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IQ, April 8th
Subterranea Live,
Paradiso, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
By Ed Sander and Bart Jan van der Vorst
Subterranea Photo Special
Next week, on april 1st and 4th will be your last chances ever to see Subterranea being performed live in its entirity. For
the people who still need conviction we have created a special photo-review of the gig. It is based on Ed's reviews of last
year's gigs in Amsterdam and Tilburg, completed with the photos Bart took at the show in Amsterdam.
Warning! This review contains spoilers, if you wish to visit the gig open minded, please stop reading now and you are
welcome to visit this page again after the show to re-live the whole experience once more.
Please note that it may take a while to load all photos, be patient - it is well worth the wait!
Overture
As the first bombastic notes of Overture were played a tower in the middle of a field was projected on the rolled down
gauze screen. Inside the tower a man in white clothes (Pete) held his head in his hands and rocked to and fro. With fear in
his eyes he looked around, opened the door and ran away from the tower. The up-tempo part of Overture kicked in while
he fled away from his confinement, all the time looking back as if someone was following him.
Provider
Projections on the gauze screen faded. Yellow light on the
stage behind it was turned on. Pete, dressed in white clothes,
could be seen through the screen, kneeling with a light pattern
projected on the screen behind him, which created the effect
of a barred window. The sound of the iron gate opening. He
was free. Free to wander off into ....
Subterranea
The gauze screen was rolled up while the band went into the title track. Mike, John, Paul and Martin were all dressed in
black clothes, contrasting the outside world with the innocence of the character Pete was playing.
 
While he stumbled across the stage footage of the city shot across the back screen. London, Tower Bridge, Traffic, High
Buildings, enough to make Pete dazzle and fall to the ground. Stunning acting performance; Pete really 'lived' his role.
Sleepless Incidental
Failsafe
The backdrop showed a churge, while Pete came on stage wearing a black cloak, playing the religious leader:
 
When the answer came ('Leave me alone ...') he flung off the cloack. Wooden religious statues were projected on the back
screen:
Speak my name
This wonderful resting point of the album was played in atmospheric lighting and the image of Maya projected on the
backdrop.
Tunnel Vision
More moving lights, at the end Mike went over to an extra keyboard by the side of Martin's rig to play the transition into
Infernal Chorus. Pete came back on stage. He had changed his white shirt for a black one and a black jacket; 'Something
happened inside ....' . During the part of the song where John's heavy bass comes in, an oscillator wave was projected on
the backdrop. It showed the sound waves of John's bass. Very nice !
 
Infernal Chorus
Pete came on stage wearing a creepy leather mask.
 
After the words 'finally where you belong !' the light went out for a second and when the band continued tour manager Jim
Plumridge had jumped on the walkway behind the band, fully dressed in black. Jim played Mockenrue's henchman who
followed the experiments to see how they reacted to the outside world. While Jim moved his arms up and down as if he
was pulling the string attached to Pete's arms, Pete himself twisted and moved at the front of the stage, still looking at the
audience. Very effective.Jim jumped down on stage and after a short struggle he revealed the name of his boss to Pete,
before being killed. Brilliant !
 
King of Fools
The gauze screen came down again. Mike went back to the keyboard to play the menacing opening of King of Fools. He
and Martin could be seen through the screen in the blue stage light. Then suddenly an eerie face appeared in front of them,
floating above the stage, projected on the gauze screen; Pete, wearing small round sunglasses singing King of Fools. Very
spooky, very effective.
Sense in Sanity
Sense in Sanity. The gauze screen was retracted again. Pete came back, sitting on a director's chair on the walkway while
Mike and Martin played the keyboards and beautiful light effects were made.
Breathtaker
A rocking track, with an excellent massive lighting.
While Pete's clothing slowly changed from white to
black the other band members changed their
clothes from black to white, bit by bit and one by
one. Probably as a symbol for the lost innocence of
the main character compared to the outside world.
Unsolid Ground
 
Somewhere in Time
Another song with great lighting.
High Waters
At one point the symbol (IQ logo) which was used to mark Mockenrue's testing subjects appeared in huge form on the
back screen.
The Narrow Margin
'Clank-Tingy-Tingy-Clank-Tingy'. The Narrow Margin had begun. One of the highlights of the show, played perfectly and
with amazing effects.
 
During the middle section ('Every one of us is herded and controlled ... ') the gauze screen came down and a tunnel-like
pattern with sparkles of light around a big hole was projected on it. Pete stepped back on the elevated walkway, standing
exactly behind the circle.
 
When he sang the words 'and the kerosene's ignited', projected flames shot up on the gauze screen. As a result Pete could
be seen standing in a sea of fire.
The lights on the stage were turned of while the projected flames remained and the sound effect tape was started. The fire
sequence, very eerie.
The band went into the up-tempo part (ELB) while the screen was rolled-up once again. Mike and John took center stage
to 'do their thing'. At the end the screen came down again, Pete once again kneeled in the middle of the walkway. He was
now fully dressed in black (In Paradiso he wore red - Ed.) while the rest of the band wore white. The bar pattern was
projected behind him once again. He was back in his confinement. The iron gate closed and the lights went off. Darkness.
Subterranea had ended.
(All photos © Bart Jan van der Vorst)
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