I sat down to write this review on Monday the 11th
(the day after the gig) with a cup of tea and the thought that I’d be in and
out in an hour or so and nobody would get hurt. The truth of the matter is that
it has turned out to be something a little more involved than that.
For those of you who love brevity in all things (why are you
a prog fan?), this piece is more than likely going to disappoint although I do
have a reason for it’s inordinate length. It deals (I hope) not only with the
gig but with a little about the journey IQ has made as a band over the last two
and a bit decades.
My reasons for doing this are twofold. Firstly, there is a
new member of the band (drummer Andy Edwards who took over from Paul Cook about
ten months ago I think) who, along with John Jowitt, has made a considerable
impact upon their sound. Secondly, having been an IQ fan for almost as long as
the band has been around and due to the fact that they have recently celebrated 22 years
together, I felt it appropriate to review the show in the larger context of how
they have evolved into the unit that exists today.
So as Bill Hicks said “Don’t worry folks, there are dick
jokes on the way.”
------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------
It funny that a review of the IQ Xmas show should begin with
Queen’s ‘Ogre Battle’ but it’s shaping up to be one of those nights. I’m
standing outside the Dominion Theatre in Central London
shaking hands with none other than Richardh (along with fellow Prog Archives
stalwart Andy ‘Blacksword’). The theatre is currently putting on a Queen Tribute
show and serves as good a place as any to meet up. Introductions over, we smile
politely at the man selling ‘The Big Issue’ and step around the tramp
repeatedly yelling “Yeerrfugginwenkas!!” so that we can make our way to the gig
and few hours of talking/listening to prog.
The Mean Fiddler began its life as a small venue in
Harlesden (South West London) and rapidly grew to become one of the biggest
event organisers in the UK.
The new venue nestles in the busiest part of Central London,
namely Charing Cross road and has largely taken over the
mantle of ‘London Prog Venue of Choice’ from the Marquee Club in recent years. Richard,
Andy and I install ourselves at the bar and await the show.
Very few groups put on a performance quite like IQ at
Christmas. I’ll admit that Marillion have come close on occasion but even they
cannot equal the sheer insanity that is Messer, Holmes, Nichols, Orford, (the
new boy) Andy Edwards and Jowitt in full yuletide flow. Much like an office
party, all of the work & effort of the previous twelve months finds vent in
this show and as such all of the safety valves are open tonight.
I’ve seen this spectacle a few times in the past and the
band’s take on celebrating this seasonal holiday is shall we say…unique! The
light’s go down and after a brief fanfare, each member appears in various
seasonal guise; Nichols as a rather emaciated Santa, Holmes as an extra from
Flash Gordon, Orford as a half mad bearded court jester, Edwards as…er, a
drummer and lastly, there’s John Jowitt.
Oh…my….god.
Jowitt saunters onstage clutching his bass ginning
manically, dressed as Wonder Woman (right down to the high heeled boots and hot
pants)! The cheer that erupts is mixed with whoops of laughter as boys wave enthusiastically
at the crowd and launch into the first song of the evening The Wrong Side Of Weird. It’s a growling, beast of a song that
powers its way through the crowd and a fine way to begin the celebrations.
Sacred Sound follows
on amidst a sea of chattering hi-hats and the band gradually begin to feel
comfortable with their surroundings. Having missed the last few tours, one
thing that is immediately apparent to me is that the new drummer (Andy Edwards)
has brought something significantly new to their collective table. Where Cookie’s
careful rhythmic framework once stood, Edwards has replaced it with something
that can only be described as sheer naked velocity. It might seem ungrateful to
say it after all the years of loyal service Paul put in but imagine difference
in sound between Rutsey & Peart and you’ll have some idea of the gear
change IQ have made.
With two of the more recent numbers under their belt, the
band wind the clock all the way back to their debut album as Nichols introduces
It All Stops Here. The familiar
keyboard arpeggio gives way to the opening instrumental section that once again
becomes a fundamentally changed beast in the hands of the new line up. Nichols
bobs about the stage, Santa hat whipping two and fro as the band lock into a
subtly complex groove. I exchange approving looks with both Andy and Richard as
the audience punch the air and nod their heads in time with what many consider
to be one of IQ’s seminal tracks.
Nichols introduces Intelligence Quotient as a song that most
people last heard them play way back in the old days of The Marquee, much to
the glee of some of the older lags in the crowd and is delivered with both
grace and style. Not one of my favourites, it has to be said but even I cannot
deny that this is a band playing their music with more confidence and verve
than they have in years and as such, everything on show burns in a new light…
…and John Jowitt is still dressed as Wonder Woman!!!
On a more serious note, the impact of a rhythmic partnership
like Jowitt and Edwards is never more evident than during the next song No Love Lost. When this song was
written during the mid 80’s, IQ was a technology driven, almost semi pop band
with only two (Holmes & Orford) of the current personnel in its number.
Today’s line-up is a much more sonically driven, almost feral collective who
make the hall shake with a subsonic menace. Unfortunately, it also sees the
dubious introduction of one of my least favourite musical interludes; the drum
solo. Edwards is quite obviously a technically superior drummer to Cookie but this
(although understandable, considering IQ now have a musician that can play it as
hard and as fast as they can) is rarely a good reason for showboating and
indeed, smacks slightly of self satisfaction to me.
As the opening guitar figure of Seventh House mingles with the smell of dope, we’re into the first
major epic of the evening. IQ has never been afraid to tackle weighty matters
and this song being no exception, concerns itself with the hell on earth that
was The First World War. The three screens behind the band flash both real and
cartoon images of the Battle of Somme and I’m reminded of the other prog rendering
of this conflict that I know of by Twelfth Night (Sequences) which although an
excellent song, lacks some the profundity of the piece currently being played.
Andy leans in and comments quite tellingly that there is an element of the Led
Zeppelin track ‘Kashmir’ in the dark swagger of the
piece and I have to agree. IQ perhaps more than most, understands how to marry
such a subject matter with music of an equally profound nature.
After such a weighty number the guys lighten the mood
considerably by launching into their first of two excellent covers for the evening,
Jet by Wings. The crowd respond in
kind and the smiles (which were never far way) return as we all lamely attempt
to sing the minimoog solo.
Holmes, Edwards and Jowitt leave the stage for the intro of Guiding Light as Nichols and Orford manoeuvre
through the song’s gentle and introspective introduction (it reminds me a
little of the kind of territory Kate Bush is currently exploring). The full
line-up returns to the stage for the middle section and a more familiar
IQ sound and form. This isn’t really one of my favourite tunes by the band but
nevertheless I enjoyed the performance which is executed flawlessly to my ears.
Before the final song of the main set, Nichols takes a few
moments to thank individually the crew that have kept them on the road thus far
(which was nice), the fans (that’s us) and Andy Edwards (as do we all, I
suspect).
With the acknowledgements out the way, we are treated to the
most recent IQ epic Harvest Of Souls
which appears to have found a special place in the hearts of many fans despite (or
maybe because of) its anti-American sentiments. Having only heard this song
once before the gig, I watch the music unfold in front of me with fresh ears
and try to put the preconceptions that often go with this song to one side. I’m
aware that it’s not like IQ to court controversy that often but when they do,
it appears to be done so with every fibre of their being. Musicians are often
social critics and indeed mirrors in which their generation is reflected so I
for one encourage this kind of musical discourse. The trouble is that such
subject matters tend to date very quickly and I wonder how this song will sound
ten years down the line when most of the current sentiment will have been lost.
Just listen to Marillion’s ‘Berlin’
and you'll understand what I mean.
It’s interesting to see how IQ has changed as a song writing
team since their first epic The Last
Human Gateway. Gone are the enthusiastic 70’s references and in their place
is a more mature, prescient sound. The siege ways between movements flow with
purpose and intent and the lyrical subject matter however you might agree or
disagree with its sentiment, positively drips with pathos.
The band inevitably leaves the stage to
rapturous applause
only to return a few moments later for the first of two encores,
dresssed in suitable stage attire this time with the exception of
that man Jowitt, who is now in a skimpy black pair of Speedos and a
white collar (a-la the Chippendales).
The crowd dissolve into peals of laughter once again (cue the dick
jokes) as
John minces around the stage, bass in hand, while they play a danced up
version
of Promises followed by the biggest and most surreal surprise of
the evening, a cover of the Pet Shop Boys It’s
A Sin, which closes the show in
spectacular style. I can’t help but applaud the sheer outrageous fun of it all
which is exactly what a party should be about. The signoff is courtesy of a
computer animated Pete Nichols singing Christmas carols on the backdrop screens
and the night is over bar the disco that follows all the gigs at the Mean
Fiddler.
I’ll freely admit that among all these fervent people
smiling happily and swapping their own personal take on the show, I was the secret
‘doubting Thomas’. I haven’t always been convinced that IQ deserves
the amount of devotion and awe that their fans give so readily. Equally, I feel
that time served treading the stage, doesn’t always equate to a strong body of
work. I honestly believed that this group’s best days were well and truly
behind them but it turns out that I was wrong. This is a band with twenty plus
years of the world in its lungs who have learned to speak with a confident,
readily identifiable voice.
In short, IQ in 2005 is a marvel to behold.
Edited by sigod
/PAlogo_v2.gif "Progarchives.com Homepage")
IQ Xmas Show (The Mean Fiddler,London)
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).I look forward to the first official Progarchive curry night whenever that should be..(with lap dancing??! 
chopper wrote:
.Ok just prog and curry then ..or we cut back on the Poppadoms and save some cash!
