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Live Reviews
Live Review: The Mars Volta at The Forum in London on 14 Dec
By CMU Editorial | Published on Thursday 17 December 2009
Rules play a vital role to humanity. But as this year’s Christmas number one (hopefully) tells us, rules sometimes need to be broken. Breaking those rules tonight: The Mars Volta.
Upon stepping into the venue, my attention is immediately drawn to the giant backdrop stretching across the main stage wall. On first appearance, it boasts a patchwork of decorative Aztec designs that are elegantly blended together. The opulent banner is a visual hallmark for the band’s experimental approach towards sound, and when they arrive on stage, they dispense with formal introductions and break straight into ‘Halo Of Nembutals’.
Rather than sticking to a setlist of more recent recordings, the band deliver a wealth of tunes across the ‘Bedlam In Goliath’ and ‘Deloused In The Comatorium’ LPs; their cardinal bodies of work. The cumbersome headlamps flanking each side of the stage are suddenly taken up to full glare, and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez begins to assume a series of pseudo tribal bodily postures as he churns out the almost overbearing opening chord of ‘Goliath’. The crowd fluidly sways to the meandering notes echoing from Rodriguez-Lopez’ fret board. The banner above burns brightly, and I am captivated by the fragmented patches of phosphorescent pink bleeding into brightly swirling traces of nuclear green.
This lavish light display unites with the energy emanating from the frantic bodies in the mosh pit, as the band tie off the evening with the mighty ‘The Haunt Of Roulette Dares’. Overcoming the need for staple rules with fervent shakes from their flamboyant maracas, a sonic eruption explodes as Cedric Bixler-Zavala screams the words “trademark amoeba lands-craft!” With a lively glint in their eyes the audience trips the psychedelic fantastic. SG
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