Review by Damien Doherty for MPM
It’s an intimate all seated affair at The Limelight Belfast tonight, sold out naturally, as Devin Townsend returns to the venue for the first time since 2019s Empath tour. Doors open at 7pm, and you wouldn’t want to be late becuase the support act, Devin Townsend, rocks up on stage at exactly 7:30pm. Yup that’s right, DT, supported by DT. Upon being told he needed to pick an opener he just said “nah I’ll do it”, and so it came to pass. Anyway ,no one here is going to complain about extra Devy.
The format for the evening is explained as roughly an hour of songs and some banter, followed by a chronological play through his career from Ocean Machine, through Strapping Young Lad, Punky Brűster, The Devin Townsend Band, Devin Townsend Project all the way to the latest offering The Moth, with much much more banter. One song from each album is to be proffered, framed by discussions on the emotions or state of mind that inspired each.
Funeral kicks things off, and Devin confesses afterwards that on the first night of the tour in Dublin yesterday he went a little too into the deep cuts leaving some strange looks and awkward pauses. Back to the drawing board somewhat and he has been hastily practicing a number of different songs in preparation for tonight. Hilariously throughout the evening there are a number of “oops that’s the wrong chord” moments, and Devin calling for the next lyric from the front row, although he is a seriously witty guy so you can never be too sure if it’s just part of the schtick; doesn’t matter everyone loves it. “Tomorrow’s audience is going to thank you” he repeats several times.
Highlights from the first act are Love, Deadhead, Coast and Why? Most songs are simply vocals and acoustic guitars, but with monumental amounts of reverb and echo where required. A few are accompanied by backing tracks and the intensity of these feels like a sonic bath such are the waves of sound that envelope the venue
Who expected a song from Les Miserables to open the second half? Bring Him Home is quite beautiful and well received though. Then it’s back to the beginning post his discovery by Steve Vai (and the world) on the Sex & Religion album. His Ocean Machine album and the struggle to get that released while trying to appease the record company with the type of albums they wanted is discussed in detail. As we go through each album in order the tales of drinking, drugs (particularly mushrooms), bipolar tendencies and mental fragility are broached with a modicum of comedy underpinned by solemnity. Abridged versions of the representative tracks are offered, otherwise we’d never get home, but their simple, hugely personal delivery makes the show even more special, a bond between artist and audience unlike any other event.
Sobriety, marriage, fatherhood, and the reason Ziltoid went from an idea of an evil alien to a loveable rogue are all touched upon as we move through time. Someone throws him a Ziltoid puppet so of course he transforms into the puppeteer. Solar Winds is the contribution from The Omniscient one.
We don’t manage to get quite as far as The Moth, time overtook proceedings. As a finale it’s back to Ocean Machine and Devin leads us in a singalong of Life. It’s been a truly unique evening, I wonder to myself if anyone has taken their non-Devin exposed friends to this show, and how crazy this must have seemed to the uninitiated. For the rest of us it’s another life affirming session with the master of good vibes injecting everyone with positivity – an accomplishment that won’t be forgotten any time soon.
Photography by Darren McVeigh for MPM
