The Mars Volta - Live in Melbourne, Australia

I remember being told to check out the show at The Forum when I was first learning about good Volta boots. Unfortunately I did not realize there were actually two shows and that the “good” show was the one on the 24th. Be that as it may I think the show on the 23rd is a solid outing as well and with the varying sets these back to back concerts are a great pair of later tour gigs. As you can see, compared to earlier shows in the 2008 tour, their later performances became far simpler with fewer songs and more jams, most of which are just plays on a single riff. In a way it kind of fits the Bedlam tour, becoming a more brutal and relentless entity. Both shows have 20ish minute “Jacob Jams” that we first heard on the Amputechture tour and would come back during the Noctourniquet tour, only this time they are far more pounding and thunderous. I love the Pre-Aberinkula groove on the 23rd gig and getting Meccamputechture on the 24th is a wonderful treat