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Legendary Prog Rock - Sentrum Scene in Oslo, Norway - Spring 2014
My last
concert at the Sentrum Scene, in March of 2011, is more than a terrific
souvenir: Slayer and Megadeth!!!
This wonderful
concert hall is a former movie theatre with great acoustic, for an audience of
maximum 1 800 people. You can choose here between the pit and the balcony: I
always prefer the first one...
I come back to
this place I really appreciate, unfortunately a bit far from my home, not this
time to worship Thrash and Speed Metal masters, but to get something different,
indeed, and strong as well.
Let us use the time machine: few days ago with Yes, a bit more
than a month ago with Steve Hackett,
and more or
less four decades ago, when some of the best (progressive rock) records were
released.
Steve Hackett: Genesis Revisited, 1.
May, 2014
Four music fans in a car, Albert, Ketil, Roald and your humble servant, are
taking a trip from Arendal to Moss, where other friends, Elisabeth and Hans
Jakob are about to welcome them like princes: thank you so much!
After a really nice lunch, it is time to catch the train to Oslo for a beer or
two with more friends on the Karl Johans gate, before a memorable evening.
Steve Hackett was Genesis guitarist from December 1970 to October 1977, the peak
of the band's progressive time. His solo career is also very rich in terms of
creativity and collaboration with many musicians like... Yes members.
The mesmerizing 'Dance on a Volcano' from 'A Trick of the Tail' (1976) is
opening the show, followed by 'Dancing with the Moonlit Knight' from the
definitely must have 'Selling England by the Pound' (1973).
The track listing is well-balanced, between atmospheric moments and intense
parts, with a good mix between the two previously mentioned albums, 'Nursery
Cryme' (1971), Foxtrot
(1972), 'The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway'
(1974) and
'Wind
and Wuthering' (1976). For
the record, 'The Knife' is on 'Trespass' (1970), with Anthony Phillips as
guitarist.
Steve is here with his golden Fernandes Les Paul and his unique touch: simply
magic! He is taking also his six nylon strings, confirming he is an excellent
classic guitarist too.
Nad Sylvan has the very delicate task to seize Peter Gabriel's and Phil Collins'
voices and be himself at the same time: mission accomplished, with feeling and a
nice Gabriel's theatrical touch. Roger King, Gary O'Toole, Rob Townsend and Nick
Beggs, highly talented musicians and multi-instrumentalists are completing the
picture.
It is
definitely not Steve Hackett and some guests or side musicians. You can feel
their complicity and the audience shares it, enjoying each note, each second.
This
out of time music works the same in 2014 as when it was released forty
years ago. That is its strength. We are truly lucky to have Steve Hackett.
01.
Dance on a Volcano
02.
Dancing with the Moonlit Knight
03.
Squonk
04.
Fly on a Windshield
05.
Broadway Melody of 1974
06.
The Lamia
07.
The Return of the Giant Hogweed
08.
The Musical Box
09.
I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)
10. Horizons
11. Firth of Fifth
12. Lilywhite Lilith
13. The Knife
14. … In That Quiet Earth
15. Afterglow
16. Supper's Ready
17. Watcher of
the Skies
18. Los Endos
Yes,
5.
June, 2014
Steve Howe is back from his escape with Asia and I am so happy to know he is
going to play for me tonight!
The plan is as simple as it is marvellous: 'Close
To The Edge' (1972), 'Going for the One' (1977) and 'The Yes Album' (1971) will
be performed in their entirety and in sequence!
I
bought the program after the show, where it is written that playing these
records this way has the following effect: ”While opening notes may not
necessary be met with surprise, they do seem to be generating even greater
reaction and energy in the hall. And that energy is feeding back to the band,
who is in turn performing these classics with the intensity and passion of a new
arrival”.
Well, I could not agree more, like the majority of die-hard fans around me. I
guess I have the same feeling tonight as the one I had when kid, I discovered
these musical jewels on vinyl records or tapes. But now, it is live!
And from the first jazzy notes of 'The
Solid Time of Change', I know I am going to experience something really special.
If
'Close To The Edge' IS the progressive rock album, 'Going for the One' is more
direct, more rockin'. So the transition between both records works perfectly
well.
The Yes backbone, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Alan White, is unbeatable,
unbreakable. I do not care about what some cranky people could say about this
trio: I know what it has been bringing to me during all these years and what it
gives me tonight.
I
understand many fans miss Rick Wakeman, but Geoff Downes really knows also what
keyboards are. He is much more than an interim musician.
Jon Anderson is the Yes' unique voice. I did not know what to expect from “the
young” Jon Davison. Well, he has really impressed me with his wonderful voice,
his talent, his sincere enthusiasm to be here. His presence is very refreshing.
After twenty minutes intermission, the band is back for 'The Yes Album': 43
years old and not a single wrinkle!
We
are getting a superb encore with 'Roundabout' from 'Fragile' (1971). It would
have been fine with a second zugabe, by playing for example one of my
favourite song 'To
be over' from the record 'Relayer', but you know, the more you get... especially
with Yes' fantastic discography.
This great show from a great band touched me deeply.
The next
progressive rendez-vous will be at the Bluebox in Grimstad with
Derek William Dick,
better known as Fish,
17. oktober, 2014, after Canal Street Arendal and Wacken.
Intro. The Firebird Suite - Igor Stravinsky
01. Close To The Edge: I. The Solid Time of Change /
II. Total Mass Retain / III. I Get Up I Get Down / IV. Seasons of Man
02. And You And I: I. Cord of Life / II. Eclipse /
III. The Preacher The Teacher / IV. Apocalypse
03. Siberian Khatru
04. Going for the One
05. Turn of the Century
06. Parallels
07. Wonderous Stories
08. Awaken
09. Yours Is No Disgrace
10.
Clap
11.
Starship Trooper: I. Life Seeker / II.
Disillusion / III. Würm
12.
I've Seen All Good People: I. Your Move / II. All
Good People
13.
A Venture
14.
Perpetual Change
15.
Roundabout
Attending:
Philippe Leconte |
