Technicians of the Sacred
After not playing Manchester for some time, this is Ozric Tentacles second visit in six months. Hot on the heels of new album Technicians of the Sacred Ozric Tentacles are on the road again and proving that they still have a great deal to offer.
Ozrics gigs these days do have a slightly different feel about them; there is not quite the same intensity and edge that they had when John Egan was prowling the stage with Seaweed behind the keyboards and it’s not that the current Wynne family dominated line up is better or worse, it’s just different. There is a good crowd in and they are certainly up for this, although it has to be said that many of them would be having a good time if the band were here or not! Say no more.
The low ceiling of the venue makes the light show that much more effective and helps to create a much better atmosphere than they had at Band On The Wall. It’s almost as if the crowd are absorbed into the pulsing rhythms and move en mass in a slow but constant undulation of bodies. Technically you can’t fault the band, they are quite superb musicians and although it has always been Ed Wynne that has shone most brightly through his quite delicious guitar solos, it is the core of Brandi Wynne’s bass and Balázs Szende’s drums that really drive the band. There is constant warm interaction with familiar faces in the front rows and it’s clear that the Ozrics and their fans operate as much as a family off the stage as they do on it.
As you might expect the set list features a healthy dose of tracks from the new album and although some of the old favourites like Kick Muck and Sploosh are missing, the biggest cheer of the night is reserved for long time fan favourite White Rhino Tea. It’s been an excellent performance from a band who have always been out on their own, doing something different and doing it extremely well. Long may they continue.