Latest releases reviewed

BAUHAUS Shadow of Light/ Archive Beggars Banquet *

UK act Bauhaus were more often than not viewed as one of the flag wavers of the 1980s goth scene - not as stupid as Alien Sex Fiend, but certainly not as smart as their main influence, David Bowie. A mixture of glam (Bowie, T Rex and Rocky Horror Show) and goth (an apparent fixation on bats, vampires and all things dank) took Bauhaus to the giddy heights of the UK Top 5 album charts in 1982, but outside that they were very much a Top 30/40/50 act. This grainy, scratchy amateur package sees them in action at London's Old Vic at the height of their success, but almost 25 years on you'd have to wonder at the appeal in the first place: worn riffs, tired performances and songs that owe little to originality. Of-the-time videos are tacked on for that authentic '80s feel, while the extras run only to audio options (stereo or 5.1 surround sound). Pitiful on all counts.

Tony Clayton-Lea

VARIOUS  Made in Sheffield  Plexifilm  ****

Attention will inevitably turn towards Sheffield in the coming months, post-Arctic Monkeys, but it won't be the first time that Britain's Steel City has been under a music industry lens. Back in the early 1980s, wry electronic pop acts like the Human League, ABC and Heaven 17 rolled into the charts as if it was their God-given right. This fascinating documentary unravels some of the reasons why this Yorkshire city found itself swamped by synths rather than guitars back then. Director Eve Wood examines the city's post-punk days, when such acts as Cabaret Voltaire, 2.3, The Future (the first vehicle for the League and Heaven 17) and Vice Versa (ABC's first incarnation) were on the rise. The anecdotes, recollections and commentaries of those involved would seem to prove that grim industrial surroundings are ideal breeding grounds for futuristic music (see also Detroit and Dusseldorf) and for housing innovative music-making communities.www.plexifilm.com

Jim Carroll