Little Richard: Live at the Toronto Peace Festival 1969

Studio: Shout! Factory

Mar 30, 2009 Web Exclusive By Nick Hyman

The Toronto Peace Festival must have been something back in 1969, with artists such as Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, Gene Vincent, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and the titular star of this DVD, Little Richard. For some reason (probably a rights issue), we only get Little Richard’s performance here, and it amounts to 30 minutes on a no-frills DVD. Famous rock documentarian D.A. Pennebaker (Don’t Look Now, Monterey Pop) captures Little Richard’s outlandish stage antics (he’s wearing a top made of tiny mirrors) and high energy as he burns through such classics as “Lucille,” “Tutti Frutti,” and “Long Tall Sally.” The performance is well worth seeing, but a more comprehensive boxset of the entire Toronto Festival would be welcome and more worth our time. (http://www.shoutfactory.com)

Author rating: 4/10