IQ – The Met, Bury – Friday 13th/Saturday 14th February 2026...
...Better than staying at home
Here we are again. The annual IQ weekend in Bury. As frontman Pete Nicholls has always reminded us, as long as the demand is there, they’ll keep coming back. This weekend he seems even more adamant about the fact. Even (again) giving the Friday night audience the heads up about next year’s dates, ticket sale times and a chance to get in ahead of any local hotel ‘dynamic pricing’ kicking in.
I guess, eventually, one day we’ll be looking back at the final track on the last (as in ‘most recent’) album, when Never Land reminisces: “remember then, how high we flew” in a sort of facing the inevitable, fading lights moment. But for now…fans gather from around the globe (from five minutes up the road to the West coast of the USA) for another value for money, two separate sets treat with IQ.
And that genuinely is two nights with two completely separate sets. Twenty nine different songs – although you might not find calling a 25 minute Prog Rock epic ‘a song’ – with no repeats. Not even Road Of Bones is wheeled out both nights. Add several performances which are either debuts or ones that come under the ‘first time since…(name the year)’ banner and the weekended is an impressive feat of Prog-sized protections.
BETTER THAN STAYING AT HOME
Timing is everything. Despite the ominous Friday the 13th, the opening night is Pete’s birthday and we have Valentine’s on the Saturday. The birthday boy seems in high spirits in his new-ish sparkly jacket, grinning and smiling at familiar faces (plus spilling his water and forgetting his glasses) inbetween delivering his vocal parts in a set that could pass for a best of IQ. There’s a moment or tow of nostalgic remenisecence as Neil and Tim mark 15 years since joining (orr returning in Tim’s case) to the fold. Nothing though compared to the fifty year friendship of Messrs Nicholls and Holmes – Bingley Hall, ’76 the start of a long term partnership between these now “elderly genetlemen” (Pete’s words).
The set has its fair share of biggies – The Wrong Side Of Weird and The Darkest Hour both appear early in the first night. In at the deep end and supported by a thumping Born Brilliant. The latter not the only time that the instrumental quartet of Holmes. Cook/Durant/Esau will lock into a hefty groove. Putting the Heavy (but not Metal) into Prog. Not least when they follow a storming Stronger Than Friction instrumental passage with a brief foary into State Of Mine from Subterranea.
A TEN ALBUM COLLeCTION
Ten albums are mined for the set that adds to the ‘best of’ feel as we journey right back to the most early of days. It All Stops Here is as old as the band themselves, played as sprightly as it was back in the early Eighties. It paves the way for a closing sequence that’s as strong as the opening as Road Of Bones, Closer and Further Away are cherry picked for a finale that combines the deep emotionality of Closer with some epic Prog on a grand scale.
Funny too to think back to the days of Ever when Further Away live was something of a Bete Noire. One of Mike Holmes most melodic of guitar lines at the end of the piece many would agree and an album whose two major works have made it into a fine set to represent arguably a favourite amongst the IQ fanbase.
And if ten Million Demons isn;t an encore number, then what is. A low layer on the Road of Bones bonus CD, it has found a place to pulse in what we’ve always called a Waterfront meets Glitterband pulse. Maybe not the most complex and technically challenging piece, but offering the sort of fun and rolics ending to the evening in the same way that the cover versions used to do in the band’s early days.
The Saturday show finds the crowd in high anticipation. It’s Valentines and there are some couples in the house – proof that Prog Rock doesn’t live up to the tag of being what Pete calls ” a solitary pursuit.” Most if not all having secured their spots for 2027, they’re ready for a full album performance of Dominion, released pretty much a year ago.
LIVE DEBUTS
It’s live debuts for both Unknown Door and One Of Us that open the set. A music stand (some lyrical reminders maybe) required as they’re so new in the set. If an autocue is good enough for Springsteen, we can make allowances for such a majestic piece. The former is a twenty plus minute epic that sets off with a cinematic fanfare and genuinely tender offering before the climax comes in a crescendo whose final five minutes move the track into the box marked ‘big bits’. The visual on the three back projection screens cast out images which complement the tale before mike Holmes takes a seat for some impressive finger picking acoustic playing on the latter that’s offers a jaunty country feel.
Far From Here fair rattles along and has another of those ‘big bits’ with a fabulous guitar solo at the close when the bass pedals shake the floor of the seating structure. Lest anyone need reminding, Mike Holmes, the great underrated guitarist in Prog circles – 5th in the annual PROG readers poll, sandwiched between Rothery and Gilmour which can;t be bad. Watch him closely as he not only peels of some beautifully melodic passages but also contorts his fingers into some impossibly tricky looking chord shapes and then adds some filling loosening deep riffs.
NEVER LAND HIGH
However, it’s Never Land that could be the high point of the new(est) album. Picking up on the themes of Far From here and closer, Pete reminds us about living your best life and being guided by those who are no longer with us but still watch over us. He appears quiet emotional as the music is led by Neil Durant’s lush textures and sequences and a Tim Esau rubbery bassline, “short but great” Pete says as the music expands and the ovation that greeted Unknown Door is topped. “Did you like that?” he asks and there’s a clear message that The Met devotees thoroughly approve of Dominion.
Having dealt with IQ2025, the latter half of the show pulls from seven albums with some shenanigans from the Lush Attic as Through The Corridors (don’t forget Oh Shit Me!) (“all these short songs!“) pumps out some some IQ punk. A staccato guitar line, busy basslines and rapid synth passages and the projection screes display images from the era – all Marquee and big hair. It’s a shame that Leap Of Faith didn’t segue into Came Down as it does on Ever and has on the odd live occasion – always a bonus when it does although we’ve had a decent portion of Ever and the instrumental passage with Mike right on the button again, is tremendous.
Plus – there’s Until The End to tick the end of set biggie and Headlong puts a fine seal of quality on the main set. Mike Holmes adding another piece of evidence for his ascendancy to the upper echelons of Prog Gods as he duels with Neil’s synth lines. The highlight of The Wake? The Wake as the favourite IQ album? One to discuss in the pub over a pint or two.
A CELEBRATION
Th history of IQ has been well and truly celebrated over the weekend. And while nostalgia has its place, days A story that’s set to run. The Friday of the 2027 weekend is sold out and Saturday is selling fast. ‘Move to a bigger venue!’ some might cry….’more seats!’ comes the word form those with aching knees and backs… All while the bets are on for what the two nights will bring.
With no new album likely to promote, it’s 30 years since Subterranea was debuted at The Met or maybe go down the fan request or ‘deep(er) cuts’ night? What’s been certain as the IQ weekends have come and gone, there’s always a sense of unpredictability. They have a vast legacy of work and aren’t afraid to cast the dice to see what they can toss into the mix. Same time next year…?
IQ: Website