Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

No getting away from it, the Planetshakers event is an amazing gathering where thousands of young people gather once a year for a conference to enjoy stadium style upbeat rock praise and quieter, more contemplative songs of worship. Having watched recent DVDs by CCC Oxford Falls and Hillsong United Live, this isn't really cutting it for me. It's full of guitar-driven praise, fast cut visuals, lots of people bouncing up and down to the praise but nothing that doesn't make me yawn in an "I've seen this all before" fashion. Am I just jaded or is there something seriously wrong with all this hyped pumped up praise? It's all a little too obvious with four jumping up and down songs and then some quieter stuff. This is indistinguishable from the well worn United Live format. There are some bonus clips of earlier Planetshakers material including the U2esque "All I Want Is You". There's also a 10 minute bonus documentary that explains the vision for the event. Like so much performance worship these days, it often feels more like performance than worship. And then watching the DVD, isn't that even more of a performance? I have a few unanswered questions here.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.