Caught Live: The Mars Volta – Edinburgh Picture House

Opening with a non-existent support band, The Mars Volta introduce an evening of over two hours of progressive and psychedelic rock action on the 2nd leg of the ‘Octahedron Tour’.

Following a lengthy wait for the band to appear, the audience are rewarded with ‘Son et Lumiere’ and ‘Inertiatic ESP’ as the 6-piece revisit 2003′s ‘De-Loused in the Comatorium’; a set which does not pause to breathe is ignited with the mesmerisation of lights and improvisational jams separated only by a few mumbled words from Bixler-Zavala.

We are reminded that the group are known not for engaging the audience through words; it is their musicianship and enchanting live performance which defines them.

Volta’s exertion to capture an audience is truly awesome with the every lyric of the front man projected at full intensity while guitarist Omar Rodriguz-Lopez appears to drift in and out of a trance soloing during hard hitting tracks such as ‘Goliath’. It is easy to become lost in the immense calibre of the music, which can mutate a 5-minute track into a half hour jam driven by the rhythm section consisting bassist Juan Alderete (making fine use of a synth wah pedal) and brand new drummer Dave Elitch (equipped with endless supply of drumsticks to share with the audience) Additional keys and percussion are far more audible on CD; with an overwhelming quantity of sound channels to absorb; they often lost in a wall of noise.

It is evident during heart-racing songs such as ‘Eriatarka’ and Octahedron’s frantic ‘Cotopaxi ‘ that the lack of audience movement is owed to sheer amazement as non-blinking eyes observe the talents of musicians in front of them. For, tonight is a performance rather than a show, conceived by an ensemble of flawless musicians reanimating parts from their back catalogue in awe-inspiring new renditions. As Cicatriz ESP extends into a jam where the musicians feed not from their audience, but each other; the group often appear to forget about their spectators when it is time for improvising.

As the echoes of closer ‘Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)’ fade, the band depart from the stage expressing goodbyes with a series of nods and waves while a determined audience scream at an empty stage only to discover that Volta also ignore the cliché of encores. The ongoing cheers highlight the fact that The Mars Volta is one of the most important prog-rock bands in today’s existence as the entire venue strives to prolong an experience which is as gratifying as the soundtrack.

Setlist:

1.Son et Lumiere
2.Inertiatic ESP
3.Cotopaxi
4.L’Via L’Viaquez
5.Goliath
6.Eriatarka
7.Since We’ve Been Wrong
8.Cicatriz ESP
9.Halo Of Nembutals
10.Miranda That Ghost Just Isn’t Holy Anymore
11.Teflon Play Video
12.Viscera Eyes
13.The Widow
14.Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)

Posted on January 21, 2010 | Filed Under Music

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