Because of the excellent road directions my girl friend gave me, I arrived too late to catch a glimpse of German rockers Enchant. Walking into the 013 the first thing I noticed was that the venue seemed pleasantly packed. Looking a bit further I saw that the people of 013 had decided to put up some curtains in the hall to make the venue seem smaller. This worked out fine for the about six hundred fans inside. In comparison, Spock`s Beard almost sold out two years ago (1200 people). The absence of Neil Morse might have something to do with this, than again this was Spock`s Beards third gig in Holland and October is a busy (read expensive) month for Dutch prog fans.

Around ten o`clock Spock`s Beard entered the stage and started with "A Guy Named Sid", the only epic on their latest release. My attention was first drawn to the new drummer, a guy named Jimmy. This small man definitely knows how to make a big appearance. His drumming was tight, very tight. Although I’m usually pretty fond of aggressive drumming, the way Jimmy hit his drums just didn’t fit the frivolous music of Spock’s Beard. (The fact that his drumming was too loud in the mix didn’t help either) After the next couple of songs, “Thoughts Part I” and “Shining Star” it became clear that Neil’s departure isn’t the greatest loss, the absence of D’Vigillio’s groovy drums is a much bigger problem.

The attitude of the audience after three songs was a bit reserved, but after Ryo (with real Spock ears) made clear that Spock’s Beard was going to “rock” tonight, the show accelerated. “East of Eden, West of Memphis”, my least favorite track on the new album was played and turned out to be one of the highlights of the show. After the band played their “Snow Medley” both Jimmy and Nick got behind the drum kit and started dueling. The difference in style proved to be an advantage for the first time tonight. This is without a doubt the best drumming I’ve ever heard in my life. Jimmy is probably the better drummer of the two but as I mentioned before, his playing just doesn’t fit the music.

The band played two encores. “The Doorway” and “Go The Way You Go”, the best encores possible. Ryo even persuaded bass player Dave Memos to step into the spotlight and play a terrific bass solo. This is what Spock’s Beard is all about. Five men having the time of their life in front of an audience that knows how to rock.

(Review: Geert Oldenmenger)