At $81 a pop, it was a case of “only Mars Volta diehards need apply”, with the entire left seated section of the venue closed off presumably due to poor ticket sales, and although the floor was essentially full by the time the band took the stage, the seated sections (the ones that were open, anyway) were sporadically filled. Lead vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s iPod opened proceedings (who could open for The Mars Volta, anyway?) with a selection of calm, spacey tunes, and the mood was set for a night of psychedelica, lows and highs, both musically and illegally.

The first few guitar strokes of Son et Lumiere opened the night with an eerie and exciting atmosphere, and a quick glance around at the crowd revealed grins and shakes of excitement. The audience may have been modestly sized, but their reaction as the show kicked off was anything but. It was easy to see where each punter’s 81 dollars went, the light show was tremendous and the stage’s numerous backdrops were almost as trippy as the music itself. Oh, and Cedric required having a new cup of hot water placed at his side every five minutes. A true rockstar.

The lineup had changed somewhat since their last tour down under; the band was minus two members and previous drummer Thomas Pridgen had been swapped out, for reasons still unknown. The absence of ‘sound manipulator’ Paul Hinojos was not terribly missed, but wind player Adrián Terrazas-González would certainly have helped the band dynamic. The triumphant buildup of Miranda was missing a saxophone, and 2006 album Amputechture was largely ignored, probably due to its heavy reliance on wind instruments. There is also something to be said for having an eight piece band, it’s certainly more engaging both sonically and visually than the band’s current incarnation, a six piece.

If the Australian tour was an audition for new drummer Dave Elitch he surely would’ve passed, putting on a bombastic display and sporting an afro second only to lead guitarist/band mastermind Omar Rodriuegez-Lopez and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala. Standing up at times to hit the skins with extra vigour, Elitch played his heart out but did at times look either completely exhausted or anxious to please Omar; this is his first tour with the band and there were signs that it’s taking its toll. Omar didn’t help things, there were a couple of moments where he appeared completely disinterested, leaning against his amplifier and strumming with a completely blank expression.

Cedric’s trademark wild behaviour almost made up for any lack of effort from his bandmates, he of course jumped around like a lunatic and at one stage grabbed Omar and played a noughts and crosses game on his back. It’s clear this is Omar’s show; every band member looked up to him for timing or confirmation on when a new song would begin. It’s his band, and that was made abundantly clear during the show.

So, what about the songs? The band were at their most impressive when playing tracks off new record Octahedron, their most concise and focused effort. Cotopaxi burned with a raging passion that set the crowd alight, as did the slow burner Teflon. Since We’ve Been Wrong built to a steady climax that was slightly undermined by a talking crowd during quiet moments, but was otherwise impressive. Earlier songs weren’t as explosive and suffered from overindulgance; Eriataka featured about 20 minutes of quiet atmospherics that kept only the most ardent fans interested. Cicatriz ESP was interesting if only because it contained a jam that was surely new material, but it was still about 15 minutes too long, especially when considering the songs that the band could’ve played.

The crowd only really got going during highlight Goliath, but the momentum didn’t return until towards the end of the band’s set, when Cedric jumped to right behind the front barrier to join his fans. Fans went crazy during closer Roulette Dares, but by then everyone was exhausted, anyway. The band was explosive at times but at others just looked as if they were passing the time, and I know that they are capable of more than what they displayed at Festival Hall.

The Mars Volta have the potential to blow minds, but they didn’t quite do that tonight. The band walked offstage without an encore as usual, and the crowd left with over two hours worth of memories yet oddly somewhat unfulfilled. Two hours is a generous amount of time from any band, but something was off, and the band’s Melbourne gig felt more like The Mars Volta-lite. Omar walked off with a quick wave, the band didn’t hug or bow, and I can’t help that think that when the band can truly appreciate their fans then the feeling will be fully reciprocated. Until then, the fact that Festivall Hall remained almost half empty is testament to The Mars Volta’s current situation.

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM THE SHOW