The Scala, London

31st May 2000

King Tut's, Glasgow

16th February 2001

Shepherd's Bush Empire with Anathema and Rothko

11th May 2001

Astoria, London

30th November 2003

Venue: The Scala, London,  Date: Wednesday 31st May 2000

Setlist: Lightbulb Sun, 4 Chords that made a Million, Even Less, Slave Called Shiver, Sleep Of No Dreaming, Up The Downstair, Where We Would Be, Last chance to Evacuate Planet Earth Before It is Recycled, Russia On Ice, - Intermission- Tinto Brass, Hatesong, Shesmovedon, Stop Swimming, Smart kid, Voyage 34
Encore: Waiting, Signify

Six months after the final gig of their previous tour, Porcupine Tree went back to where they left off at the Scala, close to Kings Cross in London. Once again, it was a full house, who seem to arrive with a keen sense of anticipation of a long set to match the two and a half hours we were treated to on the previous occasion. Though the audience was ready for the band from about 8PM, the band did not in fact arrive on-stage until 8:30 during which time a variety of pleasant trancey/trippy music was played over the PA.

The band began by showcasing their latest album 'Lightbulb Sun', commencing the set with the title track and following it with their humorous swipe at OASIS - '4 Chords that Made a Million' - while reproducing their sound with ease.  As ever with this band, one is never quiet sure what to expect; the band seamlessly weaves different influences into its music from straight forward Indy rock to the more atmospheric 'Even Less' and 'Slave Called Shiver', from the preceding album 'Stupid Dream'.  The stage projections, lights and dry ice, liberally projected in the direction of Steve Wilson on stage all add to the mood and fit well with the music, drawing on a 1970's heritage but presented in a distinctly modern way.  The slow 'Sleep of No Dreaming' and the excellent 'Up the Downstair' are the only cuts from their earlier albums which are played before they return to the new album for 'Last chance to Evacuate Planet Earth Before It is Recycled', finishing the first half of the show with the lengthy and atmospheric 'Russia On Ice'.

Following a twenty minute intermission, they returned to the stage to play 'Tinto Brass' from 'Stupid Dream', immediately picking up from where they left off. Steven Wilson swapped his guitar for an acoustic one and joked about the media perception of him as an unhappy person in introducing 'Hatesong'.  In fact he was joking all evening, though maybe his quiet dry sense of humour didn't appeal to all.  The upcoming single (and Classic Rock magazine sample track) 'Shesmovedon' was next and everybody seemed familiar with it, followed by a couple of cuts from 'Stupid Dream' before a large section of the crowd got what they had been screaming for - a lengthy cut of 'Voyage 34'  - a fantastic atmospheric track with a real psychedelic feel to it - a great tune to listen too in the dark.  That signalled the end of what seemed like a short set, or at least one which had passed very quickly to my eyes ... and the band left the stage with requests for further numbers ringing in their ears.

They returned, as they inevitably do, satisfying their most fervent fans, crowding around the front of the stage by playing two cuts from the 'Signify' disk - 'Waiting' and the title track.  Unfortunately we were not treated to an extended version of my personal favourite 'Radioactive Toy' this time. While the previous Scala gig had been a sort of 'Greatest Hits' set this set definitely had the emphasis set upon the more recent material with the bulk of the songs culled from the last two albums and 'Voyage 34' (recently re-issued).

The group is composed of excellent musicians.  Colin Edwin and Chris Maitland lay down an solid and interesting basis for the music and though they are seldom at the forefront, are well worthy of being a paid a little more attention to.  Richard Barbieri hides behind a bank of electronics and enhances the sound wonderfully with a beautiful and inventive collection of sounds and Steven Wilson sings and plays wonderful guitar - moving between styles with ease.

The summer will see them playing some festivals and some support roles before they open themselves up to a larger and slightly different audience as the support band to Dream Theater on their Autumn tour of Europe.  I 'll be fascinated to see them and hear the selection of music they make for a forty minute support slot. It will be a challenge, but they are great musicians and they have enough excellent material to make significant progress in such circumstances ... I for one, will be there.

Charlie

Venue: King Tut's, Glasgow               Date: 16th February 2001

Set list: Even Less, Slave Called Shiver, Shesmovedon, Up The Downstair, Don't Hate Me, Lightbulb Sun, Russia On Ice, Pure Narcotic, Where We Would Be, Last Chance To Evacuate Planet Earth Before It Is Recycled, Four Chords That Made A Million, Hatesong, Tinto Brass Encores: Sleep Of No Dreaming, Signify

My first taste of Porcupine Tree live and, given the meticulous approach to the sound on their albums, I wondered how this would translate into a small venue. I needn't have worried.  Right away, as the band opened up on 'Even Less', I was impressed at the clarity of the sound mix.

The guitar was prominent, as you might expect, but there was plenty of room for the keyboards to be heard. The bass had presence but never swamped the sound, and the drums were sharp and defined. Most bands usually need a couple of songs to sort out their sound, but PT hit the mix right from the opening notes.

This clarity helped me to appreciate some songs which hadn't clicked for me on the albums, 'Don't Hate Me' being one of them.  In a live setting, the echoing vocals and emotive guitar solo proved to be a highlight of the show for me.

The quieter songs like 'Last Chance...' and the beautiful 'Pure Narcotic' took on a new lease of life in front of an audience, and provided a nice contrast to the more intense numbers.  The harmony vocals came across well on 'Shesmovedon', and 'Where We Would Be' saw Colin Edwin play some unusual runs on the fretless bass which added warmth to the song.

The longer, louder numbers were focused and powerful.  'Russia On Ice' was even better live, with Richard Barbieri's majestic organ sound swirling around the room as the song progressed. 'Hatesong' was ten minute of intricate riffing against the relentless beat of the drums.

Fans of the older albums were rewarded with 'Up The Downstair', with its ambient rhythms bouncing across the packed crowd, and the finale allowed Chris Maitland to mount a ferocious assault on his kit.  'Tinto Brass' closed the main set, played slightly slower than on the album - but I think it benefited from this, allowing the band space to jam and Steven Wilson's mastery of the guitar to shine, whether on the solo melody or on the sound effects.

The crowd might have been disappointed not to get 'Voyage 34' as an encore, but I was happy to settle for the build up of 'Sleep Of No Dreaming' and then the heavy metal workout that is 'Signify', complete with extended closing section.

This set showcased the variety of PT's material, and proved that they can recreate their complex sounds on stage, while still adding new textures to them. If this is how they sound at the start of the tour, then by the time they play Shepherd's Bush they should be really cooking, and the resulting live album will be well worth the wait.

John Stout

Porcupine Tree/ Anathema/ Rothko
Venue: Shepherd's Bush Empire          Date: 11th May 2001

I must admit to being a fairly recent convert to Porcupine Tree, so I really wasn't sure what to expect either in terms of music or crowd at this gig - which I'd heard was being recorded live for a future release - and was one of the biggest (in terms of venue size) the band had played in the UK.

By the time I'd arrived just after 7, first support Rothko were already on, and the place was filling pretty rapidly.  Rothko are an interesting proposition, three blokes each playing bass and nothing else! The sound they created was quite unique, going from ambient noodling to dischordant noise in a few seconds, and plenty of places in-between. Not sure I could listen to a whole album of it, but it was certainly different and entertaining in places.

The venue was getting towards packed by the time Liverpudlians Anathema took to the stage. I was pleased when I saw that this band was playing, as I've been a fan of theirs for a year or so now, following the release of their excellent 'Judgement' album in 1999. The band originally had their roots in the gothic metal scene (think early Paradise Lost / My Dying Bride) but have now evolved into a more interesting beast, taking their influences from bands such as Pink Floyd as well as more contemporary acts such as Radiohead, whilst retaining some heaviness in the delivery.

Anathema chose their set-list wisely, concentrating on 'Judgement' plus a couple of new tracks - both of which sounded excellent.  They had a few technical hiccups early on, with the opening (new) number's quiet, understated opening being a little ruined by guitar feedback, but these were soon ironed out. By the time the band got to the last number they had the audience - most of whom were probably not aware of the band before tonight - in the palm of their hands, and fired off an unexpected treat in the encore with a superb, passionate rendition of The Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb'.  They did themselves proud tonight; take my advice and buy 'Judgement' if you haven't already, it's a great album and, judging by the new stuff aired tonight, their forthcoming CD (due in June I think) should be worth waiting for.

Porcupine Tree kept the audience waiting for what seems an age, no doubt making sure the sound was as near to perfect as possible given that this show is to be recorded. The venue was heaving by now, with the sense of anticipation very high.  They finally appeared at about 9.15, to rapturous applause.  Stage-set wise, things are fairly low key, the only props being a couple of large blue lightbulbs, although the lightshow throughout the gig was very effective.

The band are a fairly unprepossessing lot to look at, but from the opening notes of 'Even Less' it's clear that they are going to let the music do the talking. The long wait was worth it, as the sound is crystal clear, and the band have clearly rehearsed well and are note perfect.  The opener gives way to the funky 'Slave Called Shiver' which gets the audience moving, whilst the majority of the crowd join in on the chorus of recent single 'Shesmovedon'.  PT focus on their latest album 'Lightbulb Sun' in the middle part of the show, playing 'This is the Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth' (with Steven explaining the song was actually about an extreme religious cult in USA, not the environment as everyone assumed!) and the lengthy 'Russia on Ice', which builds to a satisfying, heavy instrumental climax.

Next up, Steve announces a song by saying "As everyone knows a vile disease has been spreading through this land over the last few months ... yes, boy bands and girl bands!".  This gets a big cheer, as the band launch, with some venom, into 'HateSong'.  This has a bassline that gets you moving, and by the end of the song the crowd are boogying about like nobody's business. Next comes a couple of tracks I was unfamiliar with, presumably coming from their earlier albums, before the instrumental 'Tinto Brass' ends the main set.

Encore wise, the band kick off, somewhat surprisingly, with the gentle melancholy of 'Stop Swimming', before sampled 'spacey' voices lead into the psychadelic instrumental wig-out of 'Voyage 34'. I must admit this lengthy workout did drag a bit for me, but the fans seemed to be lapping it up - as they did the final track, 'Radioactive Toy', the words to which the fans shouted along to, drowning out Steve Wilson! After this the band finally left the stage to much appreciation, the crowd were certainly going home happy.

Overall, this was a great gig from all concerned, and shows that, contrary to what you might read in the music press, this country can still produce top quality rock bands which appeal to a wide range of people.

Tom De Val, 17/5/01

Venue: Astoria, London                       Date: 30th November 2003

Setlist: Wedding Nails/ Sound Of Muzak/ Gravity Eyelids/ Shesmovedon/ Hate Song/ Fadeaway/ The Creator Has A Mastertape/ The Moon Touches Your Shoulder/ Russia On Ice/ Futile/ Feel So Low/ Strip The Soul. Encores: Even Less/ Trains/ Blackest Eyes

Well, tonight was the final date of what has been, all told, a fairly gruelling, multi-stage tour to promote Porcupine Tree's latest album, the excellent In Absentia. The Astoria was very busy by the time I got to the venue; having missed the opening support (a Steven Wilson-less No Man, apparently), I caught most of second band Adom's set – a bit like a more charged version of Muse or (The Bends-era) Radiohead, I thought.

Now that Porcupine Tree have a major label contract, they clearly have a bit more budget to play with when planning live shows, and this is shown particularly by the effective use of big screen projections for many of the tracks, in general influenced by the artwork on In Absentia. On stage, as on the rest of the tour, the studio quartet of Steven Wilson (guitars and vocals), Richard Barbieri (Keyboards), Colin Edwin (bass) and Gavin Harrison (drums) are augmented by the familiar figure of John Wesley, former guitar player for Fish. Wesley certainly adds to the live sound, not only by giving some extra muscle to the guitar sound (particularly effective on the harder edged tracks from In Absentia) but also with his excellent backing (and occasionally lead) vocals. A good (if very loud!) sound mix also made sure that the music left a powerful impression.

The band kicked in with all guns blazing with the incendiary instrumental Wedding Nails, and it was immediately obvious that the long touring had been beneficial – this, and indeed the whole set, was incredibly tight and well-played, with the band giving there all and certainly giving the impression of thoroughly enjoying this homecoming concert – not always the case at previous gigs I've seen them play.

With a quality back catalogue such as Porcupine Tree's, choosing a set-list that's going to please all parties is not easy, but I think this was a pretty good one; a nice mix of the best of In Absentia (with personal standouts being the slow-burning Gravity Eyelids and the fantastic Trains) with a sprinkling from their last two albums (including a superb take on the epic Russia On Ice, which left its studio counterpart kicking up dust) and a few rarities and long-lost album tracks, such as The Moon Touches Your Shoulder (from The Sky Moves Sideways) and Up The Downstair's Fadeaway, on which John Wesley took the lead vocal. Readers may notice the absence of previous concert stalwart 'Radioactive Toy', but, as Steven Wilson said, they can't be expected to trot this out year after year as the band have to move on – a good decision in my book.

Overall then, this was a very fine concert, and was received rapturously by the crowd. Steven Wilson said at one point, as the band get no press in the UK (not strictly true, but I know what he means!) all who attended here must have heard about the band through word of mouth; with gigs like this, the good word will only spread, and it can't be long before the band are moving up to headline venues such as the Hammersmith Apollo. For now, the future for Porcupine Tree looks extremely bright.

Tom 14/12/2003