When the new wave of progressive bands who were influenced by Yes, Genesis, Van der Graaf Generator, and their like, emerged from the clubs and pubs of the early 1980’s, few could have realised the impact that they would make on the UK (and European) music scene. By the time of 1985’s Misplaced Childhood and its hit single ‘Kayleigh’, nearly everyone had heard the name Marillion, but few were aware of the road mile that that band, along with fellow neo-prog wannabees, Pendragon, Twelfth Night, and Scotland’s Pallas, had travelled to achieve any kind of recognition. IQ were one such band. Formed by keyboard player Martin Orford (later of Jadis) and guitarist Michael Holmes in 1981, by the time the band took to the stage of the Camden Palace (now Koko) on the 13^th May 1985 they were just about to unleash their second album, The Wake, which would be their only album to make the UK charts and would go down as a second wave prog rock classic. Originally recorded for the Live In London TV series and later released on CD without the bands permission it captures a significant moment in IQ history. The band subsequently cleaned up the audio to release as the “official”, Living Proof CD on their own “Giant Electric Pea” label in 1992. Now the audio and video are brought together in this latest remixed CD and Blu-ray set via Esoteric Records.

Although it centres around the upcoming The Wake album, featuring six of that albums seven tracks (only regular modern day set closer ‘Headlong’ is missing), the set opens with Tales From The Lush Attic‘s (1983) ‘Awake and Nervous’, and what a great place to start. The best of two takes on the night, the included “warm up” version really pack a punch and is an inspired introduction building as it does from Orford’s bounding keyboard motif. Listen out for the Fugazi era Fish-like “shah!” towards the end. Intended intro and The Wake opener ‘Outer Limits’ teases the audience with a splash of the new material on offer. Immediately darker than its predecessor, ‘Outer Limit’ throbs into life (and death) as Paul Cook’s drum fills and Holmes’s razor sharp guitar soloing weave there way through this mini-epic, before ‘It All Stops Here’ which returns the listener to the cassette era of the Seven Stories Into Eight demo release from 1982, as it skips and shuffles in true progressive fashion, but never stretches the five musicians on stage. In comparison the Tales From The Lush Attic era ‘Just Changing Hands’ seems a little throw away in the context of rest of the set, probably the reason for it having to wait for the reissue of TFTLA before inclusion as a bonus. The balance of The Wake material closes the set list. ‘The Wake’ itself may be the shortest track included but acts perfectly to preface the wizardry of ‘The Magic Roundabout’. It showcases all the elements of a neo-prog classic; from lengthy instrumental sections to mood building crescendos via powerful lyrical messages. “It’s hidden in the language, it’s in the words I say”… it certainly is. ‘Widow’s Peak’ finds Nicholls vocal at its dynamic peak, as he spits out lyrics which would have felt just as at home on 2014’s The Road To Bones. ‘The Thousand Days’ is a ray of sunlight overcoming the dark with its jangling guitar strum and Robert Smith on a happy day lilt, sounding like The Cure on magic mushrooms. Concluding Live In London, the clockwork rhythms of ‘Corners’ winds onwards closing the story of spirit, soul, and the journey beyond death, in a very different place to the studio album’s ‘Headlong’. But the crowd on the day know no different and don’t seem to mind. Whether you were there from the very beginning or are a more recent convert to the cause, due to the power of The Wake, and the bands constant juggling of their live set everything here will feel totally familiar. In spite of the pretty dodgy mullets, and some dubious costume choices on display during the recording, with both audio and video upgrades this set can now sit comfortably amongst the bands existing, extensive live library.

Amazingly despite a number of line-up changes, with members leaving and re-joining, there is only one difference between the 1983 group which recorded their debut, and the 2025 configuration who headed out across Europe and the UK for the traditional festive shows late last year, with Martin Orford’s (who retired from the music business in 2008) place on keyboards now being occupied by Neil Durant since 2011. Still a tour-de-force of the live circuit, IQ have hit something of a purple patch since The Road Of Bones album in 2014, and have built up a sizeable and loyal following who will lap up any new releases such as 2025’s Dominion and make sure they are front row at any of the bands shows. Live In London gives us just a glimpse of where it all begun.

• Reviewed By Peter Brockwell.
• Live In London, Camden Palace, 1985 is released via Esoteric Recordings/Cherry Red Records on 30th January 2026.
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Track List:

Disc One – CD:

1. Awake and Nervous (TFTLA 1983)

2. Outer Limits 9 (TW 1985)

3. It All Stops Here (SSIE demo tape 1982)

4. Just Changing Hands (TFTLA period)

5. The Wake (TW)

6. The Magic Roundabout (TW)

7. Widow’s Peak (TW)

8. The Thousand Days (TW)

9. Corners (TW)

Disc Two – BLU-RAY:

1. Awake and Nervous

2. Outer Limits

3. It All Stops Here

4. Just Changing Hands

5. The Wake

6. The Magic Roundabout

7. Widow’s Peak

8. The Thousand Days

9. Corners