This interview may be the best interview I’ve ever seen/read of any musician! It was posted to YouTube today, but was filmed in March of this year during Mike Portnoy’s tour with The Neal Morse Band. He is incredibly open and honest, even hinting as to why he left Dream Theater. It is truly a great interview by an even greater man and musician. Thanks, Mike!
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Brad Birzer/Progarchy
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We’ve been in Colorado for this academic year, but we return to Michigan in just a few days. Thank you!
I am pleased to report that the Steven Wilson concert in Vancouver, BC, Canada, on Saturday, June 20, 2015, was nothing short of AMAZING. The integration of video images and musical showmanship was pure artistry at its finest.
The venue was the sweet Vogue Theatre, which has beer and wine and other drinks available at a bar downstairs as well as at a bar upstairs in the balcony area. You can take drinks to your seat. The seating was a bit tight, but once you settled in to the concert and got lost in the music, you forgot all about it. Except for my wife, who had a hardcore Wilson fan sitting next to her on her left doing annoying air drumming (I was on her right). Hey buddy, I know every fill too, but I keep it at home! Oh well, everybody stood up for the encore songs at Steven’s invitation, so that was great. Earlier, security had shut down anyone trying to stand up and dance. We did get to stand up and give standing ovations after instrumental extravaganzas like “Home Invasion / Regret #9” and “Ancestral”. As we should! They were amazing. So great to see live. I love watching top-flight musicians do their thing live.
Locally owned and operated, The Vogue is one of the last remaining theatres from the famed Theatre Row. Take state of the art sound and projection, mix it with phenomenal natural acoustics and a 1940’s art deco interior, and you have the Vogue, utterly romantic and completely unique. With a commitment to good old- fashioned hospitality.
Here’s the set list. I recommend turning it into a playlist, because it works really well, and I myself have been listening to it since the concert as a playlist, as I have been reliving that magic night in my mind and heart. I highlight in boldface the songs not on Hand. Cannot. Erase.:
First Regret
3 Years Older
Hand Cannot Erase
Perfect Life
Routine
Index
Home Invasion
Regret #9
Lazarus
Harmony Korine
Ancestral
Happy Returns
Ascendant Here On…The Watchmaker
Sleep TogetherSectarian
The Raven That Refused to Sing
This show was Steven Wilson, with Nick “Blonde Bombshell” Beggs on bass guitar and stick, Adam Holzman on keyboards, Dave Kilminster on guitar, and Craig Blundell on drums/percussion. Steven paid tribute to them all after “Regret #9” and said they were all better musicians than himself.
Steven also had kind remarks about Vancouver, after they played “3 Years Older,” since he had never been here before. The audience was pretty restrained during the show, like typical polite Canadians, but then started totally freaking out during the encores which he seemed to like. The evening ended with multiple bows as the audience gave a standing ovation that went on and on with thunderous applause and stomping. I guess we saved the loudest appreciation for last and it was a great feeling between performers and the audience as it went on and on to close the night so that the musicians knew exactly how we felt. We loved it!
Steven gave a little speech before “Routine” on the theme “MISERABLE MUSIC MAKES ME HAPPY” (direct quote). If you’ve read interviews with him, you’ll get the idea and know what he said. Same stuff he usually does about the paradox: in such art, we can discover what we share in common, etc.
It was fun hearing “Index” as a set-up for “Home Invasion”. The crowd really went nuts for it and lapped it up. It’s musical theatre, really; I get why the masses go for it. But it’s a bit one-dimensional, lyrically.
“Lazarus” is a beautiful song and one of my favorites. It was a real treat to hear it live, which just made it all that much more powerful. We didn’t get to hear “Transience,” which is one of the loveliest moments on HCE, but that’s okay, we got “Lazarus.” Man, I love that song.
Steven gave a nice little chat before “Harmony Korine” about how it is his tribute to the “shoegazer” genre. It was amusing as he spent a lot of time listing obscure albums and artists he liked and trading this back and forth with audience members, asking who had heard of what. A nice little nerdy way of bonding with the audience: comparing notes on your favorite music.
As for nerdiness, I thought it was hilarious how Steven would walk around on stage and do all his dorky hand gestures as he got into the music; when I told my my wife later that I found this hilarious and endearing, she reminded me that I make the same stupid hand gestures whenever I listen to loud music and get into it!
As for shoe gazing, I felt like gazing at my shoes because of all the disturbing images (people with bird heads, gas masks, screams of anguish) during “Harmony Korine.” But the audience loved all this oogly-boogly scary-scarey stuff during songs like “Watchmaker” and “Index” and “Raven” and so on; I myself find it kind of boring and limited in scope, but it is true that it is all very artistically done, if you like that sort of thing. I guess my tastes are just more classical than modern — I prefer beauty! Thankfully, the music was beautiful enough. The video pizazz was just icing on the cake for people who like icing. I would prefer smaller doses; hey, did you notice all the dopey video gets shut off during the prog instrumentals? Exactly! Point proved… who needs it, really… just inflates the ticket price by giving us, not just a concert, but an “experience”… I’m not complaining, I’m all for it, and no one does it better than Wilson. This was one of the greatest concerts I’ve ever been to. The Steven Wilson Experience!
“Sectarian” is one of my absolutely favorite Wilson songs, and so I was thrilled to experience it live — in a much more metal version, to boot! Great stuff… it was meant to be metaled up this way. Well played, Steven, well played…
If I had to come up with some extra complaint (since here I am, playing the critic), it would be that the sound mix wasn’t as perfect as I would have liked. Man… they should get Steven Wilson to do the mix… haha, but he’s busy on stage, I guess. On the plus side of the ledger, it was excellent that the sound volume was at an absolutely perfect level, so no earplugs were required. That is the way rock concerts should be! It’s time to end the dumb convention of making the music too loud to bear. Why insist on inflicting hearing damage? Anyway, it is great that Steven is using his influence to be a force for good in this area, as in so many others. Bottom line: all the positives blow away any negatives I can think up. This was a supremely excellent concert!
If you get a chance to see Steven live, don’t miss it. He is not just Mr. Prog, he is a musical talent that transcends all genres. Yes, he’ll give you that dose of perfect prog that will make you very happy, but he is one of those rare breed true artists that only comes along once in a lifetime. He can do anything, and he is even utterly pure magic when it’s just his voice and an acoustic guitar. He’s the real deal.
Don’t miss seeing Steven Wilson in your lifetime. You won’t regret it.
So, what are you waiting for? To grow three years older?
Why, this awesome picture of course!
This was taken last night at a Rush concert Mike Portnoy took his son to. Apparently Mike signed autographs for fans sitting near him at the concert. I can’t think of a better night than seeing Rush and meeting Mike Portnoy! Maybe meeting Rush, seeing them play, and meeting Mike Portnoy could top that.
Who is Afraid of Marillion?
Yesterday, prog queen Gianna Englert (and liberal arts demi-goddess) reminded us that today is the twentieth anniversary of Marillion’s album, AFRAID OF SUNLIGHT. For what it’s worth, it’s my favorite Marillion album, rivaled only by MARBLES.
Every time I bring the band up, someone tells me they love Fish or Hogarth more. I have no problem with either Fish-era Marillion or Hogarth-era Marillion. I love both. Marillion is Marillion. I actually buy into their own understanding that they represent a better way of a life. Perhaps I’ve just been taken in by great PR and marketing. The band seems the true inheritors of those who once cried for peace, love, and happiness.
What convinces me? Marillion understands better than almost any one in the musical world that it’s ok to promote what is beautiful and not do it tongue-in-check or with irony or with cynicism or with a wink. They actually mean it. When I listen to Marillion, I feel as though I’m with Sam, somewhere in Mordor, seeing a white star beyond the reach of all evil.
Another important—well, perhaps, critical—point. It’s arguable that AFRAID OF SUNLIGHT is the very first album of third-wave prog. But. . . .
Let me get personal for the rest of this post. If you’re not interested in reading, I totally understand. . . this is NOT a proper review or a retrospective. Merely a reflection and an appreciation.
***
Here’s the hard part. On August 8, 2007, my wife and I lost a daughter. My wife had come full term in her pregnancy, and Cecilia Rose was due on August 6. Rather than induce labor on that day, we decided to go all natural and wait for the baby to arrive when she was ready.
Sometime early on the morning of August 8, Cecilia Rose became entangled in her own umbilical cord. She suffocated on the very thing that had given her life. We didn’t know until later that day that Cecilia had passed away. Just before midnight, my wife (the strongest person I’ve ever met) gave “birth” to our deceased daughter. Long story, short—the following week was the absolute worst of my life. Every minute seemed like a month, and every hour a year. It was horrible.
The first week was the worst, but nothing really improved over the next year. In fact, life was pretty miserable. I was on sabbatical and working on my biography of American founding father Charles Carroll of Carrollton. Thank God. I needed something.
As it turns out, we live across the street from the main cemetery in Hillsdale, and we buried Cecilia Rose across the street. I visited her grave every day, miserable and confused. Frankly, I felt like an absolute failure as a father—after all, I have one real duty in this world: to protect my children. I realize how irrational I was—but the feelings were sincere, nonetheless.
A lot of things got me through that year—my wife, my kids, my friends, my writing. I would sit at Cecilia’s grave, wondering why her death had to happen? Almost daily, I listened to AFRAID OF SUNLIGHT. It brought me immense comfort.
I know the album is actually about surviving fame. . . but for me it was just about surviving.
Day-Glo Jesus on the dash
Scorch marks on the road ahead
Friendly fire in hostile waters
Keep the faith, don’t lose your head
Don’t lose your head
The power of music. The power of Marillion.
P.S. If you made it this far, thank you.
Darren kindly sent this, this morning:
Hello Brad – thank you for the review on ‘The Art of Rush, Hugh Syme: Serving a Life Sentence’ book.
https://progarchy.com/2015/06/23/the-art-of-rush-hugh-syme-serving-a-life-sentence/Here’s something of interest to read.
http://www.dailytribune.com/arts-and-entertainment/20150612/sound-check-rush-art-designer-happy-with-his-life-sentenceHere’s some photos of Hugh in The Ian Thomas Band back in the day.
http://rockinhouston.com/performers/ian-thomas-band/977/Regards
Darren
Tomorrow, June 24th, Marillion’s Afraid of Sunlight turns twenty. In honor of an album that holds a lot of meaning for at least a few of us here at Progarchy, here’s a live version of the title track.
Review of ART OF RUSH, HUGH SYME: SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE, written by Stephen Humphries (2112 Books, 2015), with a brief essay by Neil Peart.
In a week, my family and I move back to Michigan. It’s been an incredible year in Colorado, and we’ll be very sad to leave this rather textured slice of heaven. The year went by all too quickly. As you can imagine, the house is in chaos, and, at many levels, so is my life. Books here, cds there, my brain across the street, six kids and one cat feeling the “unsettlement” of the moment.
This is a long and convoluted way of writing. . . .
I should’ve reviewed THE ART OF RUSH a month ago. It’s written by a truly gifted music journalist and critic, Stephen Humphries (a graduate of Hillsdale College in Michigan). I have nothing but respect for Humphries, and the more I read him, the more I like him. He’s opened my eyes to my own biases against certain artists, and he’s more than once made me rethink some dogma I’d already decided and locked away, presumably (at least at the moment of decision) forever. THE ART OF RUSH, amazingly enough, is his first book, though he’s been publishing articles and reviews for almost two decades.
And, of course, it’s designed and illustrated by one of the most gifts men in the visual arts today, Hugh Syme.
I certainly don’t want to get into an us vs. them situation, but let’s say that where Roger Dean is beautiful, Syme is diverse and eclectic. Dean has spent a lifetime exploring consistency in his art, while Syme has worked with and in every artistic endeavor and genre imaginable. Dean is classic, and Syme is romantic. Dean is a perfectionist, and Syme is an explorer.
Everyone recognizes a Roger Dean painting anywhere–whether it’s residing on a Yes album or stolen by a major Hollywood producer. Probably only James Marsh (Talk Talk) is as distinctive as Dean, though Dean is better known.
THE ART OF RUSH shows exactly why Syme is not as distinctive as a Dean or a Marsh. He’s too (damn!) interesting to be distinctive. Whether it’s a font, an image, or an idea, Syme tries anything. And, crazily enough, it always works!
As is well known, Syme’s first cover for Rush was 1975’s CARESS OF STEEL. Peart liked and appreciated Syme so much, Syme has designed very album (inside and out) since. This means he’s been a part of Rush only a year less than Peart himself. And, the two men get along famously. Syme possesses the wonderful and uncanny ability to make the ideas of Peart–a radical individualist, perfectionist, and explorer in his own right–visual and successfully so.
The book, produced by 2112 Books, comes in three versions: tall, grande, and venti. Just joking–with apologies to Starbucks. No, it did come in three versions when released in May, but the Rush Backstage website only lists the cheapest one now. A $99/272 page hardback, coffee table style. Believe me, it’s well worth the $99.
I could be wrong, but I think it’s ONLY available at the Rush Backstage website. Amazon.com comes up with nothing when I searched for it there.
THE ART OF RUSH is as beautifully crafted (and as heavy!) as you’d expect from Syme. The binding, the pages, the design. . . all perfect. Peart provides a short but kind introduction, and Humphries provides all the words thereafter.
My version also came with an LP size card-stock poster celebrating forty years of Rush. Whether this is normal or not, I’m not sure. But, I am sure that the ART OF RUSH is a glorious thing to own and to linger over. It is a piece of perfection, in and of itself.
The Tipton brothers are big names within progressive metal circles. The hugely talented twins were responsible for the technical progressive metal behemoth that was Zero Hour and, since then, have created Cynthesis and Abnormal Thought Patterns, both quite different from Zero Hour and from each other but both delivering music of the very highest calibre. I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of the sophomore Abnormal Thought Patterns album, ‘Altered States Of Consciousness’, which comes out at the end of June 2015 via Lifeforce Records.
Suffice to say that the content has blown me away. Ostensibly an instrumental technical progressive metal band, this new record has seen the introduction of guest vocals as well as a number of guest musicians of real note. But it’s the overall final product that is so impressive, treading that fine line between technicality and atmosphere, melody and overt aggression. So impressed have…
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So, there are only a few day to go before two of the finest voices in prog, Christina Booth and David Longdon, share Magenta’s stage at the Borderline in London and the Robin 2 in Bilston to give us Spectral Mornings, the 2015 charity version.
However, Christina has already provided us with plenty of wow moments on top of those in Magenta’s gorgeous 2013 album, The Twenty Seven Club, and that incredible performance at last year’s Trinity festival with Magenta during which she sang Don’t Give Up with Alan Reed. Many grown men and women present were in pieces afterwards including dear Alan whose bottom lip did not stop wobbling during the song. It was simply one of those “you had to be there” moments.
It was no secret then as it is now about what Christina was going through, having lost both her parents in quick succession and then bravely announcing to the world that she was being treated for breast cancer. Well, if prayers and absent healing were all made available through all nations’ health services, the amount of love and good wishes she received during her diagnosis and treatment would potentially make modern day medicines obsolete!
Fortunately, Christina has now been given the all-clear and The Light is a legacy of these darker days she spent coping with both her family losses and her illness. As well as her immediate family especially her sister Francesca Murphy, who also sings, Christina has had the closeness of the Magenta family notably band founder Rob Reed, prog’s Everyman (not the one currently touring North America) and guitarist Chris Fry.
The Light is an album about love, loss, looking back, remembering, reconciliation, searching for knowledge, reassurance and finally finding that light of hope among all the darkness.
What is so special about this album is it is all about that voice, that crystalline pure soprano with that oh so slight vibrato that evokes so much raw emotion and that can seamlessly move into soulful or jazzy.
Rob Reed has produced The Light with real tender loving care and in such a way that none of the accompanying musical arrangements ever dominate or drown out her shimmering vocals.
The guest players are a who’s who of prog, the roll call comprising Andy Tillison, Theo Travis, John Mitchell, along with Magenta’s Fry, Dan Nelson and Andy Edwards with sister Francesca on backing vocals.
I defy anyone not to be moved by the tone of Christina’s faltering voice on Disappeared or uplifted by the gorgeous Celtic vibe on the title track.
There is plenty of light in this many-faceted world of prog, but Christina still shines the brightest and most glorious of them all.
Here is the video of the title track on The Light if ever further proof was needed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvudNV5hbeg
Progarchy 