The Cramps
Live at Napa State Mental Hospital
[MVD; 2003; Live Performance DVD]
Rating: 8.5
musicvideodistributors.com

The first couple of reviews this week have been politically charged, anti-Bush records, but no matter whose administration we are under, this is the kind of shit that would never fly in the politically correct world we are living in now. Apparently though, someone at the Napa State Mental Hostpital back in June of 1978 thought that having The Cramps come in and play for a rec room full of their mental patients sounded like a good idea. Since I've got a copy of the footage on DVD, I would have to say that I agree.

Rough, grainy, black and white footage of the performance of such classics as Mystery Plane, Way I Walk and Human Fly. Early in the show, the crowd is mostly intent on standing around watching with only a couple of guys getting involved - one's headbangin' and the other jogs in place holding an air mic. After a few songs, the crowd is getting stirred up - they're all at least swaying while some are running up and down onto the stage (one guy stays in the corner chewing on his hand though). By the time Human Fly comes on, the crowd is really pulsating, embracing each other, rushing the stage, fighting for the mic and groping Lux Interior. Before the show concludes, it gets difficult to tell exactly who's a band member and who's a spectator. The video stops at the end of songs and starts back with the beginning of the next leaving me wondering what we miss between songs... hopefully nothing good.

Early on, Lux offers some words of encouragement that "Someone told me you guys were crazy, but I don't know about that. You seem alright to me." Free shows for patients, kind words to the mentally unstable, we could all learn something from this bunch of punks.