Making one of their rare but appreciated trips across the pond, neo-prog icons IQ played the second of the 2 gig N American tour Saturday at the Imperial in Quebec City (following Fri from Montreal). The set lists not only varied between Canada shows but also from the pre tour warm up show from the UK..
However, the proceedings were to take a foreboding tone when with about a 1/2 hour to show time , Guitarist Michael Holmes thanked everyone for coming and broke the news of Singer Pete Nicholls currently poor health status and suggested that an audience sing along might be in order to help prop up his ailing pipes but indeed they would "carry on"..(this hit yours truly quite hard as I actually believe that the sometimes thin and fragile, sometimes powerful but always emotive vocal stylings
of Mr Nicholls are truly a group strength and would suffer on this rare event) --well--se la vie---
The show would feature the entire CD1 of Road of Bones with other older favorites and started with the ROB CD opener "From the Outside In"...
The near capacity Quebec audience had been waiting for the moment for years and while sensing their front man was battling, he was still sounding 65-70% Ok...Musically the players were ready to take their game to the next level to pick up the slack..When the first song dramatically ended The Capitale du Prog audience exploded in an intense and extended applause as to signal to the Brits..you sound good enough to US- keep it going as long as YOU CAN !!
Yes, the vocals were inconsistent as physically expected..But the rock solid rhythms of Esau and Cookie, atmospheres, majestic chord and lead flourishes by multi-keyboardist Durant carried the IQ banner high. However special kudos are in order for one super player Mike Holmes..( there is a famous rock guitarist who wants to dial it to 11 at all times) but I would personally like this guitarists guitarist to crank it to 12 & 13 since his tone is incredibly beautiful and his emotional melodic leads rank side by side with Hacketts'..
An incredible setlist ended with an exciting full make up and costumed blast from the past (circa 1983) crowd favorite "The Enemy Smacks" a full blown nod to the Gabriel-Era Genesis...
The 1st encore saw IQ joined onstage by the lead singer of Canada's legendary "the Musical Box" and Pete and Denis traded off verses of Subterranea to the joy of all present...as their final offering..
But this Quebec crowd would NOT accept an ending and powerfully chanting IQ===IQ====IQ & had the boys crank out one more as the Wake's Widows Peak brought down the final curtain ...
Any IQ concert , CD or DVD is a joy to behold as this group has consistently delivered the goods for over 30 years..
Hopefully they come stateside again sooner than later and at FULL strength and realize why they are held in high regard by prog fans all over..
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Originally Posted by Garden Dreamer
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