Here I am with a Yes Tormato poster (photo taken in late 1979):
Here I am with Geoff Downes in August 2006 (holding a Buggles LP he signed for me; my sister gave the album to me in or around 1983):
I have a long history of interest in these bands so it was wonderful of them to tour together and as for two "new guys" performing vocal and keyboard duties in Yes ... no problem. I absolutely welcome them. The show must go on and the show did go on ... very well ... with the fans being treated to top-notch musicianship and with rare gems not heard in years ... decades in fact.
Asia hit the stage first and opened their set with "Wildest Dreams" followed by the well-received "Only Time Will Tell"; both tracks are from their self-titled debut. Next up was "An Extraordinary Life" (a song John Wetton felt compelled to write as a celebration of life after his bypass surgery) from their latest CD, Phoenix. The forth song of the evening was the very historic and influential "Video Killed The Radio Star" (the first video aired on MTV) from Geoff Downes' old band, The Buggles. Wetton used a megaphone for the first verse to replicate Trevor Horn's vocals as best he could. This was an entertaining number and the crowd showed its approval. This was followed by the King Crimson track "In The Court Of The Crimson King". Original King Crimson member Ian McDonald surprised the crowd when he joined the band onstage and played the flute during the song. After that, the band slowed it down a bit with acoustic versions of two Alpha-era songs, "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes" and "Don't Cry". Business picked up with the Emerson Lake And Palmer instrumental "Fanfare For The Common Man". Although the song was to feature the talents of Carl Palmer, Geoff Downes' keyboard playing was quite prominent as well. Incorporated into this early 70s classic was an extremely powerful drum solo by Carl Palmer. Despite being nearly 60 years of age, Carl played this with such commanding force and presence ... many drummers a third of his age would be hard-pressed to match his unassailable quality and manner. He even added some tricks to his solo by balancing a drum stick on one of the cymbals. "Fanfare ..." could very well have received the loudest, most exuberant response and applause of the evening ... and this includes both Asia and Yes. The band carried on with fan-favorite "Soul Survivor" and ended their set with the popular hit single from 1982, "Heat Of The Moment". There was fantastic audience participation on "Heat Of The Moment". The crowd bid the band farewell as they left the stage. This was not the final goodbye to Steve Howe though as he would return moments later.
The band's setlist was as follows:
01. Wildest Dreams
02. Only Time Will Tell
03. An Extraordinary Life
04. Video Killed The Radio Star
05. In The Court Of The Crimson King
06. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes
07. Don’t Cry
08. Fanfare For The Common Man/Drum Solo
09. Soul Survivor
10. Heat Of The Moment
Asia's members:
Geoff Downes: keyboards, vocals
John Wetton: bass guitar, lead vocals
Carl Palmer: drums
Steve Howe: lead guitar, vocals
Photos of Asia's performance (all taken, cropped and uploaded by the author):
Check out Carl - pretty funny:
After a short break, Yes, with Steve Howe pulling double session, hit the stage (as a recorded version of Igor Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite" was piped into the venue), and opened with the intricate "Siberian Khatru" ... a song that achieves a rare feat combining very technical arrangements with the kind of melody and beat that can get a crowd to dance and party! The performance and ability of new vocalist Benoit David of this song assured me that this would be an excellent evening of Yes' music. "Siberian Khatru" was followed by "Your Move/I've Seen All Good People". Chris Squire was very conspicuous during this song - he really got into it with his plucking of the bass prior to the final round of choruses. Fantastic stage presence by Squire. Next up was a track from the Drama album, "Tempus Fugit" ... a song Chris Squire would usually play during his bass solos, the latter end/final few seconds with help from other band members in years past. Yes has not performed "Tempus Fugit" live since the year 1980. Oliver Wakeman provided the electronic "Yes Yes" vocal parts. Speaking of songs not performed in a long time, the fourth number of the night was "Astral Traveller". The band dusted this one off last year and prior to that, it has not been in a Yes setlist since 1971. The song included a rousing drum solo by Alan White who smacked the skins with vigor so much so that one cannot see the retirement of this seasoned performer anytime soon. A fine display of bright lights accompanied White during his solo. The band carried on with a delightful rendition of "And You And I" - David shined on this one. After that, Steve Howe sat in a chair for his guitar solo which included "Pyramidology", a song from his Natural Timbre CD released in 2001. When his solo was over, he introduced the song as "Pyramidology" and then said, "It's a song about Pyramids". Pretty funny. The chart topping hit single from Yes' LP 90125, "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" was next and this was the only time Jon Anderson's voice could be heard during the set as the band allowed samples of the song to be played. Squire's brief bass part/solo during the second verse was very pronounced and Howe played his own solo in place of Trevor Rabin's original composition. This was followed by "Machine Messiah" with its foreboding intro. This is as close to Heavy Metal as Yes gets! During the slow part of "Machine Messiah", smoke was pumped onto the stage adding ambiance to this musical epic. The crowd offered loud and enthusiastic praise when the Drama-era track was completed. Like all the other songs from the Drama album, this too has not been performed by Yes since 1980. The audience instantly recognized the very familiar beginning of the ninth track on the evening, "Roundabout". This one showcased the talents of all the members of the band especially Wakeman and Squire who pounded the bass with energy and showmanship. Yes closed their set with the powerful and varied "Heart Of The Sunrise". All of them left the stage only to return with an encore, the 38-year-old masterpiece, "Starship Trooper", a song I recall hearing from my siblings' rooms in my very early childhood. Wakeman's solo during "Starship Trooper" was really cool and David did a really good job with this final song of the evening.
Final assessment: The incorporation of the two Drama selections into the setlist was without question a real treat for hardcore Yes fans and historians. I was glad to hear them and yes, I have been waiting a long time to hear these. The Drama line-up was scheduled to tour in 2005, but ultimately could not due to a visa situation. I was surprised Geoff Downes did not join the band onstage for the songs considering he played on the Drama album. It was also odd to see Steve Howe introducing the songs he did not perform on in the studio (songs from albums he was not on). I tell ya what though - Steve Howe can play ... that's for sure. Oliver Wakeman's keyboards were turned down a bit much and he was in the dark for a good portion of the show, but when he could be seen or heard, he filled his father's place quite well. All in all, it was an incredible event and I am glad I went.
The setlist of the gig:
01. Siberian Khatru
02. Your Move/I’ve Seen All Good People
03. Tempus Fugit
04. Astral Traveller/Drum Solo
05. And You And I
06. Guitar Solo/Pyramidology
07. Owner Of A Lonely Heart
08. Machine Messiah
09. Roundabout
10. Heart Of The Sunrise
----------------------------
11. Starship Trooper
Yes' members:
Chris Squire: bass, vocals
Steve Howe: lead guitar, vocals
Alan White: drums
Oliver Wakeman: keyboards, vocals
Benoit David: lead vocals, tamborine, rhythm guitar
Photos of Yes' performance (all taken, cropped and uploaded by the author):
Chris Squire in action!
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