The first gig of every year is traditionally IQ at The Met, Bury, 2024 is no exception. Hector, with Marg in tow, was here once again for the Friday night – seated – show. Let the kids in their fifties stand down the front we, the retired, struggle to stand for three hours.
A Prog Rock gig in Bury means a night in Manchester. A night in Manchester gives the opperchancity to visit Kabana (22 Back Turner St., Northern Quarter, Manchester M4 1FR England). Not only that, it’s Putty Day! January 19, 2024, note the day.
At the end of November, Rizwan, Mein Host at Kabana, could not deliver Fish for Hector, so no – special creation.
Is there Fish? – was my greeting to Rizwan. The last Fried Fish (£5.50) in the shop was secured. For Marg, Lamb Karahi (off the bone) (£6.50) and a Chapatti (£1.00). She passed on the Keema (£6.50) despite Rizwan taking the lid off the kettle to show his wares.
We took a table at the rear, Kabana was remarkably busy at 16.00, but empty as we departed. Rizwan brought the food to the table, the foliage – too! Marg would limit herself to Coriander.
Lamb Karahi (off the bone)
In all the years of Currying at Kabana, the Hector has never had this. On-the-bone – remains the Hector standard, with Rice also. Karahi in a bowl – highlights the relative – soapiness – of the Masala at Kabana. Karahi? I give Rizwan the benefit of any doubt. The Karahi here is spectacular, well the on-the-bone version has been verified oft.
I watched Marg cut her Meat with the side of her fork, a la Hector. A whole Clove was produced and set aside. Clove, the Spice which stands out in a Manchester Curry. Marg managed all but a scrap of her Chapatti, she blamed the Egg sandwich at Carlisle for taking the edge off her appetite.
Large pieces of Lamb, which when broken up, provided me with many tasty mouthfuls of Meat and Chapatti. The rich sauce gave the dish plenty of flavour.
I shall insist that the on-the-bone version would have had even more flavour. The difference in consistency is proven below.
Fish-Masala-Rice
What a plateful! Rizwan was almost apologising for not having a larger plate. He would no doubt have filled that too. Look at the size of the Fish (Coley), and compare this with a standard Fish Curry. It’s all in the marinade, and the skin had been left on to absorb the Spices, before baking/frying.
The foliage was applied, extra Flavour, extra bite.
If the Fish was huge, so was the Rice portion, then there was the Salad atop. Beneath the Fish lay a film of Masala from the Karahi. What more could a Hector need?
When Rizwan brought Marg’s Chapatti I took the opperchancity to order the finishing touch – a bowl of Masala from the Karahi. This arrived momentarily, complete with Sucky Bones. Here was proof, if required, that the Masala was markedly different from that across the table. The Coley was smothered, half of the Masala retained for later.
The Spice from the Fish was spot on, the Seasoning too. The girth of the Fish was magnificent, it cut easily but was otherwise intent on retaining its integrity. Why is this not in our supermarkets? A Fish Curry, of sorts, with both Fishiness and Seasoning. Apparently some Fish live in the sea, a feature that is not always apparent when having a Fish Curry.
The Rice and Masala provided the full Flavours of the Lamb Karahi, Hector coming here today, the first in a series of visits in the coming days, and ordering Fish first. Almost like going to the Hofbräuhaus (München) and ordering Dunkles instead of Helles.
Sucky Bones, this was the best of both Worlds, the Meatiness was complementing all described above. Surf & Turf, with a difference, it works! Rizwan suggested he could add Fish Curry to his menu, could it surpass this – creation?
The Salad wasn’t ignored, a variety of Textures is always appreciated. Fish, Masala, Salad, Rice, extra Masala, it was all happening here.
Next week I shall no doubt return to my normal Order here. It will be interesting to see if any of The Company order – Hector’s Creation in Fish (£9.00).
*
The Bill
£16.50 For two dinners.
The Aftermath
Any special requests – asked Rizwan as we were taking our leave. I pointed to – Lamb Karahi – on the board.
It’s always on.
But this is special, and why so many of us cannot get past it.
There was a short walk to Cafe Beermoth for Verdant’s Putty. The Hector had just under two hours to enjoy this rare treat.
IQ at The Met (Bury) 2024
And so to Bury, by tram. The same seats as last year awaited, great comfort, but too far away to secure quality photos. With seating available in 2022, 2023 and this evening, Marg was happy to accompany once again. The band took the stage @20.10.
I haven’t posted coverage of IQ since 2020, back in the days of solo sojourns.
Resistance (2019), featuring a – virus – on its cover, remains IQ‘s latest album. Little did we know at the time of the 2020 gig what was to follow. Free from the shackles of promoting a new album, tonight’s set proved to be a trip down memory lane, but strangely, nothing from the first four albums. Pete Nichols (vocals) on stage and nothing from The Wake (1988), possibly a first.
IQ began with an ending, the final twenty minutes of the 110 minute epic Subterranea (1997) – The Narrow Margin. A grand conclusion, goodnight.
Such a complex piece of music, a finale, in the same way that side four of – The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway – (Genesis, 1974) was not. Twenty three years later, IQ surpassed themselves. After a two album, nay eight year hiatus, Pete Nicholls rejoined IQ to create what I still think is their finest album – Ever (1993). The near fifteen minute – Further Away – as I recall, proved so demanding to perform live, it never made the live album to accompany the reunion tour – Forever Live. Somehow, in 1994, I managed to see both Pendragon and IQ at The Marquee Club within weeks of each other. In 2020, Further Away concluded the main set, so no chance tonight?
The three screen projections have been the IQ model for decades. When Bela Lugosi appears, it is time for – From The Outside In (Road of Bones, 2013), one of the outstanding albums of this century. I do not hold all IQ albums in such high regard.
Fading Senses (Ever), more uptempo, a break from the dirge that a first listener could find the entire show … how I pity anyone going to see IQ without prior knowledge of their music. No wee tunes, rumpty-tumpty here.
It was around this point that I realised that all songs were going to be introduced, finally, an opperchancity to make my own set-list, as it happened. Back to Subterranea and Failsafe, an oft performed part of – cd one – a bonus.
Stay Down (Resistance) came next, and no reference to what happened after this album was released. Maybe we all know. Having enjoyed some thirty minutes of Subterranea already, the eponymous title track followed on.
Time for something new. Plinth, the working title featured Tim Esau (Bass) and Mike Holmes (Guitar) find themselves embracing mounted twelve string guitars to play the first minutes of this – work in progress. Marg declared afterwards that she particularly enjoyed this. I was trying to find – the theme. (Not – the wee tune!)
Back to – Ever – and Leap of Faith came next. If we were not to hear – Further Away – this evening, then this was most satisfactory. Ever, not a note wasted, what an album.
Closer (Frequency, 2009) had me fooled initially. I recognised the album. This was the album where Mark Westworth (Grey Lady Down) proved his worth having replaced founding member Martin Orford, aka – Widge. This was also John Jowitt’s last album on Bass. I developed a theory this evening that when Tim Esau changed to fretless, this was for the tracks which Mr. Jowitt (Ever, Subterranea, …) had first recorded. No disrespect to Tim, his bass pedal playing vibrated the floorboards. I believe it was he who responsible for the heavenly chorus which permeated many a song. Also, our high viewpoint permitted a clear view of Neil Durrant’s, the current incumbent, keyboard playing. Look no hands, conclusion, it must have been Mike Holmes, via – midi – who was playing some of the synth breaks on the guitar.
Back to Tim, I study Bass players. Rarely flamboyant, always reliable, when Cookie’s drumming plays seemingly impossible rhythms, he is there, solid as a rock.
Back in the years of standing at The Met, I used to find Paul Cook’s drumming too high in the mix, a distraction. That this was our second IQ gig sitting immediately in front of the mixing desk, all was well. And we were seated!
The title track from Road of Bones next. One of the most sinister intros ever, another impossible percussion time to count, then one of the most recognisable keyboard motifs IQ have ever recorded. One may like to think that this was Neil Durrant’s contribution to his first IQ album.
The Seventh House (2000), again the title track, and an album I never got into. Too technical, flashy, time changes for the sake of it? All that I could describe as wrong with some Prog bands, a la Dream Theatre, Thieves Kitchen, I find here. It has its moments, for reasons unknown, Pete appeared to be singing in a key above his comfort zone. There was a fluff, too early, too high? Humour.
I have written before that Pete Nicholls is not Peter Gabriel. Even he said this evening that he should get off stage so that the band can play. If somebody has to sing, let it be him. Look how – poppy – IQ were for the two albums without.
Introduce the band members, exit stage right, return, encore.
The first time I heard Ten Million Demons (Road of Bones) played live, I recognised it, but not as an IQ song. A groove, simples, a piss take? Actually, I believe I have heard that which was the influence, dismissed from memory.
Finally, the final title track Frequency (Frequency), so no Ryker Skies which for the Hector remains the standout song on this album. No complaints, tonight we were treated to such a broad cross-section, from – Ever – onwards.
From the stage this evening, there was many a reference to anniversaries. Tomorrow, all of Dark Matter (2004), standing room only. I’m sure when I saw Subterranea unleashed on consecutive nights back in 1997, the audience was some thirty years younger.
