Countdown to IQ in Canada

[Rajaz]

My very FIRST time ever seeing IQ LIVE!!...one more off my bucket list Finally!!! The others are Eloy and Camel but that's another story.

Nichols, Holmes, Cookie, Tim and Neil were absolutely brilliant and amazing! They sure were worth the long long 9, yes I said 9 hour drive from Halifax NS. Worth every kilometer and expenses associated to the mileage. Great stage production, incredible musicianship, fantastic setlist (my only regret was no Enemy Smacks and no Dark Matter tracks but still it was great) and a very generous 2.5 hours Live performance.

I would have liked to have interacted more with the other fans but most of them only spoke french and I could hardly spot any Americans or Anglo Canadians. Fans in Quebec are lucky, this year they still will get: Eddie Jobson UK Tribute, Glass Hammer, Adrian Belew, King Crimson, Pendragon to name a few.

Merch was not all that bad, got an amazing IQ Scrape Across the Sky Tour 2017 T shirt for only $35 Canadian currency, no program though. Large crowd for a small but acoustically friendly venue.

I can't also conceive how this band can do this one-off gig coming from so far, charge an average $60 ticket and still break it even for the band and promoters! And this venue (Jean-Paul Tardiff) is a small music hall comparable to any High School auditorium in America and is in a quiet residential neighborhood and not in the middle of Times Square or close to it on 42nd st. like the BB King Blues Club for example, believe me.

But in all, IQ pulled it off and I am very grateful they did, I would not hesitate to see them again if a unique opportunity like this one comes along again. Peter said during one of the two encores that they have been doing "this thing" for 36 years and plan to keep it going as long as us the fans ask them to and everyone cheered, why not?

[Kanukisbrave]

I can't also conceive how this band can do this one-off gig coming from so far, charge an average $60 ticket and still break it even for the band and promoters!?

It was a vacation for most(all) of the band as they spent a week enjoying the Province of Quebec ... So that may have figured into how it financially worked...

[Paulrus]

It was a vacation for most(all) of the band as they spent a week enjoying the Province of Quebec ... So that may have figured into how it financially worked...

That's essentially how it worked when we had them to the west coast in '94. They brought wives and girlfriends and made a vacation out of it. We provided all the gear so they didn't have to worry about work visas, and I think we raised the money for most of the air fare.

[De3]

It was a vacation for most(all) of the band as they spent a week enjoying the Province of Quebec ... So that may have figured into how it financially worked...

Not really. The promoter pays for all flights, hotel for 2 nights, rider, gear hire etc. and any of the band/crew that want to extend their stay just pays for it out of their own pocket. It's just a long way to travel for just one show so some of them just decided to stay out there to catch their breath, see a few sights.

Dene

[JKL2000]

Not really. The promoter pays for all flights, hotel for 2 nights, rider, gear hire etc. and any of the band/crew that want to extend their stay just pays for it out of their own pocket. It's just a long way to travel for just one show so some of them just decided to stay out there to catch their breath, see a few sights.

Dene

I guess what he means is that it's worth it to the band to not make a profit because they're getting free airfare to Quebec and one or two nights hotel bill and some meals covered, then they foot the bill for extending their visit.

[Kanukisbrave]

I guess what he means is that it's worth it to the band to not make a profit because they're getting free airfare to Quebec and one or two nights hotel bill and some meals covered, then they foot the bill for extending their visit.

exactly JKL2000!

[2 Sheds]

Not really. The promoter pays for all flights, hotel for 2 nights, rider, gear hire etc. and any of the band/crew that want to extend their stay just pays for it out of their own pocket. It's just a long way to travel for just one show so some of them just decided to stay out there to catch their breath, see a few sights.

Dene

Sounds as though you didn't fly first class [on Concorde] and didn't book separate aircraft seats for Mike's guitars then (as Steve Howe famously did). Well done IQ for making the trip for your Canadian fans. Looking forward myself to driving a mere 100 miles to see you next Saturday.

[Orcopian]

Sounds as though you didn't fly first class [on Concorde] and didn't book separate aircraft seats for Mike's guitars then (as Steve Howe famously did). Well done IQ for making the trip for your Canadian fans. Looking forward myself to driving a mere 100 miles to see you next Saturday.

I will be making the trip to Bilston as well, its been less than a year since my last IQ gig (Summersend) but I never turn up a chance to see IQ and a Saturday night gig is ideal. Whilst ordering my ticket I also got one for the Tiger Moth Tales / The Gift gig in June, looking forward to hearing tracks from 'why the sea is salt' live - I rate that album very highly. Now just to decide which IQ T shirt to wear next week....

[moecurlythanu]

Now just to decide which IQ T shirt to wear next week....

Yes, indeed. Just out of curiosity, do you have a "Hoover The Bat" T-Shirt? I've had an eye out for that one since the early 90s, but have never seen it for sale.

[Orcopian]

Yes, indeed. Just out of curiosity, do you have a "Hoover The Bat" T-Shirt? I've had an eye out for that one since the early 90s, but have never seen it for sale.

I have seen that shirt a few times but don't own one. My personal favourite is the prog save the queen 25th anniversary one, also the Ever cover shirt is pretty classy.

[moecurlythanu]

I have seen that shirt a few times but don't own one. My personal favourite is the prog save the queen 25th anniversary one, also the Ever cover shirt is pretty classy.

My favorite of the ones I own is probably the Ever tour shirt. I bought it at Progfest '93, as that was the shirt they brought with them to sell. (There were no festival shirts.) My rarest one is a Bollox To The Borough Council shirt. Those were only made and circulated among the band's inner circle, and hail from the mid-80s.