

Detail and clarity are top-notch. Contrast is also fantastic. There are plenty of color enhancements that have been added up that also look great. This being said, though this is a 1080i transfer, "motion-judder" is practically nonexistent. There are no serious image deteriorations to report either. All in all, this is an incredibly convincing treatment from Universal Music that will undoubtedly make a lot of Keane fans very, very happy. (Note: This is a Region-Free disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Keane: Live Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0. I opted for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the LPCM 2.0 track for the purpose of this review.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track should impress even the most demanding amongst you. Dynamically, it is one of the very best I've heard this year – "Bedshaped", "Crystal Ball", "Everybody's Changing" and "Nothing in My Way", amongst others, sound absolutely phenomenal. The acoustic set is also very effective. This being said, there are no balance issues or sudden audio dropouts to report. Additionally, during selected songs – "Your Eyes Open" and "Fly To Me" - Tom Chaplin's voice is beyond impressive. For the record, there are no overly disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings to report. My only reservation with the audio is the manner in which the audience is "pulled out" each time a new song begins; at times, the effect feels a bit rushed. Aside from that, I am incredibly pleased with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.

The LPCM 2.0 track is very good. Obviously, it lacks the dynamic fluidity of the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, but it is nevertheless quite effective. I personally found the superiority of the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track to be most obvious during the acoustic session – there is far more depth on it.

Keane: Live Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: The supplemental features arrive with optional English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and Italian subtitles.

Concert in CCTV - the entire concert can be viewed in its "raw" form (aspect ratio of 1.33:1), with plenty of footage that did not make it into the final "version" found on the disc. (1080i). The footage is also available as a"picture-in-picture" option.

Short film - footage showing Keane getting ready for their show at the O2. (8 min, 1080i).

Soundcheck - footage showing Tom Chaplin testing the O2. (6 min, 1080i).

Live Show Visuals - during the show, you would see a number of interesting visuals projected on the stage where Keane perform. Three of them - "A Bad Dream", "Is It Any Wonder?" and "Atlantic"- are offered here. (1080i).

Keane: Live Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Together with the notably darker IAMX (Chris Corner's solo project), I consider Keane to be the most genuinely exciting band to emerge from the United Kingdom during the last ten years (Coldplay fans will have to forgive me). They have a sound of their own that I hope success won't destroy. Keane: Live is a dream show! Please, add this wonderful disc to your libraries!! Very Highly Recommended.