An Evening With Haken – The O2 Ritz, Manchester: Live Review

By Mike Ainscoe on 23rd September 2024 • ( Leave a comment )

Haken – The O2 Ritz, Manchester – Friday 20th September 2024

It’s been an odd few years for Haken with their Virus album appearing just at the same time as that real life virus and having all things thrown out of kilter. Life goes on and as Rod Stewart once said, it’s late September – and we’re almost caught up.

Just over a year ago, we caught Haken with Between The Buried And Me on the Islands In Limbo tour and a few months later at RADAR Festival so it’s not like they’ve been idle. They are one of the busiest touring bands around, so it’s no surprise really to have them return to Manchester for their latest extravaganza. It’s a full ‘evening with’ show, so, no support which gives Haken the chance to present for Manchester and London only in the UK, a mesmerising show.

the fauna album – top to tail

The first set comprises a full play through of the Fauna album. Having encountered explosive live takes on set opener Taurus and perhaps one of the album highlights, Sempiternal Beings at RADAR, we know the live potency of Fauna. They’re confident enough, justifiably so, in the whole of the album and feel its strong enough to warrant a full live outing.

Even with some of the, erm, lighter moments – see the dancing synth opening of The Alphabet Of Me or the easy relaxation on Eyes Of Ebony – we’re never too far away from a hoof in the pants from the might and power of the Haken instrumental machine. Beneath The White Rainbow and Island In The Clouds offers moments of dreamy respite but are balanced with some alarming bucking and kicking rhythms that climax with some mind boggling staccato in the album closer, Eyes Of Ebony.

When they conclude Fauna and head off into the atmospheric celestial space intro to Crystallised (last heard in Manchester upstairs at the Academy 3) – the full twenty minute version mind, no edits or medleys – there’s a sense of ‘could this get any better?’ As we reach another crescendo, an ending worthy of the Master of Prog himself, Neal Morse as we pass into the unknown, what we do know is that remarkably, we’re only at the half time mark.

Now – with a support band in tow, many would be completely satisfied with an album performance and a Crystallised encore. In itself, a lot to appreciate, but be careful what you wish for whilst showing a modicum of admiration for a sextet who are able to deliver two hours plus of highly complex music.

Set two – the brest of the rest

The second set sees the band head into the back catalogue and use the sort of model employed often by Opeth, cherry picking a number or two from each album. Almost a ‘best of’ selection follows in the next eighty minutes as we get battered by Puzzle Box and Nil By Mouth, the latter just one opportunity to admire the mesmeric drum work of Ray Hearne

Earthrise reminds us of the musical range to expect from Haken; a track that Chris Martin and his Coldplay pals could easily use to light up stadia around the world. There seems an ease and relaxed feel about set two, perhpas the groundwork done with Fauna. The lighter and atmospheric side is showcased in Canary Yellow and 1985 plus the fan favourite in the quirky Cockroach King – a path that they like to occasionally tread as they’ve show in Elephants Never Forget in the first half.

Completing the journey, we’re cast back to the first two albums – Aquarius and Visions – with the title track of the latter providing one more wafer thin moment with a twenty minute encore. It’s classic Haken in a twenty minute, an amuse bouche after all that’s been offered this evening. However, more than sufficient evidence so confirm Haken’s move into the major league of progressive music.