The Queers Are Here
directed by Mike Varga
starring Joe Queer
MVD Visual
I love punk rock bands and hate punk rock video documentaries. Take The Queers – after 25 years in the business, they have a stack of CDs filled with snotty, clever songs, decent arrangements and crispy-clean sounds. Their live shows pack ‘em in, and of course the sound is way past 11. But the documentary… well, it’s mostly camcorders shots of the band in low-ceilinged halls with completely saturated and fully distorted sound. A great song like “Ursula Finally Has Tits” is so smothered that you have no idea what it is until you read the liner notes. My point: the documentary is nowhere NEAR as cool as just picking up the CD or buying a ticket.
So what’s to recommend about this disk? For the full metal fan, you gotta have it. For the slightly interested observer, there are two “rare” (OK, I had never seen them) videos. There’s the deceptively surf-sounding “Don’t Back Down” and the interesting animation for “Later Days and Better Lays.” Between all the noisy songs, we see some great interview footage with Joe Queer, who obviously runs this band like a fiefdom – the rest of the band barely appears on camera. But if you’ve never heard “Tamara is A Punk” or “We Only Drink Bud,” pass on this muddy sounding DVD and buy a CD. You can’t go wrong with the CD; every one of them is packed with vitamins P and Q. (Punk and Queers)
And, no, I don’t think these guys are very gay. If you want gay punk, go see Pansy Division.
MVD Visual: http://www.mvdvisual.com • The Queers: http://www.thequeersrock.com
