Music / Reviews
Review: Spock’s Beard, Thekla
Bristol’s all-ages prognoscenti are out in force for Spock’s Beard’s first visit to the city, a mere 32 years after they formed, as part of a short run of UK dates in the run up to co-headlining the Midwinter Prog Festival in Utrecht. There’s no support act, which means gearheads have a full hour to examine the array of pedals and Ryo Okumoto’s impressive keyboard set-up, which occupies much of the Thekla’s tiny stage.
Unlike so many of their peers, these American proggers take their influences directly from the founding fathers of UK prog – notably Genesis, Yes and Gentle Giant – adding a sleek tech veneer to produce complex music that is nonetheless unfailingly melodic and accessible.
They’ve shed a couple of key band members along the way, and haven’t released an album since 2018’s Noise Floor, but arrive on stage match fit, with Okumoto seemingly determined to shake the hand of everyone in the front row before launching in to the Genesis-esque intro to Tides of Time from 2015’s The Oblivion Particle.
Vocalist/guitarist Ted Leonard can’t resist the “I’m on a boat!” quip that every visiting musician feels obliged to make, but chat is kept to a minimum as they rattle through a finely calibrated, career-spanning set. Highlights include The Good Don’t Last, On a Perfect Day and the sublime diptych of Submerged and Harm’s Way, which gets a delirious response.
Guitarist Alan Morse contributes many a tasteful solo and frequently duels with Leonard. Bassist Dave Meros, meanwhile, is stuck at the back of the stage, but gives it the full Chris Squire throughout, forming a formidable rhythm section with moonlighting Saga drummer Mike Thorne, who’s aptly described by Leonard as “a beast”.
It’s a bit of a shame that they don’t attempt any of those great Gentle Giant-style elaborate multi-part vocals, but the harmonies are otherwise spot-on. Okumoto, who’s worked with everyone from Eric Clapton to Phil Collins, is the Spock who exudes the most star power, egged on by this enthusiastic audience.
Gurning furiously as he waves to those on the balcony, he bounces up and down with such energy that his keyboard rig would surely go flying across the stage if it wasn’t bolted solidly together. During One So Wise, he even manages a change of shoes with the assistance of his son/roadie, which, as Leonard observes, must be something of a first in rock.
It’s back to debut album The Light for the lovely set closer Go the Way You Go, but of course they’re not actually leaving and swiftly return to play the title track from that same album, which established the band’s signature epic style, leading to a euphoric climax.
Okumoto even whips out the trusty keytar to go walkabout and trade licks with Morse and Leonard. As the house lights go up, we realise that they’ve only managed to pack 11 compositions into their two hour show, but nobody’s feeling remotely short-changed.
All pix by Mike Evans
Read more: Metal & Prog Picks: February 2024
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