Just Announced! Steven Wilson returns to North America (including 6 dates in Canada) in November/December 2018 for the continuation of his ‘To The Bone’ tour. From his website:
“I’m pleased to announce that the To the Bone tour will return to North America in November and December of this year, playing many cities I didn’t get a chance to visit on the previous leg of the tour, including 6 shows in Canada. Tickets for these shows go on sale 3rd August at 10am local time. See you there!”
Some of my photos from the recent Steven Wilson ‘To The Bone’ UK Tour. Photos are taken from the following shows:
Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry – 15th March
Symphony Hall, Birmingham – 22nd March
The Sage, Gateshead – 25th March
Bridgewater Hall, Manchester – 31st March
Bridgewater Hall, Manchester – 1st April
Thanks for looking, all images copyright Tim Darbyshire 2018.
The photos below are from the following dates of the recent YES 50th Anniversary tour:
Sheffield City Hall – 14th March
Bridgewater Hall, Manchester – 17th March
The Sage, Gateshead – 18th March
Symphony Hall, Birmingham – 20th March
Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool – 23rd March
YES is: Steve Howe, Alan White, Geoff Downes, Billy Sherwood, Jon Davison, and Jay Schellen. Photos copyright Tim Darbyshire.
Wuthering Nights was filmed at the Birmingham Symphony Hall during 2017’s Genesis Revisited & Classic Hackett tour. This tour marked the 40th anniversary of Wind & Wuthering, Steve’s last album with Genesis in 1977. Review by Tim Darbyshire, special thanks to Chip Ruggieri (Chipster PR & Consulting) for the review copy.
Released on the InsideOut label, this new live concert film blu-ray/double audio cd documents Steve Hackett’s successful 2017 tour. In keeping with recent tours, the first part of the show is solo material, both old and new, and the second part is Genesis material.
As well as celebrating Genesis anniversaries, Steve is still creating new music and his latest album – ‘The Night Siren’ – is represented by three songs, the fast paced instrumental ‘El Nino’, ‘In The Skeleton Gallery’, and the album opener ‘Behind The Smoke’. It’s a testament to the quality of the new material that it sits comfortably with the classic solo Hackett songs and is equally well received by the enthusiastic crowd. Two surprises in the set are ‘Rise Again’ from ‘Darktown’ and Serpentine Song from ‘To Watch The Storms’.
The highlight of the solo material for me is the full version of ‘Shadow of the Hierophant’ with special guest Amanda Lehmann providing the vocal and long time Hackett drummer Gary O’Toole shining as the song reaches its crescendo. Nick Beggs adds to the spectacle by sitting cross-legged and pounding his bass pedals with his fists.
It scarcely seems possible that it’s 40 years since Steve left Genesis after the 1977 Wind And Wuthering tour, and here we are presented with five tracks from the sessions that produced the album. ‘One For The Vine’ – probably my favourite Collins-era Genesis track – is given a welcome airing, with Rob Townsend’s sax/flute giving the song a hitherto unheard dimension. The surprise of the set though is the inclusion of ‘Inside And Out’ a song that failed to make the cut back in 1977, but was released on the ‘Spot The Pigeon’ EP of the same year. Similar to ‘The Cinema Show’ in structure, the long instrumental outro cements my opinion that it deserved to be included on ‘Wind And Wuthering’.
Crowd favourites ‘Firth of Fifth’, ‘The Musical Box’ and ‘Los Endos’ close out the show and it seems Steve can do no wrong at the moment with 2018’s current ‘Tour de Force’ continuing this success. As expected the concert is very well filmed, with multi-angles highlighting the prowess of the band’s technique and the imaginative light show making this blu-ray pleasurable viewing as well as an accurate reminder of the live show itself. The blu-ray disc also includes a behind the scenes documentary and 3 music videos from Steve’s 2017 studio release ‘The Night Siren’.
This is the fourth concert film/live audio cd released by Steve in the last four years. Some may say it’s too much, but I’m pleased there’s a decent memory released from each tour – no need to search out sub-standard bootlegs or youtube clips. It’s a must buy for anyone who attended the shows in 2017, and will surely be of interest to all Genesis/Hackett fans.
One minor gripe is the packaging for the North American blu-ray/2 cd version which comes in a clunky old fashioned double cd box, whereas the European version (2 dvds and 2cds) follows the fold out digi-pack versions of earlier releases. That said, one blu-ray disc is better than 2 dvds!
Catch Steve on tour throughout 2018:
More information: www.hackettsongs.com
1 March – Auditorio Blackberry, Mexico City, Mexico
3 March – Teatro Diana, Guadalajara, Mexico
6 March – Teatro Nescafe de las Artes, Santiago, Chile
8 March – Ciudad Universitaria (Sala de las Americas), Cordoba, Argentina
10 March – Teatro Gran Rivadavia, Buenos Aires, Argentina
11 March – Teatro Gran Rivadavia, Buenos Aires, Argentina
13 March – Teatro El Circulo, Rosario, Argentina
15 March – Gran Teatro Nacional, Lima, Peru
20 March – Espaco Araujo Vianna, Porto Alegre, Brazil
22 March – EDA, São Paulo, Brazil
23 March – Vivo Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
24 March – Teatro Municipal de Niteroi, Niteroi, Brazil
25 March – Teatro Palacio das Artes, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
4 July – Centralina Live, Foro Italico, Rome, Italy
6 July – Summer Festival, Mirrano, Italy
8 July – Anfiteatro Vittoriale, Gardone Riviera, Italy
14 July – Pistoia Blues, Piazza Duomo, Pistoia, Italy
With Orchestra:
1 October – Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
3 October – Manchester Bridgewater Hall
4 October – London Royal Festival Hall
5 October – Birmingham Symphony Hall
7 October – Gateshead The Sage 1
8 October – Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
10 October – Ipswich Regent
11October – London Palladium
The band:
Steve Hackett (guitars/vocals)
Roger King (keyboards)
Gary O’Toole (drums/percussion)
Rob Townsend (saxes/flutes)
Nick Beggs (bass, stick & twelve string)
Nad Sylvan (vocals)
Plus special guests John Hackett and Amanda Lehmann.
CD 1:
1. Every Day
2. El Nino
3. The Steppes
4. In the Skeleton Gallery
5. Behind the Smoke
6. Serpentine Song
7. Rise Again
8. Shadow of the Hierophant
CD 2:
1. Eleventh Earl of Mar
2. One For the Vine
3. Acoustic Improvisation
4. Blood on the Rooftops
5. In That Quiet Earth
6. Afterglow
7. Dance on a Volcano
8. Inside and Out
9. Firth of Fifth
10. The Musical Box
11. Los Endos
BluRay
1. Every Day
2. El Nino
3. The Steppes
4. In the Skeleton Gallery
5. Behind the Smoke
6. Serpentine Song
7. Rise Again
8. Shadow of the Hierophant
9. Eleventh Earl of Mar
10. One For the Vine
11. Acoustic Improvisation
12. Blood on the Rooftops
13. In That Quiet Earth
14. Afterglow
15. Dance on a Volcano
16. Inside and Out
17. Firth of Fifth
18. The Musical Box
19. Los Endos
– Bonus Content-
Official videos
Behind the Smoke
Fifty Miles from the North Pole
West to East
Wuthering Nights, Live in Birmingham – Behind the Scenes Documentary 32:32
Following his appearance on 2018’s Cruise To The Edge, Steve and band are spending February and March in North and South America, on a tour billed as ‘Steve Hackett Genesis Revisited, Solo Gems & GTR 2018 Tour de Force!’ I caught the show at the Theatre du Casino in Gatineau, Quebec. Words and photos by Tim Darbyshire.
Steve Hackett is a regular visitor to Canada and it’s always a pleasure to see him and his band play here. Despite being a frequent visitor, this year’s set list was noticeably different to last year’s, such is the quality of Steve’s solo back catalogue as well as the depth of his work with Genesis.
Gatineau’s Theatre du Casino was the venue for the fourth and final Canadian concert on this tour and first hour or so of the concert contained the solo material, with the focus being on Steve’s second solo album – 1978’s ‘Please Don’t Touch’ – which is 40 years old. Two instrumentals – ‘Please Don’t Touch’ and the bombastic ‘Shadow Of The Hierophant’ – book-ended the solo portion of the set which also focused on Steve’s 2017 eclectic ‘The Night Siren’ release. Three songs are played from the latest album – ‘Beneath The Smoke’, ‘El Nino’, and ‘In The Skeleton Gallery’. The new material sat comfortably alongside the older material, with the beautiful ‘Icarus Ascending’ from ‘Please Don’t Touch’ being a personal highlight of the solo music. ‘When The Heart Rules The Mind’ is being given a rare outing on this tour – Steve has recently re-recorded this song from the GTR project (with Steve Howe) from the mid-1980s.
The Genesis section of the show was predictably packed with classic songs, all delivered by Steve and his talented band in customary faultless fashion. There’s one change to the touring band this year, with Jonas Reingold replacing Nick Beggs on bass and 12-string guitar. Jonas is quickly able to show us his talents during ‘Dancing With The Moonlit Knight’ which opens the Genesis section and a welcome return of ‘One For The Vine’ and ‘Inside And Out’ (from the ‘Wind And Wuthering’ sessions) follows. ‘Fountain of Salmacis’ from 1971’s ‘Nursery Cryme’ leads us into crowd favourite ‘Firth Of Fifth’ which of course means we get to hear Steve’s iconic solo, and Roger King’s piano introduction. The pace is maintained with a powerful rendition of ‘The Musical Box’ before ‘Supper’s Ready’, for many people still THE Genesis song, closes the main set.
After 2 hours and 40 minutes, the encore ‘Los Endos’ brings proceedings to a close and leaves the crowd cheering for more. Hopefully Steve and band will be back next year, maybe with another new album to promote.
Set List – Steve Hackett, Theatre du Casino, Gatineau – 13th February 2018
Please Don’t Touch
Every Day
Behind The Smoke
El Nino
In The Skeleton Gallery
When The Heart Rules The Mind
Icarus Ascending
Shadow Of The Hierophant (closing section)
Dancing With The Moonlit Knight
One For The Vine
Inside And Out
The Fountain Of Salmacis
Firth of Fifth
The Musical Box
Supper’s Ready
(Encore)
Los Endos
Steve Hackett: Guitars, Vocals
Nad Sylvan: Vocals
Jonas Reingold: Bass
Roger King: Keyboards
Gary O’Toole: Drums
Rob Townsend: Wind Instruments
Following his appearance on 2018’s Cruise To The Edge, Steve and band are spending February and March in North and South America, on a tour billed as ‘Steve Hackett Genesis Revisited, Solo Gems & GTR 2018 Tour de Force!’ I caught the show at Toronto’s iconic Massey Hall, which also happened to be Steve’s 68th Birthday. Words and photos by Tim Darbyshire.
Steve Hackett has visited Canada for the past six years and it’s always a pleasure to see him and his band play here. Despite being a frequent visitor, this year’s set list was noticeably different to last year’s, such is the quality of Steve’s solo back catalogue as well as the depth of his work with Genesis.
Toronto’s Massey Hall was the venue for the third of four Canadian concerts this tour and the first set contained the solo material, with the focus this time being on Steve’s second solo album – 1978’s ‘Please Don’t Touch – which is 40 years old. Two instrumentals – ‘Please Don’t Touch’ and the bombastic ‘Shadow Of The Hierophant’ – book-ended the set which also focused on Steve’s 2017 eclectic ‘The Night Siren’ release. The new material sat comfortably with the older material, with the rocky ‘El Nino’ being a personal highlight. ‘When The Heart Rules The Mind’ was given a rare outing – Steve has recently re-recorded this song from the GTR project (with Steve Howe) from the mid-1980s.
After the break, Steve’s latest bass recruit – Jonas Reingold – was given the chance to showcase his talents as the band launched into the Genesis portion of the show. Although it has been said many times, Steve deserves endless credit for keeping the old music alive and recognizing its importance. Proceedings kicked off with a boisterous rendition of ‘Dancing With The Moonlit Knight’ perfectly ended with the extended pastoral coda. A welcome return of ‘One For The Vine’ and ‘Inside And Out’ (from the ‘Wind And Wuthering’ sessions) followed. A rousing ‘Fountain of Salmacis’ from 1971’s ‘Nursery Cryme’ led into crowd favourite ‘Firth Of Fifth’ which of course means we get to hear Steve’s iconic solo, perfectly delivered as – maybe his best contribution to Genesis?
The power of ‘The Musical Box’ sets us up perfectly for set closer ‘Supper’s Ready’, for many people THE Genesis song. Before the encore (‘Dance On A Volcano’), the biggest ‘guitar birthday cake’ ever is brought onto stage by Jo Hackett and tour manager Adrian Holmes as the near capacity 2,500 audience serenades Steve on his birthday.
All in all a wonderful evening – come back soon Steve!
Set List – Steve Hackett, Massey Hall, Toronto – 12th February 2018
Please Don’t Touch
Every Day
Behind The Smoke
El Nino
When The Heart Rules The Mind
Icarus Ascending
Shadow Of The Hierophant (closing section)
(Intermission)
Dancing With The Moonlit Knight
One For The Vine
Inside And Out
The Fountain Of Salmacis
Firth of Fifth
The Musical Box
Supper’s Ready
(Encore)
Dance On A Volcano
Steve Hackett: Guitars, Vocals
Nad Sylvan: Vocals
Jonas Reingold: Bass
Roger King: Keyboards
Gary O’Toole: Drums
Rob Townsend: Wind Instruments
One year after booking the tickets the unmissable weekend of Big Big Train live at Cadogan Hall, London was finally here – and it proved to be well worth the flights from Toronto. Words and pictures by Tim Darbyshire.
There was a palpable sense of anticipation as people arrived at the 950 capacity Cadogan Hall last Friday evening, knowing they were about to witness something very special. Big Big Train returned to the live stage in 2015 with three shows at Kings Place (also in London), and since then the hope of more live dates has been creating world wide excitement. Accordingly, these three gigs attracted fans from Australia, the US and of course Canada as well as many European countries.
It’s not long before the foyer is packed out, and the (very reasonably priced) merch desk is doing very brisk trade with men (and women) of a certain age helping themselves to t-shirts, signed posters, programmes and even umbrellas. Inside the auditorium, it’s great to see all 13 musicians sharing the same stage – in 2015 the 5 piece brass section were tucked away up on a balcony. Violinist Rachel Hall is first on stage playing a haunting prelude to ‘Folklore’ and it’s standing ovations all round as the rest of the band join her and launch into the title track of 2016’s highly acclaimed album of the same title.
The setlist is a well thought out nicely balanced mix of songs from 2009’s ‘The Underfall Yard’, ‘English Electric’ (2013) , ‘Folklore’ (2016) and ‘Grimspound’ (2017). The long epics being interspersed with lighter numbers. Big Big Train of course is all about story telling – ‘Brave Captain’ tells the story of World War I pilot Albert Ball with vocalist David Longdon enthusiastically acting out the part complete with flying goggles and old fashioned microphone. ‘Last Train’ poignantly documents the tale of the last station master at Hurn station in Dorset – the song tells the story of the final day as the last train departs in 1935. ‘London Plane’ sends shivers down the spine, and is very apt considering where we are. The song is accompanied by a film projection on a large screen (as are all the songs).
Just three songs in and it’s evident just how talented the musicians on stage actually are. Nick D’Virgilio relentlessly drives the band forward, aided in the rhythm section by Greg Spawton’s elegant bass lines and bone-shaking bass pedals. Big Big Train encompasses a wide sound palette with keyboards (including plenty of mellotron) provided by Danny Manners, Andy Poole and Rikard Sjoblom. Sjoblom also turns his talents to searing lead guitar lines and gentle acoustic 12-string and if that isn’t enough, provides backing vocal harmonies. The guitar duties are also shared by legend Dave Gregory, and the line up is completed by Rachel Hall whose violin beautifully cuts above the mix and of course front man David Longdon. It is Longdon who is often the focus of attention, delivering every line as if his life depended on it.
The first set takes a change of pace with ‘Meadowland’ – a delicate acoustic number dedicated to the late John Wetton. It was John’s vocal support of the band that helped to propel Big Big Train to where they are today. The first set is brought to a close with the lengthy ‘A Mead Hall In Winter’ from the ‘Grimspound’ album with plenty of opportunity for audience sing alongs…….
‘Experimental Gentlemen – Part 2’ kicks off the second half of the show after a 20 minute interval. Next up is a song I’d been hoping they would play – ‘Swan Hunter’ from ‘English Electric’. Documenting the decline of the ship building industry in the North East, and backed up by a stunning image of a ship towering over terraced houses as children play in the deserted streets, this heavily emotional piece is elevated to new heights by the brass section.
The mood is lightened as the band romp through another crowd favourite from ‘English Electric’, ‘Judas Unrepentant’. ‘Judas’ recounts the interesting story of art restorer turned forger Tom Keating who is eventually arrested for his crimes.
Greg Spawton’s ‘The Transit Of Venus Across The Sun’ is probably my favourite track from ‘Folklore’ and this follows ‘Judas’. The brass section once again are with us, adding the textures that only they can. Not even David Longdon’s forgetting to use the ‘expensive telescope prop’ twice in three attempts can stop the enjoyment of this song. At the Sunday matinee, an audience member pointed out he’d forgotten to use the telescope, leading to an impromptu replaying of the last couple of minutes of the song with the aforementioned telescope!
By now every song is greeted with a standing ovation – a trend that continues as the band play ‘East Coast Racer’, considered by many to be BBT’s finest moment it was voted #45 in a recent poll of Prog magazine’s Top 100 anthems. ‘East Coast Racer’ tells the story of the streamlined steam train Mallard and its record breaking 126mph run on the east coast mainline in 1938. The mellotron and bass pedals towards the end of the song has the whole place flying.
‘Telling The Bees’ is delivered with a relaxed vibe and allows time for band introductions, before the set closer ‘Victorian Brickwork’. I’m not sure what to write about this song, after all the preceding high points of the set I didn’t think it could get even better, but it did. Glancing around the audience as the song approached its climax there were many fighting back the tears as the brass lads do what only they can do.
Nick D’Virgilio is first out for the encore which begins with a short drum solo, he then introduces the brass section one by one and the funky jazzy groove develops into a rousing crowd pleasing ‘Wassail’ with singer Longdon donning his green man mask. Three hours after the show started and it’s all over, with everyone wanting more.
Ten minutes later and the whole band are in the foyer taking the time to meet fans, sign stuff and chat – no cash grab expensive meet and greet packages here. Despite restricted sight lines for some of the gallery seats, and audio issues during the first half of the first show which were quickly resolved during the interval, the band have delivered on all levels. Loreley Night of the Prog festival is in for a real treat in Summer 2018.
Thanks to all involved in the Big Big Train extended family for an unforgettable weekend.
Setlist Friday/Saturday/Sunday:
First Set:
Folklore Overture
Folklore
Brave Captain
Last Train
London Plane
Meadowland
A Mead Hall In Winter
Second Set:
Experimental Gentlemen
Swan Hunter
Judas Unrepentant
The Transit of Venus Across The Sun
East Coast Racer
Telling The Bees
Victorian Brickwork
Encore:
Wassail Overture
Wassail
Big Big Train:
Andy Poole – keyboards, guitars, mandolin
Danny Manners – keyboards
Dave Gregory – guitars
David Longdon – vocals, flute
Greg Spawton – bass, bass pedals
Nick D’Virgilio – drums, backing vocals
Rachel Hall – violin, backing vocals
Rikard Sjoblom – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals
Brass Section:
Dave Desmond – trombone
John Storey – euphonium
Nick Stones – french horn
Jon Truscott – tuba
Ben Godfrey – trumpet
Stick Men made a welcome return to Toronto last week. Words by Tim Darbyshire, photos by Tim Darbyshire and Keith Quinn.
Straight after another touring cycle with King Crimson, Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto once again joined forces with fellow stick man Markus Reuter and embarked on the ‘Prog Noir 2017 Tour’
The intimate setting of The Garrison provided the backdrop for the evening as Stick Men performed an eclectic set spanning their full career to date. The latest studio album ‘Prog Noir’ provided 4 of the numbers and the usual King Crimson covers were eagerly lapped up by the enthusiastic crowd.
Seeing such quality musicians up close is always a treat, and with such a small stage, at times it felt like the band were playing in your living room.
Special mention too must go to SONAR, the Swiss support band who performed a excellent opening set of rythmic, interlocking instrumental tunes. For more information visit the SONAR website
Stick Men
Pat Mastelotto – Drums and percussion
Tony Levin – Chapman stick, vocals
Markus Reuter – Touch guitar
Setlist – The Garrison, Toronto – 27th August 2017
Hide The Trees
Cusp
Schattenhaft
Crack In The Sky
Breathless (Robert Fripp cover)
Open
Mirage (Mike Oldfield cover)
Plutonium
Horatio
Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Part Two (King Crimson cover)
Mantra
Prog Noir
Sartori In Tangier (King Crimson cover)
Level Five (King Crimson cover)
SONAR
Words and photos by Tim Darbyshire. Danish band Mew have recently released ‘Visuals’ their fifth studio album and just embarked on their ‘2017 Visuals North American Tour’ to promote it. I caught up with the band at Toronto’s Mod Club.
Mew are no strangers to the intimate Mod Club, having last played here in 2009. Their last visit to Toronto was in 2015 when they played at Lee’s Palace, a show at which although Mew delivered musically was strangely bereft of their intoxicating visual show. Happily Mew delivered on both fronts this time in front of an appreciative near sell out crowd.
Compared to previous Mew albums, ‘Visuals’ has a lighter, more poppy feel. It sounds very smooth with infectious catchy melodies throughout. Live, the new material merged seamlessly with older songs as the band flawlessly delivered an eclectic crowd pleasing set.
Mew started proceedings with ‘In A Better Place’ from the new album – one of five new songs – before heading into more familiar territory with ‘Special’ and ‘The Zookeeper’s Boy’, from 2005’s ‘And The Glass Handed Kites’. The show had many highlights, including ‘Introducing Palace Players’ from 2009’s ‘No More Stories’ , ‘Satellites’ from ‘Plus Minus’ and ‘Snow Brigade’ from 2003’s groundbreaking ‘Frengers’ album. The extended encore ended with three more cuts from ‘Frengers’ – ‘Am I Wry, No’, ‘156’ and perhaps Mew’s defining song, ‘Comforting Sounds’.
Mew are a cohesive live unit, full time members Jonas Bjerre (vocals/guitar), Johan Wohlert (bass) and Silas Utke Graae Jorgensen (drums) are joined by long time collaborator Nick Watts on keyboards and by guitarist Mads Wegner who undertook the arduous task of replacing founding member Bo Madsen on stage in 2015.
Especially impressive is the tight rhythm section, underpinning Jonas Bjerre’s uplifting vocals and Mads Wegner’s angular guitar work. The show is equally impressive visually, with all manner of projections on the large screen behind the band, after all who can ever get enough of violin playing cats?
‘Visuals’ was released just 2 years after 2015’s ‘Plus Minus’, a break with tradition for Mew who typically take their time between albums. Hopefully this trend continues and the Danes return to North America in the near future.
Set List
Mew , The Mod Club Toronto – 10th August 2017
In A Better Place
Special
The Zookeeper’s Boy
Satellites
Ay Ay Ay
Introducing Palace Players
Twist Quest
Start
Water Slides
Snow Brigade
Apocalypso
Saviours Of Jazz Ballet
Carry Me To Safety
—————————
Nothingness and No Regrets
Am I Wry, No
156
Comforting Sounds
YES hits the road again with their Yestival tour kicking off in Greensboro NC this Friday. Also appearing on the bill (at most dates) are Todd Rundgren and Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy. The 31-date trek includes four Canadian dates, in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and London.
YES will play one track from each of their first ten albums in chronological order – from 1968’s ‘Yes’ through to 1980’s ‘Drama’, with ‘added surprises’. This sounds like a tour not to be missed, with YES continuing to perform deep cuts alongside fan favourites.
Alan White will be supported for this tour by additional drummer Dylan Howe, son of Steve. From the YES Official Facebook page:
YES’s Alan White welcomes Dylan Howe to rhythm section for #YESTIVAL– Double Drumming! Video Diary!
2017 Tour Dates & Tickets: http://yesworld.com
2017 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees YES and longtime drummer Alan White have today (7/26) announced that Dylan Howe, son of guitarist Steve Howe, will be joining the band’s rhythm section on this summer’s 31-date North American YESTIVAL Tour creating a twin drum powerhouse alongside White, in similar fashion that Bill Bruford and White brought on their Union Tour in the early 1990s with two drummers playing simultaneously.
“It’s a pleasure for me to welcome Dylan Howe to the YES stage,” shares White. “I’ve known Dylan for most of his life and I’m proud to think I’ve helped to be an inspiration in his musical journey. I’m very much looking forward to performing with him this summer for the upcoming YES tour.”
“I feel very honored and fortunate to have got the call to join YES this summer,” adds Dylan. “This to me is, quite possibly, the musical zenith of my career – my love for this music and the great musicianship that runs through it has always been a massive inspiration to me. Bill and Alan’s drumming is why I started playing the drums in the first place, and to have the opportunity to honor their great contribution to drumming whilst playing alongside Alan with my brilliant father and this outstanding lineup is a dream come true for me.”
2017 has been an ‘interesting’ year in Yesworld. April saw the 8-man ‘Union’ line up inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, which resulted in a patched up performance at the induction ceremony by members of both YES and ARW (now know as Yes Featuring Anderson, Rabin, Wakeman). Since then, both bands have reiterated their own plans to celebrate YES’s 50th Anniversary in 2018.
YESTIVAL tour dates:
Aug 04 – White Oak Amphitheatre at Greensboro Coliseum Complex, NC
Aug 05 – Holmes Convocation Center, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC
Aug 07 – Pier Six Concert Pavilion, Baltimore, MD
Aug 08 – Tower Theatre, Upper Darby, PA
Aug 10 – The Grand Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, CT
Aug 11 – Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk, Brooklyn, NY
Aug 12 – P.N.C. Bank Center, Holmdel, NJ
Aug 14 – Hershey Theatre, Hershey, PA
Aug 16 – The Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA
Aug 17 – DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston, MI
Aug 19 – Festival Park – Grand Victoria Casino, Elgin, IL – (A benefit for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)
Aug 20 – Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica, Cleveland, OH
Aug 22 – The Zoo Amphitheatre, Oklahoma City, OK
Aug 23 – Smart Financial Centre, Sugar Land, TX
Aug 25 – Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, AZ
Aug 26 – The Joint @ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV
Aug 28 – Balboa Theatre, San Diego, CA – (only Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy supporting)
Aug 29 – Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, CA
Aug 31 – Grand Sierra Resort, Reno, NV – (YES only – no support)
Sep 01 – Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA – (YES only – no support) – Tickets on sale Fri July 21
Sep 03 – Tulalip Amphitheatre, Tulalip, WA
Sep 05 – Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, BC – (only Todd Rundgren supporting)
Sep 07 – Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Edmonton, AB – (only Todd Rundgren supporting)
Sep 08 – Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Calgary, AB – (only Todd Rundgren supporting)
Sep 11 – Bluestem Center For The Arts Amphitheatre, Moorhead, MN – (only Todd Rundgren supporting)
Sep 12 – McGrath Amphitheatre, Cedar Rapids, IA – (only Todd Rundgren supporting)
Sep 14 – Budweiser Gardens, London, ON – (only Todd Rundgren supporting)
Sep 17 – The Wilbur Theatre, Boston, MA – (YES only – no support)
Sep 18 – The Paramount, Huntington, NY – (YES only – no support)
Sep 19 – The Paramount, Huntington, NY – (YES only – no support)
Progressive Music Review 