Progressive rock may have scaled its zenith in the '70s shortly after its conception but this experimental subgenre of rock continues to this day, forging new sub-subgenres and styles internationally. One of the genre's larger non-'70s household names is Spock's Beard, live in London yet again tonight. Formed in 1992, this past August saw these quirky Americans release their twelfth studio album 'The Oblivion Particle'. Despite last being spotted in London in 2014 and having played countless times in the capital in the preceding years, the audience in attendees tonight takes up a large portion of the Islington Academy's floor space, an indication that the proggers in the area cannot get enough of these prog rockers.
After taking the stage one-by-one to a hail of applause, Spock's Beard appear to preface their performance reciting Japanese phrases, led beloved by keyboardist Ryo Okumoto. Soon after, they torpedo into the opener of 'Oblivion Particle', namely 'Tides of Time', bathing the venue in technicolour, soft dreamscapes and crystal clear sound. Just under seven minutes, this song is far from the longest performed tonight, taking its time to transform from the whimsical to a more sobering mood with a touch of glum self-realisation before leading towards a conclusion utilising a more upbeat atmosphere – a strong foot to set off on.
Vocalist and guitarist Ted Leonard has no issues entertaining the crowd with his amusing stage banter, throughout the night pandering to the attendees for a beer because the Kronenberg he has been given is definitely not to his taste. Eventually his persistence secures him (and guitarist Alan Morse) a beer. Joking with his bandmates makes a warm segue between tracks but of course the best parts of the show are the songs themselves. 'The Oblivion Particle' receives ample promotion with 'A Better Way to Fly', 'Minion', 'Hell's Not Enough' and 'To Be Free Again' bolstering the night. The new material does not conceive much in terms of new concepts in the Spock's Beard cannon but viewing such impressive musicianship live renders these new selections far from tiresome and the fans absorb every note.
Their take on prog rock involves pairing its nostalgic sound with more pop structures and musical oddities, rarely straying into untamed virtuoso territory and preferring emotion instead. Older songs 'On a Perfect Day', 'The Good Don't Last' and the more recent 'Waiting for Me' provide a delicious glimpse into the quintet's back catalogue but what feels like the centrepiece of the night is forewarned when Leonard comments on tuning his guitar, leading Morse to reveal the line “The prince and the drummers and the fire girls couldn't get our guitars in tune,” the fans recognising it as a line from the chorus of one of Spock's Beard's most popular songs 'June'. Leonard invites the audience to sing along if they know the words and the sheer number of voices raised when Leonard backs off illustrates that this song is very appreciated, its mellow acoustic first half seeing drummer Jimmy Keegan come to the fore and offer his vocals and keyboard skills to the spectators. Followed by 'Waiting for Me', the Americans leave the stage but the audience is resolutely ravenous for more and refuse to leave, demanding the return of Spock's Beard.
Indeed they do return and on request of an audience member, launch into a bemused rendition of a verse and chorus extracted from 'Bennett Built a Time Machine', mistakenly positioning the second verse in place of the first before grinding to a halt, prompting Leonard to joke about how well they know the song. It is a shame that this does not receive a full airing because it is one of the stronger compositions on the new album. Nonetheless, the audience is ecstatic to hear 'The Water' from debut album 'The Light', spliced with a selection of Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition', admirably executed. Appreciating the maniac cheers emanating from the venue, Spock's Beard leave behind yet another outstanding performance in London. Plenty of fingers are crossed for their return next year.
FUTURE GIGS
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