IQ Islington Assembly Hall, London. 20/12/2025
Michael Bruce • 23 December 2025
At many points over the last 40-odd years, I've seen countless amounts of Prog groups arrive, and usually, disappear without a trace. In some respects it's a very exacting area to achieve success, and moreover, to maintain any inertia, once there. One of the few acts to transcend any such inconvenience is IQ. In 2026, they reach their 45th Anniversary, With a huge amount of deftness, they've avoided any of the laws of depreciation, and not only that, have flourished massively. Their recorded output still very much glistens, and tonight, at Islington, we receive a wonderful cross-section of it all.
Islington Assembly Hall is a lovely venue. Nearing 100 years old, and part of the old Town Hall, it has an array of Art Deco ornamentations that fit perfectly with the colourful music of IQ. After a warm and friendly set of videos, they arrive with opening song "It All Stops Here" from the "Seven Stories Into Eight" album from 1982. Hot on it's heels are "Sacred Sound" from "Dark Matter", and "Subterranea", from the album of the same name. When you consider that IQ aren't playing a large amount of concerts each year, it's startling how "together" they are. Each member is very dexterous and contrasting, yet harmonizing perfectly. The word "Progressive" sits very well with IQ, in it's realest sense. Always moving forwards, and including everything you'd expect from a top-tier outfit. Melody by the cart load, space when required, dramatic movements and intricate time signatures.
The most recent three albums from the group ("Dominion"/"Resistance"/"The Road Of Bones") are represented well here. It's a great thing, too, as I would make a case for those three releases being up there with the premier end of their output. Four of the Five members, Peter Nicholls (Vocals), Mike Holmes (Guitar), and Paul Cook (Drums:- "Taking time off from The Sex Pistols", as Peter Nicholls puts it) and Tim Esau (Bass) have been together (excluding some minor/non-minor gaps) since 1982. Neil Durrant (Keyboards) arrived 15 years ago. During the mid-section of the concert, "Never Land" and "Far From Here" from this year's "Dominion" are played, and the title track of "The Road Of Bones". I mention these, as they plant themselves amongst the stand-outs from the evening. This echoes the sentiment of the recent output being as valid as (at minimum) the older songs. "Shallow Bay" from "Resistance" is wonderful, too. Three top-end albums in just over ten years is almost indecent by Prog reasoning, but there you have it.
A lovely surprise is a cover of "I Believe In Father Christmas", by Greg Lake. Whilst not sticking entirely to the original arrangement, it works wonderfully and is timed well, due to the 50th Anniversary of the song arriving this year. I'd like to make a special mention of the "duo" of Peter Nicholls and Mike Holmes. Peter's voice is truly original, unique, and full of emotion and phrasing. Those skills are immediately arresting from the start of every song, and onwards. He also has lashings of personality. Mike Holmes....well feel free to mention him at the same time as David Gilmour and Steve Hackett. You wouldn't be over-egging it by putting him there. Outstandingly melodic, with a natural sense of knowing when to play, and when not to. You can't teach that.
The main set ends with "Headlong" from "The Wake", with "The Last Human Gateway" from their debut "Tales From The Lush Attic" album, following it as the first encore piece. IQ have always offered a very distinct and multifaceted version of "Nu Prog". They've somehow avoided repetition, kept unique, and played to the highest standards along the way. This evening was a great flag-waver for all of that. They are amongst the UK's finest musical sons, and tonight was a great illustration of that fact.
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