Porcupine Tree TOUR!

[johndoe]

I just bought my tix for June 1st in Chicago . Has anybody seen them during this tour? I'd like to know who's opening for them, especially if it's somebody of the stature of Fripp or Belew, like a couple of years ago.

 

[j_garcia]

Fripp opened last year when I saw them. I'll be seeing them on Friday

 

[johndoe]

Fripp opened last year when I saw them. I'll be seeing them on Friday

J_Garcia, you lucky SOB!!! I'm jealous
Please report on your experience. Didn't Fripp open on the West Coast and Belew on the East Coast? I keep my hopes high that either of them will repeat.
After repeated listenings of FoaBP I think I still like Deadwing a little better (for consistency mostly). It's still a great album, though.

 

[j_garcia]

Quite possible, though I think I would have preferred to see Belew I don't think we even knew Fripp was going to be there until the week of the show. They were good, but not exactly a big bonus.

I have to say I wasn't totally sold on the new album right off the bat, but it grew on me VERY quickly. I know I like it when I keep hearing it playing in the back of my head while I am busy doing other things. That doesn't happen with a lot of music for me, so it does have some "sticking" power. I like Anesthetize the best so far, and it was the one song that really stood out to me when they played it last year (they basically played the whole album as you hear it). REALLY looking forward to Friday's show.

 

[j_garcia]

Just got back from the show. IT WAS GREAT. They played a good variety, mostly the new album, but a fair mix of stuff. Some things I wasn't expecting like Gravity Eyelids and Lightbulb Sun...and of course the standards like Halo, Even Less and Blackest Eyes. They played my three favorite tracks from FoaBP - My Ashes, Anesthetize and Way Out of Here (I am pretty sure they actually played all the tracks off the new album throughout the show). Steve specifically said they were playing some things they don't normally play live, so it was very cool. Some drunk fools started a mosh pit right behind me and knocked a group of us over, and they were then removed.... Overall a very enjoyable show, though I would have liked to have had them play a little longer, but no complaints here

I was just a few people away so I snapped these when I could (phone). One didn't come out unfortunately, the other came out pretty good.

* edit Almost forgot - the band that opened was called 3. Interesting sound, but they didn't quite do it for me. I liked a few songs, but not entirely my kind of stuff. I noticed on the tour list, they were not listed for every show, so others may or may not have them opening.

 

[j_garcia]

The shirt. Tour of a Blank Planet :

 

[Ron Temple]

They did play the whole FOABP in order, but dispersed around in the show. Along with the 3 tunes John mentioned, they did "Drown with (by?)me" and a tune I didn't catch the title, very good, that SW said was from the band's "psychodelic years", then admitted he'd never taken a drug in his life. I've got to hunt that one up, it had excellent vocal and unusual presentation...anyone else see the show and are familiar with the song?

 

[johndoe]

Well, I saw the show last night here in Chicago. The band 3 opened here as well, their sound is competent, the lead singer is a talented guitar player, but his voice doesn't cut it. The percussionist/efects player had the best showmanship of the group.
Now to Porcupine Tree. It started with FoaBP and then Wilson said that since they had just been here a couple of weeks ago they were going to do things a little different, so they played the whole FoaBP album in order and that was the first half of the performance. During the second half they played a few songs from the old days, Lightbulb Sun, Signify (I think), and one song from Stupid Dream, but not Even Less, which I was looking forward to, since I thought it was a setlist staple. From In Absentia they performed Blackest Eyes, Trains, Wedding Nails, and a song that didn't make the final cut. From Deadwing they did Halo, Mellotron, and Open Car.
It was a great performance alltogether. Gavin Harrison is the best drummer I've seen live by far, but he doesn't seem to be having fun playing, probably was tired from the long tour. Colin Edwin is a fine bassist, but a poor showman. At least he does seem to be enjoying himself. I was standing about 8 feet from him. Barbieri is all business, not a single smile or any other sign of enjoyment. He's a master of atmospherics, though. John Wesley was a pleasant surprise, he's the perfect complement to the band. Steven Wilson is Steven Wilson. A great concert, I would make changes to the set list, adding Arriving Somewhere, Sound of Muzak, Even Less, Waiting... but I can't complaint, I'll see them the next time they come to town.
The crowd was also interesting, quite geeky (like me), middle aged to late teensThere were these two brothers standing next to me that seemed to have a texting addiction, it was distracting.