Therapy? - Scopophobia DVD

These days it’s almost compulsory, it seems, for every band to release a DVD at some point, whether of live performances, promo videos, interviews or any combination of the three. Therapy? have rather kindly decided to treat us to all three of these on just one DVD, combining a triumphant live performance in Belfast, a cleverly edited interview with all four band members taking it in turns in the hot seat and videos right through from “Teethgrinder” up to last year’s “If It Kills Me”.
Design-wise, the DVD can’t be faulted: the main menu fits perfectly with the seedy atmosphere of the majority of live venues and, for a few moments at least, it’s fun to guess which piece of equipment will be zoomed in on in a rather nifty little animation sequence when an option is selected.
Content-wise, Scopophobia is again excellent. The interview is both interesting and amusing, if a little short, and the live performance shows Therapy? at their most exciting, engaging the audience at every moment of the show - although it is, of course, a little hard to get entirely enveloped by a gig in two-dimensional format. The promo videos, however, are the real triumph. Therapy? are not a band to make do with a simple live performance when eerie backgrounds, lakes of blood and heads in boxes will do. And anyone who has ever had a strange desire to see Andy Cairns naked will find “Diane” is their very opportunity. However, Scopophobia also makes excellent viewing for the mentally stable…