Dream Theater, Damn The Machine

The Astoria, London

Sunday, November 21

Rating: 5 out of 5 (Electrocution)

It’s a credit to Damn The Machine that they are able to play to a full Astoria without any outward signs of nerves. It has been bloody aeons since guitarist Chris Poland has been able to claim any share of the limelight. In case you’d forgotten, Poland was the guitarist in Megadeth during the band’s Peace Sells... era, and not exactly Dave Mustaine’s best mate. Reports of the man’s death have been exaggerated.

Damn The Machine are no Megadeth clones, preferring instead to casually widdle whilst adhering to a Progressive format that’ll take a bit of getting used to. There’s plenty of unrestrained theatrics from Poland, while cool frontman Dave Clemmons looks like he’s coasting. Although much of their material is a tad fussy, Damn The Machine look like the kind of band who will make their mark over a period of years, as opposed to overnight.

While the support band may well have given a good account of themselves, there is little that could have prepared me for the aural feasts that Dream Theater hold in store. Their set is a well thought-out meisterwork, their music possessing a florid eloquence that puzzles and astonishes. The fact that Dream Theater are a true blue unit, rather than a bunch of educated show-offs, is the most gratifying factor of all. Whether eight-minute epics appeal to you or not, tonight’s performance makes for a truly riveting spectacle.

As the intro tape to opener ‘Metropolis’ begins and the audience is engulfed in smoke and swirling green spotlights, there is that most rare emotion in the air – excitement. And as Dream Theater unfurl their vast repertoire of sound, all the anticipation is justified.

There’s no live slop with this band. What you get are literal interpretations of what you hear on Images And Words, with singer James LaBrie actually going beyond his studio performances at times. An early altercation with a mouthy audience member is quickly forgotten.

Dream Theater’s music is more than just technical ecstasy. It has substance, and a myriad of thoughts and emotions which Messrs Petrucci, Moore, Myung and Portnoy do their utmost to translate into music. Only a clot could fail to be moved by introspective ballads ‘Another Day’ and ‘Surrounded’. Only a loon could fail to be inspired by the dynamic ‘Take The Time’ and its exhortation to ‘close your eyes, you can find all you need in your mind’. ‘Pull Me Under’ transcends criticism.

There isn’t much point harping on about individual band members. They’re all at the top of their leagues in technical terms, and trying to single out one would be fruitless. Live, this band speaks for itself.

—Steve Beebee