Real Music!
If the members of Led Zeppelin had been born 30 years later in to an acid-fuelled 20 year long trip then there is the possibility that they would have formed The Mars Volta. Sounds weird but if you've seen The Mars Volta it will make slightly more sense. It might be something to do with the male vocals that span every octave imaginable or it may be the fact that they push the boundaries of anything that you would normally consider for a couple of guys that were originally members of emo-ers At the Drive-In - but The Mars Volta definitely cross so many genres that it's hard to know where to put them.
There's actually no way to describe The Mars Volta's sound apart from unique. They blend every style of music in to a form that can only be described as their own. If you like putting things in boxes then pop down to a supermarket because you're going to need a new one for these guys. As jazz, prog-rock and a selection of maracas and cow bells merge together, the sound that is The Mars Volta encompasses the whole of Birmingham Academy in an almost tangible way that seems to penetrate your entire body.
In between songs is what makes The Mars Volta The Mars Volta - experimental improvisation. Very few bands actually let themselves expose their creative process to their fans but it is almost as if The Mars Volta are genuinely playing with one synchronised creative mind in front of their fans in a way that no other band does. It is only by watching bands like The Mars Volta that you realise just what rubbish most music, even in the rock world, actually is. Most music is so easy to categorise - yet The Mars Volta are what very few bands truly are; true musicians.
After a gargantuan two and a bit hour set, with only two albums under their belt, it's no surprise that this is a sell out tour.
If you are truly passionate about music, if you appreciate real musicians and if you like to push the boundaries of music then you'll love The Mars Volta. Two hour of improvisation later and The Mars Volta have set the bar for what is, quite possibly, the best gig that Birmingham Academy will see for quite some time.