Starting in 2002, The Mars Volta's reputation started to grow exponentially due to the fact that, despite their relatively small fanbase, their live performances were some of the most intense and energetic to be seen at the time. It is no understatement, Volta's early shows, even before their mainstream success, where they would explode on big stages, was something truly unique, and characterized for its frenzy nature. Ever since the first lineup started touring officially, even before the release of the Tremulant EP, the heavy drug use, the wild chemistry between the members, and the overall intensity delivered onstage was a staple of the band, and this 2002 live broadcast recording from the Osterrocknacht music festival in Germany is certainly proof of all those things.
This turned out to be an incomplete recording of the concert, since it lacks the performance of Cicatrix and its edited in a way that small interviews with the band are put between each track being performed live. It all gets arranged in a way that one can see how the band was usually backstage around this time, and it gives a closer look to how the interaction between all the members created some outstanding performances, very chaotic between all the complexity and energy that is being displayed onstage. Something that this also shows is that the description of "heavy drug use" used for this early period is no exaggeration. One doesn't have to be a genius to see that, during the interviews, the members are high as all hell, but they still manage to convey a message that is very close to their music.
It is very interesting to see the De-Loused track starting to come into a place where they are complete, with new sections expanded compared to the previous live shows. Kicking off with Inertiatic, with an early version of the Son et Lumiere intro, with Ward's work far from the stage, but still being important to create a consistent and balanced sound, Owen's important keyboards to give ambient to what is going on (something that is sadly underappreciated in studio, with people not noticing the importance of the keyboard melodies to give the track rhythm), Gardner's potential as a very strong and talented bassist, keeping things relatively calm compared to the rest of the band, Theodore's explosive drumming (also a look at his talent starting to blossom at this point), Omar's heavy pedal use to his advantage, shifting in tone and sound from section to section on a really great way, and Cedric's intense singing and frenzy attitude on the podium. It is still not a complete track, but the way its presented makes it feel really worth watching, with every member performing the best they can, and it shows. Letting all the talent on the performance, the first interview shows Cedric and Jon stoned out of their mind, showing their charisma talking about Jon's cute red toes and both the members complementing each other.
After that, and the missing footage of Cicatrix, the Tremulant repertoire starts being played. And the performance of these three tracks certainly overshadows the quality presented on the EP on every single level. Cut That City starts things off in a great way, with the members going insane onstage, Cedric improvising some vocal segments (with Omar adding some backing vocals) and things getting to a crazy intense level where everything gets loud and every member shines with their instrument, all culminating in one of the best performances of the track. The second interview show's Theodore's view on how the band plays hard just like how they would like to see a band onstage, and his concern on how his hair looks. Following that up is one of the highlights of the concert, with Concertina being performed in a flawless way. Ward's sound management making no instrument overshadow the other, and presenting a stronger instrumental version than the one seen on the EP, with Owen's keyboard being a definitive highlight of the performance, and Cedric's vocals putting his Tremulant performance to shame, showing a lot of dynamism in his voice, very well achieved.
The third interview shows just how fucking stoned these guys were, comparing themselves to boybands and talking about getting with celebrities, all having a hilarious tone to it, but leading to the best stretch of the concert. It all starts with the climax of this concert, the best live recording of Eunuch Provocateur, being miles better than what is seen on Tremulant. This is something that has to be seen to be understood, which is something you can do, with every member entering a frenzy stage where the performance is some of the most energetic to ever be conveyed by any lineup of the band. Even going to the extent of having a little jam section, with Cedric dual drumming with Jon, and Omar dancing onstage while he screams in spanish, just to then return to the song, with Gardner and Owens providing simple atmospheric melodies that would later join the final chaos. Lyrics might be nonsensical, the song structure might be unusual, but this was The Mars Volta. Unique, frantic, organized, a blend of many influences, providing a fantastic performance from a wonderful group. Something that few bands have been able to replicate.
Finally, everything closes with a still early version of Roulette Dares (titled The Haunt of Roulette Dares, not to far off the final title), showing a more complete version of the track, expanding on a lot of segments compared to the 2001 sections. Carrying the energy of the last track, it all makes up for a really mesmerizing and fierce performance, showing the high potential of the band compared to what would be delivered in Tremulant. Finally, it all closes down with the last interview, where besides the great Cedric line "We're like Neu! We're like fucking CAN! We're like Faust!" (not only showing part of the band's influences at the time, but showing a high way to describe how they felt back then) where Jon provides an actual message representing their attitude in a great way: "Everybody in this thing today, everybody spent their lives trying to learn how to play something. How can you say Rock'n'Roll is dead?...As far as our generation goes, I know a ton of people who have put all their time into trying to make sure they are doing something well".
This first lineup of The Mars Volta wouldn't last for much longer, with Gardner leaving the band not long after starting the tour, ending a run that promised so much more in the future, but still, a bright future would come. However, the intensity was showcased on great ways, and at this point, John Frusciante and Flea from the RHCP had become good friends with Omar, and had aimed to help with the recording of the first album. It is a shame that these live performances managed to outshine the Tremulant song versions, showing why the band wanted to replicate that energy on studio with some production value added to the performances. Still, they would succeed at that in their own ways. It also shows how much the band would change after getting their shit together and leaving their drug use, showing a part of the group that was unusual to perceive. But when it comes to this early period, this something definitely worthy of being checked out.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
Favorite Track: Eunuch Provocateur
Favorite Track: Eunuch Provocateur
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