Review Summary: "The symphony of hope"
In the early months of 2015, The Enid embarked on their most ambitious tour in recent years. A progressive rock musical / opera would normally sound like a recipe for disaster - but as 'The Bridge Show' opens in an eruption of the dazzling guitar-driven fanfare of 'Land of Hope and Glory', it is clear to see that if anyone can pull it off, it is The Enid with their ingenious and brilliant fusion of progressive rock and classical music. Despite the tour being exclusively seated at some venues, the performance is anything but static, and this recording of 'The Bridge Show – Live at Union Chapel's is but a mere window into how spectacular the tour truly was.
The Enid's ace in the hole is undoubtedly the latest vocalist to added the band's extensive membership. Vocalist Joe Payne's incredible range and operatic performance breaks free of the relative sterility of the group's studio recording of 'Invicta', only to flourish in a passionate blossom of his fantastic live performance. Even songs such as the spell-binding 'One and the Many' are near flawless in Payne's execution; but it is his sassy delivery throughout the show which breathes a new sense of life and passion into The Enid's live performances - the likes of which have never been previously recorded with this new vocalist. The range in songs chosen for this show allow Joe Payne to display his capabilities of executing everything between the operatic falsettos and powerful rock vocals like a modern day Freddie Mercury.
This range from the delicate and intimate 'Earthbound' and 'Wings', to the hard-hitting rock anthems of 'Terra Firma' and 'Witch Hunt' and the bold symphonies of 'Judgement Day' and 'Malacandra' give a variance in dynamic and emotion not only to the vocals, but to the entire band overall. Songs taken from different parts of the band's 40 year discography bring a new lease of life not only with these electric vocals, but with revisions of older songs such as 'Dark Hydraulic' and 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' as well – this makes for an exciting and unpredictable listen even for the avid Enid fan. Yet whether new or old, there is a constant stream of intensity and passion within each song that does not falter throughout the entire show, and leaves little time where the hairs on the back of your neck are not stood up with excitement.
The concept behind the show is both entertaining and links seemingly unrelated songs together under the banner of the make-believe nation 'Eniland'. Spoken words tracks such as 'Eniland Can Take It' and 'A Sickness of the Mind' regard themes such as space exploration, poverty and prejudice etcetera with the aid of accompanying film and audio footage of the band, which often leaves you giggling at the charming wit (and instances of cross-dressing) woven into the performance. However, without watching 'The Bridge Show's accompanying DVD, the experience is somewhat lacking with just audio alone, but nonetheless still holds up with the music's own brilliance.
There are more than a few moments, however, where the production quality lets this performance down. Frequent shifts in dynamic catch you off guard, where explosive symphonic flourishes can potentially blow your eardrums off if you've turned up the volume to hear Joe Payne's intimate cooing to Robert John Godfrey's soft piano accompaniment. Battling with the volume knob is a small price to pay for this absolutely stunning performance, but it is still a blemish that cannot be ignored.
Nevertheless, 'The Bridge Show' should be considered the one of the greatest live performances of the year, if not the decade; and with 'The Enid' forever pushing the boundaries of both progressive and classical rock performances, it will be nothing less than a pleasure to see what comes with their next 'Dust' tour.
