Before the rise of video sharing platforms like YouTube that allow passionate music fans to easily disseminate footage of a band's (especially an obscure one's) concerts and notable historical moments, peer-to-peer file sharing was the best bet for a person to acquire media out of their reach. Of course, ridiculously long download times for those using dial-up and viruses were issues that plagued the internet. For those who did not solely rely on the internet, bootlegged media shared via VHS tapes and/or DVDs were a person's best friend. It is truly magical to see and own footage of concerts you weren't able to attend and behold what a band does behind the scenes. Such a scenario was the case for when a DVD containing roughly 3 hours of Acid Bath footage by the title of Double Live Bootleg! was released back in 2002.
Double Live Bootleg! emphasizes the gigs Acid Bath played during 1994 and 1996. Also included is rehearsal footage, the prior unreleased (at the time) music video for "Toubabo Koomi", and a tribute to late bassist Audie Pitre. The majority of the gig footage was recorded from audience members using portable VHS cameras. Only 2 out of the 8 gig segments were professionally recorded: Boston, MA 1996 and Hollywood, CA 1996. Despite that, the audiovisual quality is consistently good. The footage showcases the band's intense, energetic live performances that people who saw them firsthand still reminisce about to this day. With each passing year they were active, Acid Bath's performances got better and better.
All featured footage from 1994 (and obviously before) predates the release of When the Kite String Pops, so fans should expect certain songs to differ in some way from the album version. The differences mostly revolve around lyrics, but there are some subtle song structure differences that can be noticed. Also, there are segments where the guitars were still tuned to C# standard (see my review for the 2005 compilation Demos: 1993-1996 here on Metal Archives for elaboration) and segments where "The Blue" was still titled "U". The 1996 footage predates the release of Paegan Terrorism Tactics, so fans should approach it with the same expectation to hear differences in the songs when compared to the album version.
The rehearsal footage is really neat. The 1992 recording of "God Machine" from in Sammy Duet's barn is currently the only known footage of Acid Bath from that year. The song sounds tight for it being from a rehearsal session during an early period in the band's history. That goes to show the excellent talent and competency of the band's members. Sammy's vocals in that recording are rather underdeveloped and lack the guttural aspect of his signature goblin-esque shrieks. Dax Riggs's vocal range is higher and less screamy as he, just like Sammy, had yet to hone his vocal approach. Audie and Mike Sanchez are clearly seen practicing their stage moves as they headbang throughout the song.
The footage recorded in Orlando, Florida on January 11th, 1993 shows Acid Bath rehearsing "Jezebel" and "Scream of the Butterfly" and discussing their song structures in preparation for recording the first demo (a.k.a. "Hymns of the Needle Freak"). This segment gives fans a really good taste of Jimmy Kyle's drumming and how underappreciated it is. Additionally, a more humorous side of Sammy, Audie, and Dax is exemplified through them goofing around. I believe the rehearsal footage from 1992 and '93 may be the only known videos to show Audie's Ibanez bass when it was still plain black. Before it received its legendary airbrushed paintjob.
Just about all gig segments are only parts of shows Acid Bath played. Some examples being Boston, MA 1996, New Orleans, LA 1994, and Milwaukee Metalfest, 1994. Audio of "Tranquilized" and more of the band's set from when they played at The Rat in Boston, Massachusetts on February 8th, 1996 can currently be found online. Likewise, the same can be said for footage of the entire performance at the Milwaukee Metal Fest on August 6th, 1994. I once had access to footage of the entire performance in New Orleans, Louisiana (which is noted as being in Gretna, Louisiana when "What Color Is Death" on Double Live Bootleg! starts) from January 1994. With the exception of "The Bones of Baby Dolls", Acid Bath played every song from When the Kite String Pops along with the cover of Iron Butterfly's "In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida" and "Nothingness", a Golgotha era song. It's likely this is the only footage of "Nothingness". It's too bad that particular performance in its entirety wasn't included on Double Live Bootleg! The footage is extremely rare, and I wish I had saved it while I still could. The only entire performance featured on the DVD is the show at The Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood, California from March 2nd, 1996.
The "Toubabo Koomi" music video is wild. It starts off with some shots of the Louisiana bayou and the members of Acid Bath on a dock looking like they're freaking out on an intense drug trip. The video quickly alternates between footage of a gig the band played at Zeppelin's in Metairie, Louisiana and footage of the band back at the bayou. That's the main pattern the music video's content follows. The gig looked pretty epic. Tons of moshing, stage diving, and headbanging going on. There are some shots of a bayou alligator and someone in the water thrown in. Fun fact (or not-so-fun fact depending on how you look at it): somebody helping out with the music video filming was bitten in the face by the alligator, and then the alligator was killed and turned into gator nuggets following the incident. Towards the end of the music video are what appear to be scenes (I assume from a movie) of a welder fusing pieces of metal onto a woman. The cinematography of the music video is superb. The way techniques such as lighting, contrast, and rapid angle changes are utilized create a very chaotic atmosphere. It's a shame this video didn't make its way onto MTV's Headbanger's Ball. During the 1990s, getting featured on MTV was one of the best ways a band could get exposure. Plus, I could only imagine Beavis and Butt-Head commentating on the "Toubabo Koomi" music video and how hilarious it would be.
The final segment of Double Live Bootleg! is a brief tribute to Audie Pitre. The segment is a home video of him chilling and being goofy with the cameraman. At one point, "Turn" by Dead Horse can be heard playing in the background. This segment, along with the January 1993 rehearsal footage, gives Acid Bath fans who never got to meet Audie a feel for his fun-loving personality. On a similar note, this DVD illustrates things about Audie, like his vocals and other bass guitars, that are unbeknownst to some. There are moments in the concert footage that highlight the gnarly death metal growls Audie was capable of unleashing. The decision to bury his vocals on When the Kite String Pops and Paegan Terrorism Tactics was a huge mistake because those growls fit into the music. The segment of Acid Bath's gig in Lafayette, Louisiana on October 5th, 1996 may be the sole footage in existence of Audie playing his B.C. Rich Mockingbird bass (known by some as "The Red Bitch").
Acid Bath's 2002 DVD, Double Live Bootleg!, is a must-have for anyone looking to collect as much Acid Bath memorabilia as possible. It is also great to have for those who want to view the legendary footage without having to rely on the internet and worry about DMCA takedowns being issued. This DVD was truly a treat for Acid Bath fans back in the 2000s who didn't get to see much of the band, if at all. It goes without saying that it's always nice to "time travel" to the past and experience precious moments in music history. To listen to a band's music is one thing, but it is something completely different to see the music brought to life during practices and in front of live audiences while the band's members put their heart and soul into what they excel at.