Steven Wilson Tour Thread

[geddyforlife]

I haven't been hearing much from anyone if they have gone to see the tour and if so, how was it?

[Dscrapre]

I'm going to the Chicago gig in exactly one month! I've been keeping up with the setlist as well, seems like a great show!

[The Owl]

Why does he constantly skip Texas? :(

[geddyforlife]

Why does he constantly skip Texas? :(

 

From what I have heard Steven Wilson say in interviews is that he doesn't pick where he wants to play. The venues and organizers are the ones that contact him to invite him to play. Make sense?

[PolarizeMe]

Why does he constantly skip Texas? :(

 

From what I have heard Steven Wilson say in interviews is that he doesn't pick where he wants to play. The venues and organizers are the ones that contact him to invite him to play. Make sense?

Steven played in Texas last year...he will be touring till at least October, where he will do another UK leg with a special Royal Albert Hall show, so maybe another go around in the US with a Texas date before the 2nd UK leg might be a realistic possibility.

[shail]

14 days and counting. So looking forward to the show.

[ColdFireYYZ]

The Watchmaker live in Germany:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2Hp6lYx4Fvw

 

Anyone going to the first US show tonight?

Edited April 16, 2013 by ColdFireYYZ

[bathory]

wanna go but cant

[adace1]

That clip was phenomenal.

[shail]

Holy Grail of wow. That was amazing. So looking forward to the US dates. Marco is incredible. Steven played all the instruments in that tune. No woodwind of course. who knows he just might take up a trumpet or sax the very next show.

[ColdFireYYZ]

Marco Minneman is rejoining the US tour, starting in Philly. I wouldn't mind seeing Wackerman but I'm glad I'll get to see the band that recorded the album.

[cygnify]

I saw the show last night in St. Pete. Was definitely bummed that I would miss Marco - though I have seen Chad Wackerman previously and know that he is no slouch! (and I will catch Marco with the Aristocrats in July!) Anyway, the show was great, though it had some serious flaws. The venue was a dump. Really tiny - which was nice for close views of the stage. But it was too small for some of the visual effects SW has used on tour, very cramped in the audience (with too many cell phones and a f***ing Ipad taking pictures blocking lots of views), and cramped on stage. I would estimate 500-600 people or so? Setlist was the same as a majority of European shows (including the pseudo-solo encore, if you know what I mean.) The sound was horrible as the show began - no bass at all for the first minute or two of Luminol !!(which features alot of bass!) The mix was very poor at the beginning and my friends and I all worried that the whole night would be that bad - but they got it dialed in mostly by the end of Luminol and it got even better as the night progressed. Chad was doing an admirable job filling in on the drums - he was actually reading charts that he had on a stand next to his kit. He did not attempt to copy the fills that Marco does - he added some of his own interpretation - some entrances sounded strange because he led in with a longer or shorter fill. He was searching for tempos at time - Steven was helping him with some conducting. At the end of one song, Steven was signaling the end and Chad hit the cymbals prematurely for a classic sloppy ending (lol!) As a drummer, I missed Marco's signature style on these songs, but Chad did a fine job. Guthrie Govan absolutely shred some solos - very impressive, great sounds. I did wonder at parts whether Guthrie was bored with some of the simpler stuff (I know Steven made a comment in an interview about feeling bad about giving GG simple parts to play, but GG played them with feeling as a professional - I just noted that during simpler pasages, GG sort of had a bored look at looked up to the ceiling. I wasn't the only one wondering if he was bored.) Nick Beggs was awesome as always. Played the stick during Holy Drinker (SW played bass - a strange sight!) and sang back-up vocals all night. I would note that there must also be a sequence or doubler affecting the vocals - during some of the "singing in the round" sequences there was definitely more than two voices audible! SW played the evil sound at the end of HD on a keyboard. Theo Travis sounded awesome on many songs - love his flute and sax. Adam stood out at the beginning of Deform to Form a Star - excellent. He was brillliant all night and I really enjoyed his mini-moog solos. There was a tuning issue during Raider II - GG and SW spend a good while trying to figure out who was out of tune - SW ended up tuning his guitar while singing a verse, and the GG tuned his guitar during another passage. The visuals on screen were cool (and disturbing on Raider II) though the place was too small for some of the cooler effects. Steven chatted with the audience briefly a few times - mentioned the Harmony Korine movie (?) that the US really excels for the subject of Raider II (Serial Killers) and also graciously thanking us - he said "it was fun, but it wasn't always pretty" true dat.

[cygnify]

That being said, I have to wonder why they would book at this venue. There are several nicer venues in the area to play. (having seen PT at the beautiful Tampa Theater on the Incident tour, we were spoiled!)

 

Also, Steven's business team should reconsider their price point. I would guesstimate that 90% of the audience are hardcore and would gladly pay twice what he was charging ($26?) Not that I mind saving money, but when I hear that perhaps one of the most brilliant musicians on the planet is losing money to tour North America... I can't help but wish he would do better.

[shail]

thanks for the review of the show. Glad Marco will be playing the show in philly! can't wait to see the band on friday. don't want to see a drummer read charts and hack away on wilsons tunes. it's very annoying when people video the show with their phones. you said they had ipads. pure asshole move! take a pic in between the tunes for a memento. i'm sure he will release a dvd in the future of this tour making all of the vids on smartphones look like pure shit which they all ready are.

 

Where u hear or read Marco is rejoining the tour in Philly. There is no news on that.

 

Edited April 17, 2013 by shail

[ColdFireYYZ]

thanks for the review of the show. Glad Marco will be playing the show in philly! can't wait to see the band on friday. don't want to see a drummer read charts and hack away on wilsons tunes. it's very annoying when people video the show with their phones. you said they had ipads. pure asshole move! take a pic in between the tunes for a memento. i'm sure he will release a dvd in the future of this tour making all of the vids on smartphones look like pure shit which they all ready are.

 

Where u hear or read Marco is rejoining the tour in Philly. There is no news on that.

Marco's Facebook:

Since many of you asked: ....YES...I now will be doing the STEVEN WILSON USA/Canada shows starting from Philadelphia on.

And just to clarify: The JOE SATRIANI and ARISTOCRATS tours will also happen as planned.

Thanks and see you soon,

--MM

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marco-Minnemann/60833133772?fref=ts

[shail]

Cool. I surfed around and went to his FB site and saw the great news. Wonder how Wackerman feels about doing two shows. Kinda sucks.

[ColdFireYYZ]

From SW's Facebook:

A message to US / Canadian fans coming along to one of the forthcoming SW band shows; please be aware that due to a very important family matter, and having done a fantastic job with us at the first 2 shows in Tampa and Atlanta, new drummer Chad Wackerman has had to leave the tour to fly home to California. Fortunately, Marco is able to rejoin us for these shows, starting with Philly tomorrow, following which Chad will be rejoin the band in South America next month. Sorry for the confusion!

[Union 5-3992]

Sweet, I'll be seeing him on Sunday with a meet & greet before the show

[geddyforlife]

Sweet, I'll be seeing him on Sunday with a meet & greet before the show

 

how did u get the meet and greet?

[shail]

if you see Marco at the meet and great ask him what time signature the tune cheating the polygraph is in. If he says 7/8 whip out your smart phone and play the tune and anyone under the sun can tap 4/4 to it no problem. whom ever said that first verse is in 7 is silly. maybe the drums might be but not the entire band. i'm sure marco might not have heard the tune but you never know.

[Dscrapre]

if you see Marco at the meet and great ask him what time signature the tune cheating the polygraph is in. If he says 7/8 whip out your smart phone and play the tune and anyone under the sun can tap 4/4 to it no problem. whom ever said that first verse is in 7 is silly. maybe the drums might be but not the entire band. i'm sure marco might not have heard the tune but you never know.

 

Same thing with "The Sound of Muzak". Still, I really don't see what the point of saying that would be. He didn't play on it.

[sullysue]

Sweet, I'll be seeing him on Sunday with a meet & greet before the show

 

how did u get the meet and greet?

 

I took my daughter to see him for the Grace for Drowning tour, and we DID get to meet the band. Without a meet and greet. After the show we waited at the back entrance with lots of other people. And, as the band members came out they met with the fans. SW included. You have to be patient, but you can meet them without any pre-planned event or paying extra. At least, that was our experience.

[geddyforlife]

Sweet, I'll be seeing him on Sunday with a meet & greet before the show

 

how did u get the meet and greet?

 

I took my daughter to see him for the Grace for Drowning tour, and we DID get to meet the band. Without a meet and greet. After the show we waited at the back entrance with lots of other people. And, as the band members came out they met with the fans. SW included. You have to be patient, but you can meet them without any pre-planned event or paying extra. At least, that was our experience.

 

Very cool! Yeah when I saw him in Orlando 2 yrs ago it was almost 12am by the time the show ended and it was still a 3 hr drive home. I tried running into him in Downtown Disney before the show but no luck.

[Union 5-3992]

Sweet, I'll be seeing him on Sunday with a meet & greet before the show

 

how did u get the meet and greet?

He's showing up at a record store before the show

[cygnify]

I met all of PT in Orlando the day after the Nil Recurring concert. Sw and JW did an in-store mini-concert that was released as "We Lost the Skyline". It was a surreal experience!

 

Snail - Cheating the Polygraph is in 7. You can go on Drummerworld forum and see that many have asked Gavin himself. There are transcriptions.

 

In case anyone was wondering, Chad had to leave the tour for an important family issue. He will be re-joining SW for Mexico and South America