Well, I'm still thinking about last summer's Lollapalooza.
What a show! Jane's Addiction, Audioslave, Rooney, the Donnas, the X-Box tent, the piercing booths — whew! There was something for everyone.
Then came the rain. Thunderbolts and lightning, very, very frightening me! But the flashing charges of electricity were the perfect backdrop to Audioslave's set.
The thing that sucked me in, however, was Jane's Addiction. That flamboyant bunch of guys still can punch it out.
Which brings me to my topic for today — "Three Days," the new Jane's Addiction DVD.
As far as documentaries go, this is one of the coolest that I've seen in recent years — besides the extras on both "Lord of the Rings" DVDs.
"Three Days" is a candid, personal look at Jane's Addiction during its 1997 "I-It'z M-My Party" Relapse tour. That lineup included singer Perry Ferrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, bassist Flea and drummer Stephen Perkins. The film premiered at 1999's Slamdance Festival, and it has taken four years to become available to the public.
While there might be concerns about why it took so long to hit the DVD racks, they melt away as this non-linear reality show unveils.
Keep in mind, however, that this is a somewhat gritty display of life on the road with one of the most flamboyant and free-spirited bands. That means the DVD touches on issues such as guitarist Navarro's heroin habit, the band's groupies, lead singer Farrell's political activism and being in the spotlight during a time when the music business looked at Jane's Addiction as the savior of modern rock music.
I have a small complaint about the release, however. While some documentaries put the viewer smack-dab in the middle of the action, there are times when viewers still feel like they're on the outside looking in, especially when it comes to some of the after-show fan gatherings.
As with most documentary films, there are the soliloquies, when members of the band speak to the camera. (Much like the bathroom chats in MTV's "Real World.") And there are the much-anticipated live footage shots that are mere highlights of performances. Only "Mountain Song" is shown in its entirety. But then again, this isn't a music video. It's a documentary. The song snippets are just vehicles to get the viewer to the next scene. And that angle is very effective.
Actor Cinque Lee is cast as a "journalist" who is assigned to document the tour. His role is played tongue-in-cheek and should be taken with a grain of salt.
Still, "Three Days" is a must for Jane's Addiction fans. And those who don't know if they like JA or not, will probably come away with a little more respect for the band, but nothing more.
E-MAIL: scott@desnews.com