Tour. Cannot. Erase.
Steven Wilson – Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, 16th March 2015
Steven Wilson – Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, 16th March 2015
In recent times I can’t recall a tour that has been so eagerly anticipated and then subsequently delivered in spades.
As a long-time fan, I’d snapped up my tickets on day one, but even then I was quietly impressed by how quickly the gig sold out.
In keeping with his ethos that the music and the listening experience should be as good as it possibly can be, Steven Wilson had chosen seated venues with good acoustics, and it paid off handsomely.
It’s a long time since I was so totally absorbed for a whole show, whether it was savouring every note and nuanced phrase, or being drawn in to the story of the woman around whom the songs revolve, as her life events unfolded on the screen behind the band.
Although the show ran for two hours it somehow felt longer, in a good way, and although I didn’t want it to end when the final notes of 'The Raven' drifted out over the audience it seemed a fitting way to quietly bring us back into the world outside.
I had expected to hear the whole of new album Hand. Cannot. Erase. as a performance in itself, but the album was played in chunks with older material interspersed in between.
It worked really well in terms of pacing and mood, and it was clear that Wilson has given a lot of thought about constructing the set, possibly as a result of his experiences in mixing not just his own albums but everyone else’s as well.
Of course the music is only as good as the musicians performing it, but that was never going to be an issue as the band consists of the same players who toured the previous album and recorded this one.
And, truly, every player was on top of their game, whether locking into the song together or taking their spot to add their vibe to particular sections.
Without resorting to the cliché of solo spots, Nick Beggs (bass), Guthrie Govan (guitars), Marco Minnemann (drums) and Adam Holzman (keyboards) all shared their ample chops within each song, making the whole greater than the sum of each part.
Steven Wilson himself was no slouch either, contributing guitar, bass and mellotron with equal ease, and his singing seems to have become stronger, less forced and more confident.
Highlights were the new title track with its simple pop hook and chorus, the aching melancholy of 'Perfect Life' and 'Raven' bringing a lump to the throat, and 'The Watchmaker' sending shivers up the spin.
And as a sign of his growing confidence in the acceptance of his solo material, Steven Wilson felt comfortable enough to pull 'Lazarus' and 'Sleep Together' out of the Porcupine Tree back catalogue, both of which fitted really well within the pacing and mood of the show.
Judging by the online chatter and from comments by Steven Wilson himself, this tour has been a big success so far, and Wilson should feel a real sense of achievement.
Even days on after the show, I’m still uplifted with good memories which I hope will continue to last.
The remainder of the Hand. Cannot. Erase. European tour is selling out across the board, so if you’re harbouring any doubts – don't!
Grab a ticket now while you still have a chance – this tour is going to be considered a new high-water mark in Steven Wilson’s career.
John Stout
for FabricationsHQ
As a long-time fan, I’d snapped up my tickets on day one, but even then I was quietly impressed by how quickly the gig sold out.
In keeping with his ethos that the music and the listening experience should be as good as it possibly can be, Steven Wilson had chosen seated venues with good acoustics, and it paid off handsomely.
It’s a long time since I was so totally absorbed for a whole show, whether it was savouring every note and nuanced phrase, or being drawn in to the story of the woman around whom the songs revolve, as her life events unfolded on the screen behind the band.
Although the show ran for two hours it somehow felt longer, in a good way, and although I didn’t want it to end when the final notes of 'The Raven' drifted out over the audience it seemed a fitting way to quietly bring us back into the world outside.
I had expected to hear the whole of new album Hand. Cannot. Erase. as a performance in itself, but the album was played in chunks with older material interspersed in between.
It worked really well in terms of pacing and mood, and it was clear that Wilson has given a lot of thought about constructing the set, possibly as a result of his experiences in mixing not just his own albums but everyone else’s as well.
Of course the music is only as good as the musicians performing it, but that was never going to be an issue as the band consists of the same players who toured the previous album and recorded this one.
And, truly, every player was on top of their game, whether locking into the song together or taking their spot to add their vibe to particular sections.
Without resorting to the cliché of solo spots, Nick Beggs (bass), Guthrie Govan (guitars), Marco Minnemann (drums) and Adam Holzman (keyboards) all shared their ample chops within each song, making the whole greater than the sum of each part.
Steven Wilson himself was no slouch either, contributing guitar, bass and mellotron with equal ease, and his singing seems to have become stronger, less forced and more confident.
Highlights were the new title track with its simple pop hook and chorus, the aching melancholy of 'Perfect Life' and 'Raven' bringing a lump to the throat, and 'The Watchmaker' sending shivers up the spin.
And as a sign of his growing confidence in the acceptance of his solo material, Steven Wilson felt comfortable enough to pull 'Lazarus' and 'Sleep Together' out of the Porcupine Tree back catalogue, both of which fitted really well within the pacing and mood of the show.
Judging by the online chatter and from comments by Steven Wilson himself, this tour has been a big success so far, and Wilson should feel a real sense of achievement.
Even days on after the show, I’m still uplifted with good memories which I hope will continue to last.
The remainder of the Hand. Cannot. Erase. European tour is selling out across the board, so if you’re harbouring any doubts – don't!
Grab a ticket now while you still have a chance – this tour is going to be considered a new high-water mark in Steven Wilson’s career.
John Stout
for FabricationsHQ
