IQ – The Met, Bury – Friday 14th/Saturday 15th February 2025

A TRADITION

Here we are again. All good friends and jolly good company.

It might be hard to top last year’s extravaganza, confirmed just recently with the ‘IQ Weekend’ voted as #1 Event Of The Year by PROG magazine readers. The Colos-Saal set being released as a welcome souvenir of the 2024 era. Still can’t get over the first night starting with The Narrow Margin – and then managing to get even better.

There are traditions to be upheld. In what’s become a pilgrimage of sorts, fans head from all corners of the nation and beyond. Bury becomes the Prog Rock centre of the universe for 48 hours. Pete Nicholls gets further use out of his best suit and tie and tall blokes stand in front of Rob Aubrey at the sound desk. Actually, the Friday sees Pete in his smart frock coat with bandana around his neck and Rob is up at the back of the tiered seating, for once an unrestricted view.

FRIDAY

The 2025 weekend is quite an occasion, as it marks the 30th anniversary of IQ first playing at The Met. Traditions continue as the theme music to Are You Being Served kicks in and Mrs Slocombe pops up and makes a fleeting appearance on the three projection screens. A white shirted Mike Holmes steps into place to observe proceedings as Neil Durant plays the opening notes of this year’s (even bigger) surprise opening number.

The even more familiar strains of the first track on the first album float out – no clouds storm the sky – and we’re off into an epic opening that matches 2024. The signs are good, especially when we’re welcomed to a “romantic Prog Rock gig.” It is Valentine’s Day after all (and a day after Pete’s birthday) although not many seem to have treated their spouses to what we’re informed is going to be a 28 song extravaganza over the two nights. “A lot for an old guy to get through!” says Pete when Mike Holmes pulls him up over a slight lyrical variation later in the evening.

BACK TO THE LUSH ATTIC

As The Last Human gateway heads into a sprightly and punky Through The Corridors, the thought that we might be getting a healthy portion of Tales From The Lush Attic pops into the head. It’s almost like we’ve time warped back to The Marquee some forty odd years ago. Not heard Awake And nervous for a while, but that’s all we’re going to get from 1983. Can’t beat a bit of nostalgia though.

The opening to Sacred Sound verges on brutal and gets delivered at quite a punishing tempo. Neil Durant’s church organ leads into one of those signature (and often frantic) IQ instrumental sections that crop up later in A Missile (Mike and Paul Cook indulging in some synchronised headbanging) and Guiding Light. the latter a stirring contrast between the lyrical sentiment and the massive instrumental that the instrumental quartet power through. Dipping into Resistance, A Missile also calls up those claustrophobic Numan synth sounds and Shallow Bay comes up trumps with what could possibly be Mike Holmes solo of the night. And while the IQ weekend might rank highly for PROG readers, one takes a moment to ponder why Mr Holmes is absent from the top ten guitarists in their readers poll…

T.R.O.B.

The Road Of Bones had the honour of making both nights setlists in 2024. This year, that goes to Far From Here from the new album. Initial thoughts are on a mini epic as the lullaby opening (in IQ style of course) gives way to the rave trance groove of the middle part, a swinging solo to herald the finale that culminates in a poignant final verse. Of course, listening to the new album may prove otherwise, but that’s how it sounds in the heat of the moment.

The title track to TROB is almost a given. It sees Pete mimic the album cover with finger on lips. Is he in role or is he using the device to remind the audience that silence should be observed to emphasis the chill of the opening. Or maybe he voted for ‘talking at gigs’ (#7 in ‘biggest disappointment as voted by PROG readers…). It’s what back in 1973 Chris Welch would ave called ‘rock theatre’.

The variation in the setlist continues to be a testament to the quality of the IQ catalogue and their gig fitness in how they can pull off the two night feat. That’s without even detailing a setlist that draws from ten albums and includes Sleepless Incidental, Until The End and cuts from the new album Dominion. We’re at the halfway point and with Headlong (yes, I recall it being a highlight of that first Met gig with the sharp nosed profile backdrop those thirty years ago) cementing the dynamic that IQ do best in eight minutes – generous riffing, gorgeous guitar melodies and synth lines to accompany a lyric from another PROG mag underappreciated lyricist.

SATURDAY

A bonus for Bury attendees is to find that on the merch desk, the new album is on sale. Dominion, the album, the poster, the T shirt is not surprisingly getting snapped up. Where else to better put a new IQ album on sale!?

The dates for the 2026 weekend have also been announced (those in attendance on Friday got the advantage of a heads up), put on sale and the seats have been snapped up well (WELL) before tonight’s show is in sniffing distance. Friday has already posted the ‘sold out’ notice and Saturday is ‘selling fast’! And as Pete says tonight, they’ll keep coming back as long as we want…

Things are back to normal tonight as Rob Aubrey is back on the floor, no doubt doing his best behind one of the IQ fans who seem to err on the taller side. Funnily enough, and although Rob’s mix is never less than topnotch, the mix tonight seems particularly clear and superbly balanced. The standing area seems particularly chocca tonight yet any notion that IQ could be accommodated in a larger venue reinforces the relationship between the band and this venue.

riding the FREQUENCY

The musical focus tonight is on 2009’s Frequency. An underrated album in the catalogue? Perhaps one that doesn’t get its fair credit given the strength of the legacy, but tonight proves its worth particularly with Mike Holmes proving its a strong guitar album. Incidentally, only Pete and Mike are the only members of the line up from that album who are onstage this evening. Seven musical pieces on an album that Pete talks of as being “an album of two halves.” One where the sessions were interrupted by his own illness; his return confirming that everything was still ok. A collection of Frequency images and graphics will fill the three projection screens as the seven tracks play out.

The title track reinforces its strength as an opening number. The thumping riff having Mike mouthing, as he does on many occasions, the lyrics. Celestial graphics accompany the genteel opening to life Support before the guitar and keyboard begin a to and fro dialogue of crystal clear lead lines. A good guitar album indeed. Stronger Than Friction includes a bizarre and mucho amusing series of projections of what could broadly be termed ‘dancers’ before we’ve segued almost imperceptibly into One Fatal Mistake.

CALM AND STORM

It’s the calm before the stormy darkness of what Pete calls “a dark place of incarceration” in Ryker Skies and “the big one” of the album, The Province. the latter sees Neil’s snaking solo playing over the thumping tempo and Mike even has time to straighten his fringe in the midst of a the intricately structured solo. However, the emotional high point – of the album, of the night, maybe of the weekend is album closer, Closer.

The power chords that strike home at the mid point and lead to the two final verses that start with the “Hold on, when I’m dead and gone from here...” line are pure goosebumps territory. One of IQ’s big bits. Music for passing into another dimension. Pete and Mike (fifty years as friends in 2026 – remember the story of meeting in line for a Genesis gig in ’76?) indulge in a touching, head on shoulder moment of togetherness.

EVER

With The Wake still ringing in the ears, there’s a pause for a medical incident in the audience and the lights are necessarily up. Everyone’s very patient and understanding and the venue staff are top notch before the band return for an Ever fest. A weekend conspicuous by the absence of Ever tracks so far, IQ make up with a vengeance and it’s a Mike Holmes guitar masterclass. It feels like a new gig with the release of The Darkest Hour surging out as a clutch of Ever is accompanied by the new Far From Here that gets another outing and the perfect Ten Million Demons – made to be an encore.

The only possible beef is that Leap Of Faith doesn’t segue into Came Down, but with what IQ have served up over two nights that’s being churlish. All is made right as IQ make a dedication to the late and great Geoff Mann and play Further Away ending the weekend with the same sort of extremely pleasant surprise as it began. Fifteen minutes of prime IQ; power, melody and a guitar line to bring the same sort of uplifting closure as Headlong did some 24 hours ago.

Never let go. As the sing in The Wake, they wanted to be magnificent. Some forty years on, IQ seem to just get better.

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