Everlast, born one Erik Shrody, had just emerged from a four-year hiatus from recording when this concert took place in February of this year. His appearance soon clears up what he spent his time out doing. Eating. In a very rock’n’roll fashion. Ergo, to excess. Jeez, the guy’s Grand-Canyon-wide. Later, after some inexplicable footage of Shrody and Playmates bowling, Gillian Bonner, who also provides the voiceover, continues her fatuous line of questioning. Directly addressing the Incredible Bulk himself, she empty-headily enquires: “Are you ready to chow down?”

The DVD starts with a sound check at the Playboy Mansion. Conveniently there are bikini-clad Playmates aplenty frolicking in the pool. Bonner enjoys a shower, not of the golden variety, under a waterfall. In the rare moments there are any exposed tit or ass, the camera obscures them. Damn that 15 certificate.

Next comes some ridiculous product placement. We’re 'treated' to the sight of a baseball-hat-sporting Everlast playing some basketball. Considering the shape he’s in, he’s probably relieved to be shooting some hoops on XBox rather than on a real court. It’s as stimulating as watching an empty screen.

Bonner inadvertently enlivens proceedings when she tries to plug the names of other XBox titles, vacuously speculating out loud whether there might be alternative games other than the one Shrody is boring us to tears with playing. But Everlast is engrossed, so fellow Playmate, and, judging by her similarly inane conversational style Valley Girl, Stewart has to come to the rescue.

On to the concert. It’s woefully short. The highlight is, as with the sound check, a stirring rendition of ‘Put Your Lights On’ - the song Shrody performed with Carlos Santana on the latter’s comeback album. Most of the tracks, though, come from latest album White Trash Beautiful. They sound mighty fine, particularly as they’re delivered in a (Tom) Waits-esque drawl.

Bonus features include montages of Playboy Playmates, most of which you have seen before. Oh, and a video of the single from the album of the same name, ‘White Trash Beautiful’. Which, wouldn’t you happen to know, is the last scene of the DVD proper. So, all in all, a bit of a let-down. That’s what comes of shooting your load too early, I suppose.

(3/5)

Live In Concert From The Playboy Mansion