Living a Life in a Day... with IQ — Subterranea live in Noorderligt, Tilburg, Netherlands, 7 November 1997

Ed Sander

It might have been the three promised bags of cat food I was carrying when I entered the dressing room at 14.00. Anyway, Martin immediately recognised me; "Ah, you must be Ed!".

I shook hands with Martin, Pete and John; the three band members I had either previously met or corresponded with by phone or letter. I was offered some food, but since I had just done a magical disappearance trick with two packs of chicken nuggets half an hour earlier, I wasn't really hungry. I decided to settle for a cup of coffee. A bit of small talk with Martin, John and Arie (the prog rock booking agent for Holland) followed. John told us a strange story about a man with two butt cracks. When he was asked how one got to know something like that he replied that it was one of the three basic questions you use when you meet someone; "How are you?", "'How's the weather?'" and "How many butt cracks do you have?".

Martin showed me the way to the stage. Earlier that week I had offered a helping hand in case they needed some assistance to prepare for the Noorderligt gig. Martin had gladly accepted the offer but now that I had arrived it wasn't really necessary anymore; everything went very smoothly today. The same couldn't be said about the previous night in Belgium. Less than 200 people had shown up and during The Narrow Margin all power had gone down. According to Martin ticket sales in Belgium have always been bad, even when they supported Mike and the Mechanics in the eighties.

Subterranean Secrets

All of the instruments were still packed in their boxes in the arena area of the Noorderligt venue. Most of the stage equipment for the show had already been set up.

I was shown around the stage and Martin explained the various secrets of the show to me. First of all he showed me how the retractable gauze screen worked. This piece of equipment which hangs above the front of the stage had been developed by Assistant Lighting & Projection Coordinator Oggie, although various people had told him that it couldn't be done. Now IQ is the only band with such a device.

The thing basically consisted of a piece of gauze textile attached to an old sewage pipe which was connected to a small motor that could be used to rotate the pipe. As a result the screen would roll up or down when the motor was turned on. The pipe itself was quite heavy; we had to hold it up with four people when the clamps had to be changed.

The retractable gauze device plays a very important role in the show. When the stage is unlit the screen functions as a movie screen and the projector at the mixing desk in the hall can diplay nice footage on it. When lights on the stage are turned on the screen practically becomes invisible and you can see right through it. Both features can also be combined so that you can see the band play behind the screen while films are projected in front of them. This proved to be a very spooky effect, used during songs like The Narrow Margin and King of Fools, but more about those later.

All in all the device is brilliant in its simplicity and proved to be very effective during the show.

At the back of the stage a second white sheet was pulled up. On this one additional films could be projected when the gauze screen had been rolled up. In front of the screen and just behind Martin's and Paul's instruments an elevated walkway had been build which Pete would use quite a lot during the show. Combined the walkway and screen could create some nice effects. For instance, during Sleepless Incidental the metro station picture which can be found in the middle of the CD booklet would be projected on the back screen, turning the walkway into a platform.

Between the screen at the front and the one at the back a rig with four expensive looking lights had been set up; Golden Scan 3s. If I'm not mistaken a fifth and a sixth had been placed by the sides of the stage for I seemed to notice six beams during the show.

Anyway, these machines were able to create light beams and move them around by means of reflection in a rotating mirror. Also, the colour of the light could be changed and the beams could be shaped in various patterns, creating circles, triangles and other figures on the stage.

Another nice gadget was the extra microphone and camera in the wing of the stage. These would be used during King of Fools. Pete's head could be filmed and projected right back on the gauze screen while Martin and Mike would play the keyboard parts of the track, resulting in a huge spooky head floating above the stage.

Sound-check

All of the scaffolds for the screens and lights were lifted and it was time to unpack the instruments. I had a chat with Geoff Mann authority Andy Labrow, who proved to be a very nice guy. I also ended up making some fresh coffee because I seemed to be the only one around who understood the Dutch instructions which came with the machine.

I also had a short discussion about the Internet with Arie and Thomas Waber (Inside Out music).

In the meantime all of the instruments were tuned and Rob Aubrey adjusted the sounds. This gave me the opportunity to take some nice pictures and chat some more with John and Mike, with whom I share two things; we both like KLF and we both work with databases on the job.

It was also quite nice to hear some of the tunes that were played during these instrument checks. At one point Mike launched into Pink Floyd's One of these Days and Martin played the opening part of Fanfare for the Common Man.

The crew fooled around with the instruments for a while (Andy, who had just come out of the shower was rocking away with Mike's guitar while wearing a towel on his head, wrapped in perfect Mother Theresa fashion).

Then, the band started the sound-check, during which most of the first half of the album was played. This gave me the chance to walk around and take some pictures you wouldn't be able to take during the show.

The sound-check wasn't bad at all. Pete's voice was good and besides Cookies confusion about when to start the drumming on Infernal Chorus there didn't seem to be any real problems. It was good to finally be able to hear Subterranea's music being played live.

During the check Oggie and Rob Aubrey also tested the lights, projector and sound effects.

Afterwards Martin demonstrated his keyboard set-up to me. All of his equipment, including a sampling machine, were connected to the main keyboard and could be operated with the keys of that instrument. All of the songs or specific parts of songs had their own keyboard sounds and key-splits programmed in this keyboard. Martin only had to press a button to immediately switch to the next keyboard set-up.

After a disturbing hum from Widge's keyboards had been chased and solved the band went back-stage to prepare for dinner.

News

I talked with Peter Nicholls, who claimed not to be hungry before a gig, and discussed how I ended up making the IQ FAQ and maintaining the IQ site at the Dutch Progressive Rock Page. We also talked about the current plans of the band. Since the costs of the Subterranea show are very high they would probably only do the January gig in London and the April tour in Europe. It would be too expensive to keep it going any longer and it would be almost impossible to take the current show to the United States.

It would of course be a shame to loose the show after finishing the April tour, so the band is planning to film one of these gigs and release a live video in the end of 1998.

After April the band will finish the rarities album which will also be released next year. If possible the CD will once again have two discs; the first one will contain IQ's first cassette album Seven Stories into Eight, while the second one will have all other kinds of rarities on it. According to Martin this will depend the question if they can find a good master tape of Seven Stories into Eight.

Finally, Subterranea seems to have struck a very creative spot with the band. They are feeling so creative, they think it should be no problem to release the next studio album in 1999.

Martin later told me that the plans for a Japanese release of Subterranea had been cancelled. Therefore, the left-over from the 1996 concerts (Big Pouff Hair) would probably be released for the first time on the rarities album.

After dinner it was about 8 o'clock and the dressing rooms and concert hall were cleared. I walked to the foyer of the Noorderlight venue, bought a Subterranea shirt at the Merchandise stand and before long the doors were opened and people started streaming in. I met Rene 'DPRP News' Jansen, who hadn't heard the album yet and Frans of the Pink Floyd fanzine Echoes. Just when it started to get crowded in the foyer the doors to the hall were opened and people went to seek a good spot to watch the show.

The hall filled up; the show was definitely sold out. All the signs of a perfect night where there. And just when people started to get restless, shortly after 9 o' clock the lights went out ...... it was ......

Showtime

The sounds of the tuning orchestra filled the Noorderligt. A couple of taps from the conductor and Subterranea hit people right in the face ! As the first bombastic notes of Overture were played a tower in the middle of a field was projected on the rolled down gauze screen. Inside the tower a man in white clothes (Pete) held his head in his hands and rocked to and fro. With fear in his eyes he looked around, opened the door and ran away from the tower. The up-tempo part of Overture kicked in while he fled away from his confinement, all the time looking back as if someone was following him.

Provider. Projections on the gauze screen faded. Yellow light on the stage behind it was turned on. Pete, dressed in white clothes, could be seen through the screen, kneeling with a light pattern projected on the screen behind him, which created the effect of a barred window. The sound of the iron gate opening. He was free. Free to wander off into...

Subterranea. The gauze screen was rolled up while the band went into the title track. Mike, John, Paul and Martin were all dressed in black clothes, contrasting the outside world with the innocence of the character Pete was playing. While he stumbled across the stage footage of the city shot across the back screen. London, Tower Bridge, Traffic, High Buildings, enough to make Pete dazzle and fall to the ground. Stunning acting performance; Pete really 'lived' his role.

Sleepless Incidental. A metro station was projected on the back screen, turning the walkway into a platform. Cookie made a slight mistake at the point where the drums come in, but quickly picked up again. Martin's splendid keyboard solo set the mood for the reverend/cult leader to arrive.

Failsafe. Mike's guitar solo. Wonderful patterns were produced by the light projectors. Pete came back on stage wearing a black cloak, playing the religious leader. When the answer came ("Leave me alone ...") he flung off the cloak. Wooden religious statues were projected on the back screen.

Speak my Name. This wonderful resting point of the album was played in atmospheric lighting.

Tunnel Vision. More moving lights, at the end Mike went over to an extra keyboard by the side of Martin's rig to play the transition into Infernal Chorus. Pete came back on stage. He had changed his white shirt for a black one and a black jacket; "Something happened inside...". The decadence had begun with him killing one of the agents following him. The stage light turned red.

King of Fools. The gauze screen came down again. Mike went back to the keyboard to play the menacing opening of King of Fools. He and Martin could be seen through the screen in the blue stage light. Then suddenly an eerie face appeared in front of them, floating above the stage, projected on the gauze screen; Pete, wearing small round sunglasses singing King of Fools. Very spooky, very effective.

Sense in Sanity. The gauze screen was retracted again. Pete came back, standing singing by the side of the stage while Mike and Martin played the keyboards and beautiful light effects were made.

State of Mine. One of my favorite short tracks (I even sampled this bit as the start-up sound of my computer at work). Speeded-up footage of traffic shot across the back screen.

A couple of seconds of silence.

Laid Low. Martin and Mike played this beautiful opener of the second disk.

Breathtaker. Another rocking track. It could be noticed that Pete's voice started suffering a bit from the intense performance. His vocals weren't as clear anymore as during the afternoon's sound-check. But who can blame him, considering the tour de force Subterranea is.

While Pete's clothing slowly changed from white to black the other band members changed their clothes from black to white, bit by bit and one by one. Probably as a symbol for the lost innocence of the main character compared to the outside world.

Capricorn. When the first chords were played the crowd cheered. This is obviously a favorite of the people who already knew the album. Martin played the saxophone bits on the keyboard, as he had demonstrated to me earlier that day.

The Other Side. Moving clouds flew across the back screen while Mike (who plays most of this song on the album) and Martin performed this instrumental piece.

Somewhere in Time / High Waters. Two other songs with great lighting. At one point the symbol (IQ logo) which was used to mark Mockenrue's testing subjects appeared in huge form on the back screen.

'Clank-Tingy-Tingy-Clank-Tingy'. The Narrow Margin had begun. One of the highlights of the show, played perfectly and with amazing effects. During the middle section ('Every one of us is herded and controlled ... ') the gauze screen came down and a tunnel-like pattern with sparkles of light around a big hole was projected on it. Pete stepped back on the elevated walkway, standing exactly behind the circle. When he sang the words 'and the kerosene's ignited', projected flames shot up on the gauze screen. As a result Pete could be seen standing in a sea of fire.

The lights on the stage were turned of while the projected flames remained and the sound effect tape was started. The fire sequence, very eerie.

The band went into the up-tempo part (ELB) while the screen was rolled-up once again. Mike and John took center stage to 'do their thing'. At the end the screen came down again, Pete once again kneeled in the middle of the walkway. He was now fully dressed in black, while the rest of the band wore white. The bar pattern was projected behind him once again. He was back in his confinement. The iron gate closed and the lights went off. Darkness. Subterranea had ended.

Aftermath

A roar of applause and screams went through Noorderligt. The crowd loved it. Everyone I talked to after the show had really enjoyed it, even those who hadn't heard the album yet. Some, however, complained that the sound volume had been a bit loud at the front of the stage. I had already noticed that during the sound check and had decided to stand at the back, near the bar, where I had a great view on both stage and audience.

The screen was retracted and the band came back on stage to thank the audience for their patience. Pete's "Good Evening !" was received with laughter. A total of three encores were played. First of all we got The Darkest Hour, after which the band came back for a rocking version of The Wake, which had John and Martin jumping up and down.

Finally the band came back for the third time. Well, actually it was Mike, John, Martin, Paul and Pete's Alter-Ego; Mr. Tambourine Man. You guessed it: Awake and Nervous. All three songs were great but I got the same feeling I had during the second half of Marillion's Brave concerts; the songs are nice but are overshadowed by the amazing concept which has preceded them.

The Subterranea show was absolutely brilliant. It was the most creative thing I've seen in years, and if you considered the band's budget and means it was relatively better than for instance the last Pink Floyd show. Such simple things used with such great effect. I was completely stunned and speechless. Noorderligt was a perfect venue for a show like this. It had been an old movie theater in the past, so the projection really worked very well.

There was so much to be seen, I hardly know which song had which effects anymore. There was too much to remember. I can't wait for the April shows and the video to see it all again.

I quickly went backstage to congratulate the band and the crew with their amazing performance, picked up my stuff and headed for the car. I hadn't been feeling well all week but had refused to stay at home. I had a splitting headache and a real ugly cough, but nevertheless it was a night to remember. Special thanks to all band and crew members for their friendliness and an amazing show.

Epilogue

A couple of days later I called Martin. The show they had done in Offenbach (Germany) had gone very well, with about 400 people in the audience. Besides the three encores they had played in Tilburg they had also done Out of Nowhere / Mamma Mia once again.

The end of the short November tour hadn't been perfect for everybody though. Rob Aubrey, who already hadn't been feeling well during the gig on Friday, had to be hospitalized in Germany with pneumonia. He had to stay there for at least a week.

The rest of the band and crew had worked real hard to manage without him. We all hope Rob will be better soon.