OK, I’ve let the cat out of the bag. The Mars Volta live at The Big Day Out on Friday 16h January 2004 was the single most incredible live act I have ever witnessed.

You want a summary of 45 years of every thing I love and cherish in rock music wrapped up in a single 1 hour appearance then you got it!! They were fucking incendiary! When you get to a state where you don’t know whether to laugh or cry, how to hold you hands, where to look, goose bumps that last the whole set and a stage performance and musicianship that’s out of this world - you come close to how good this show was. 

I’ve read in a couple of NZ music magazines that this is rated the single best performance in the history of the Big Day Out. 

This album, which was played in it’s entirety at the gig, still completely disables me for it’s entire duration. I’m playing a track at the next Shut Up and Listen session - it’s the most “progressive” music you’ll ever hear.

• Allmusic.com
• Faster Louder BDO memories