IQ

+ Abel Ganz
+ Damien Wilson

Oakwood School, Rotherham

29 June 2002 

Charity Concert for Ant Glynne

The first act, singer Damien Wilson and friends (including Adam Wakeman) had already started by the time I arrived. I didn't recognise the songs they were playing, but they seemed pleasant enough. They got a warm round of applause from the crowd for each song, so someone must have recognised them.

All in all a gentle way to start the evening.

They were followed by Scottish band Abel Ganz. I'd never even heard of them before and they didn't really do anything to inspire me to purchase their CD. However, I must say that "Dead Zone" could be their best song. Someone told me that Pallas singer Alan Reed used to be in the band, so maybe their older material may be worth checking out.
There was then a break where Martin Hudson, of the Classic Rock Society, who had organised tonights show well, drew the Charity raffle. My girlfriend, Justine, won a signed picture of Damien so she was happy. I was hoping to win the bass guitar that John Jowitt had used when playing with the Lens last year, but I didn't and someone else did.

Finally came IQ to loud cheering. It's been a shameful while since they've played in Rotherham, but tonight they started like they meant to make amends. The Wrong Side Of Weird kickstarted the crowd into life and they stayed alive through a set containing tracks such as The Darkest Hour, Seventh House, Speak My Name (or Tune My Guitar as it should be called), Erosion, Thousand Days and Subterranea before The Narrow Margin concluded their main set.
While they got their breath back, we were shown a video of them larking around backstage, playing a song that sounded like something off Peter Gabriels Passion album on beer bottles. It was funny, but they weren't very good at it!

After that, we were treated to Resistance and Failsafe before they dashed off and on again for a final run through the fabulous Osmonds track Crazy Horses which brought the curtain down on a famous evening in a fine way indeed.

After the gig I bout Mike Holmes and John Jowitt a drink each, but they left them. I wasn't offended because I had seen a great concert. The only downpoint being that they didn't play anything from Tales From A Lush Attic, when I hoped that they would because they're supposed to be re-recording it.
 

Review by Perry Grafham (photo's by Charlie O)