Steven Wilson - Review of the Raven tour

[Valen]

Just back from the second night of the tour, and have to say that it exceeded my expectations. Having watched the live dvd several times, I wondered if the new set would be little more than more of the same with some of ‘The Raven’ songs thrown in. Boy, was I wrong.

The setlist, running order and pacing were spot on, with the Raven material spread out across the set, complemented by a thoughtful selection of material from the two earlier albums, including one track not previously performed, and a very interesting choice for the encore.

I won’t spoil things for those of you still to see the show, and would discourage you from looking for setlists online, so that the show will surprise you in the nicest way.

The lighting was tasteful, but at times seemed at odds with the rear projection films, with one memorable exception (again, no spoilers – go see for yourself).
Sound was nice and balanced, and some of it may have been coming from surround speakers behind us.

The band were tight but loose, and came across less as SW’s backing band and more of an entity in their own right. Guthrie Govan fitted in well, and personally I thought his guitar solos were amazingly fluid and articulate, and a real pleasure to listen to – no flashy showing off.

SW spent more time playing, and less time conducting, and proved himself an adept bassist, as he played a six-string on a couple of the newer songs; the first time I’ve seen him play bass live, and the combination of his six-string and Beggs’ stick bass sounded great.

Get there early, as I wondered in at 7pm and the lights were already down, and interestingly, the main floor area was totally seated with foldable chairs. Normally this is a standing venue, but I guess it was first come first served for a good seat. Luckily, I bagged a great standing spot right behind the mixing desk and above the audience, so sound and vision were excellent for me.

And as a nice closing touch, as the lights went up, the outro music was Ljudet Innan, my favourite piece from Storm Corrosion, which sounded terrific coming out the PA.

So there you have it, a great night’s entertainment for those of you already going, and for those of you still pondering, I’d say take a chance and be rewarded. I feel privileged to have seen such excellent musicians play excellent songs live tonight.

[Sunlight Caller]

Sounds fantastic, thank you for the review, I'm planning to get along tomorrow night in London, and thought I had missed the tour as I have been a bt engrossed in other things lately. Love what you said about Guthrie, as have seen him referred to as the "king of shred" in another thread, bu I've seen him live dozens of times (he plays a residency near me, when not touting the world), and his touch and soloing are always sublimely musical, dexterous and blindingly fast yes, but fluid and graceful at the same time. Can't wait to see the show now, and I'm avoiding setlists for sure!

[scags]

Judging from Theo's facebook posts, they seem to be having fun, also.

[zombywoof]

I'm thinking of seeing this tour, even though I'm not 100% in love with the new album. Maybe seeing it live will help (the band is phenomenal).

[calyx]

Based on your review it seems he's resisted the idea of terrifying the crowd with a full hour of Bass Communion music before the actual show starts ? I liked the left-fieldness of the idea conceptually, but both times I saw the last tour it was one of the most boring 60 minutes (times two) I've experienced in a concert hall...

Looking forward to the Paris show next week. New album is great.

[Kcrimso]

Looking forward to the Paris show next week. New album is great.

I am also going to attend Trianon concert in Paris. Any tips about venue for tourist like me?

[Valen]

Maybe seeing it live will help (the band is phenomenal).

I wondered the same thing, but on the night the songs definitely took on an edge missing from the studio versions, and there were variations within the arrangements which gave them added flavour.

[Valen]

Based on your review it seems he's resisted the idea of terrifying the crowd with a full hour of Bass Communion music before the actual show starts ? .

I would reckon it was about 20-25 minutes of BC at the most, and even then it was really just filler to give people time to get seated. I thought it worked well as a mood-enhancer wiating for the band to come on. (But yes, an hour of BC would not be my cuppa either.....so hopefully this gives you reassurance!) And you'll get some nice Storm Corrosion to mellow out on as you shuffle out of the venue.

[eporter66]

I can't wait, I am seeing them in Upstate NY (Clifton Park). They are playing with Opeth and Katatonia(?), so I dont think I will get to see the full live show & set, which is disappointing. But at least I am getting to see him. I have to think he will play The Raven in its entirety, then maybe throw an additional song or two in? Really looking forward to this show

[jkelman]

I would reckon it was about 20-25 minutes of BC at the most, and even then it was really just filler to give people time to get seated. I thought it worked well as a mood-enhancer wiating for the band to come on. (But yes, an hour of BC would not be my cuppa either.....so hopefully this gives you reassurance!) And you'll get some nice Storm Corrosion to mellow out on as you shuffle out of the venue.

Funny, I loved the hour of BC on the last tour. It really worked for me.

[jode]

Nice review Valen, I was at the Glasgow show too and you are spot on. I got my copy of the album on Monday and had a week to familiarise myself with it which always helps I find. The musicians were all superb and really brought the songs to life. I'd been warned about the unreserved seating by the ticket company so got there just after 6.30 to get two of the last remaining decent ones.

I understand that maybe Steven wants people to relax and listen but I'm not sure the seating really worked - when people moved down the front of the stage for the encores the energy level seemed to lift for me.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Steven at a record store signing at Love Music on Saturday afternoon for a chat and a photo - lovely guy always enthusiastic about discussing and recommending music.

A few negative comments on FB about the mobile/camera policy but I for one applaud it.

[iguana]

hamburg, 14.3. – can’t wait. thanks for this!

[calyx]

I understand that maybe Steven wants people to relax and listen but I'm not sure the seating really worked - when people moved down the front of the stage for the encores the energy level seemed to lift for me.

Problem was, in Paris it was a standing venue, both times. So once you've ensured a position in the crowd not too far from the stage, and unless you'd brought friends along to the gig, you found yourself looking at largely still footage projected onto a translucid screen with very minimalist music playing for an hour... At least I knew it would be an hour since I'd interviewed Wilson just before and he'd mentioned the pre-show music would last an hour. Still it was very, very boring to me, and likely for others around me. And they did it the second time too. Probably different if you're sitting comfortably and surrounded by friends you can chat with to pass the time...

[jode]

So once you've ensured a position in the crowd not too far from the stage, and unless you'd brought friends along to the gig, you found yourself looking at largely still footage projected onto a translucid screen with very minimalist music playing for an hour

Yeah, I can see how that would be annoying; I once had to listen to the same piece by Sigur Ros for over an hour while waiting for a writer's talk at the local student's union. As a result I can never listen to them again (students or Sigur Ros)!

The ABC Glasgow is more of a club type venue and I'm used to standing for bands; including Porcupine Tree, Van Der Graaf Generator and Magazine. There's always been a good energy level in the past.

I remember seeing P Tree at a seated venue a few years ago - The Cottier Theatre, Glasgow - and Steven complained about the lack of atmosphere which he put down to the seating (and the lack of a bar in the auditorium).

[jkelman]

A few negative comments on FB about the mobile/camera policy but I for one applaud it.

If the policy is no recording, no cells or cameras, me too! About bleedin' time.