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Porcupine Tree Announce Touring Lineup For 2022 Shows

Acclaimed progressive rock outfit Porcupine Tree have announced their touring lineup for their immediate live shows. Joining the band on guitar and backing vocals will be Randy McStine . Meanwhile, Nate Navarro will be filling in on the road on bass.

Porcupine Tree commented:

“We would like to welcome Randy McStine and Nate Navarro to the Porcupine Tree touring line up. Both are incredibly talented musicians and we have already had the pleasure of rehearsing the new material with them. It’s sounding fantastic and we’re looking forward to the tours later this year.”

Porcupine Tree will be issuing their first new album in twelve years this June. That outing has been titled “ Closure / Continuation ” and is headed for a June 24th release date. In addition to their multi-instrumentalist frontman Steven Wilson , keyboardist Richard Barbieri and drummer Gavin Harrison will round out the band’s live lineup.

09/10 Toronto, ON – Meridian Hall 09/12 Laval, QC – Place Bell 09/14 Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway 09/16 New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall 09/17 Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia 09/18 Washington, DC – The Anthem 09/20 Chicago, IL – Auditorium Theatre 09/23 Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory 09/25 Denver, CO – Bellco Theatre 09/28 San Francisco, CA – The Masonic 09/30 Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre 10/04 Mexico City, MEX – Pepsi Center 10/07 Santiago, CHL – Movistar Arena

10/21 Berlin, GER – Max Schmelinghalle 10/23 Vienna, AUT – Gasometer 10/24 Milan, ITA – Forum 10/27 Stockholm, SWI – Globe 10/28 Copenhagen, DEN – Falkoner Theatre 10/30 Katowice, POL – Spodek Hall 11/02 Paris, FRA – Le Zenith 11/04 Stuttgart, GER – Porsche Arena 11/06 Oberhausen, GER – KP Arena 11/07 Amsterdam, NET – Ziggodome 11/09 Zurich, SWI – Halle 622 11/11 London, UK – SSE Arena, Wembley

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Porcupine Tree announces Fall 2022 North and South American Tour

Comments the band: “See list of dates below – these will likely be the only shows on the Closure/Continuation tour, so our apologies if we aren’t making it to a city near you”.

Pre-order the new album “Closure / Continuation” here .

Tickets for North America shows (US & Canada) on sale 11th March at 10am local time. Tickets for South America shows (Mexico & Chile) on sale 16th March at 11am local time. Get tickets here .

North & South American Tour Dates 2022: Sep 10 – Toronto, ON TO Live (Meridian Hall) Sep 12 – Laval, QC Place Bell Sep 14 – Boston, MA MGM Music Hall at Fenway Park Sep 16 – New York City, NY Radio City Music Hall Sep 17 – Philadelphia, PA The Met Philly Sep 18 – Washington, DC The Anthem Sep 20 – Chicago, IL Auditorium Theatre Sep 23 – Irving, TX Toyota Music Factory Sep 25 – Denver, CO Bellco Theatre Sep 28 – San Franscisco, CA The Masonic Sep 30 – Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre Oct 04 – Mexico City, MX Pepsi Center WTC Oct 07 – Santiago, CL Movistar Arena

Porcupine Tree have also released a new single “Of the New Day” . You can watch the lyric video below.

Says the band: “’Of the New Day’ is a song of rebirth, emerging from darkness. It sounds deceptively simple, a recognisably atypical Porcupine Tree ballad, but one of PT’s aims has always been to work up complex musical ideas in a way that sounds natural. In the case of ‘Of the New Day’ the time signature is constantly shifting between bars of regular 4/4 time, to 3/4, 5/4, 6/4 and 11/4, so that the song aims to have a constant sense of change and evolution. We hope you enjoy it”!

Weblinks: porcupinetree.com www.facebook.com/PorcupineTreeOfficial

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PORCUPINE TREE Adds Guitarist And Bassist To 2022 Touring Lineup

Grammy Award -nominated British rock band PORCUPINE TREE has announced the addition of guitarist Randy McStine ( MCSTINE & MINNEMANN , LO-FI RESISTANCE ) and bassist Nate Navarro ( DEVIN TOWNSEND ) to its touring lineup.

Earlier today (Friday, May 6), PORCUPINE TREE released the following statement via social media: "We would like to welcome Randy McStine and Nate Navarro to the PORCUPINE TREE touring line up. Both are incredibly talented musicians and we have already had the pleasure of rehearsing the new material with them. It's sounding fantastic and we're looking forward to the tours later this year."

PORCUPINE TREE will celebrate its long-overdue return to the global stage with dates confirmed in North and South America as well as in Europe. The legendary group's first tour since October 2010 in support of its upcoming album "Closure/Continuation" will kick off September 10 at Toronto, Ontario's Meridian Hall, followed by concerts in Montreal, Quebec; Boston, Massachusetts; New York City; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Washington, D.C.; Chicago, Illinois; Irving, Texas; Denver, Colorado; San Francisco, California and Los Angeles, California; continuing with eagerly awaited October performances in Mexico City, Mexico (October 4) and Santiago, Chile (October 7). The North and South American show dates are presented by Live Nation and Paladin Artists . Performances in Europe begin October 21 in Berlin, Germany and then culminate at London, U.K.'s world-famous SSE Arena, Wembley on November 11.

PORCUPINE TREE — Steven Wilson , Richard Barbieri and Gavin Harrison — recently shared "Of The New Day" , the latest track from "Closure/Continuation" , due on June 24 via Music For Nations / Megaforce Records .

" 'Of the New Day' is a song of rebirth, emerging from darkness," says Wilson . "It sounds deceptively simple, a recognizably atypical PORCUPINE TREE ballad. That is until you realize that the length of the bars is constantly changing, flipping between bars of regular 4/4 time to 3/4, to 5/4 to 6/4, 11/4, so that the track never settles into any steady time. It's what PORCUPINE TREE can sometimes do really well, come up with a basic idea that's almost intellectual or mathematical, but carry it off in a way that sounds completely natural and accessible. At least I hope there's no sense of us being clever for the sake of it or putting technique over musicality. That is unless you want to specifically home in on that side of the composition."

Last November, PORCUPINE TREE returned with its first new music in close to 12 years. "Harridan" , an epic, eight-minute-long reintroduction to PORCUPINE TREE 's truly singular sound, was accompanied by an official lyric video, streaming now via YouTube .

"Closure / Continuation" — which follows 2009's "The Incident" — will be available on standard CD, standard black vinyl 2x12" LP, white vinyl 2x12" LP, transparent blue vinyl 2x12" LP, and white cassette. In addition, a limited audiophile deluxe LP will also be available, cut at 45rpm on 3x12" clear vinyl in 12" slipcase box with two bonus tracks; a limited audiophile deluxe CD in 12" slipcase box will include the standard CD, a second disc with three bonus tracks and instrumentals, Blu-ray disc with 5.1/Dolby Atmos and HD audio versions of the album, and an exclusive album art book. pre-orders are available now.

" 'Harridan' and a few of the other new songs have been in play since shortly after the release of 'The Incident' ," said PORCUPINE TREE . "They initially lived on a hard drive in a slowly growing computer file marked PT2012, later renamed PT2015, PT2018, and so on. There were times when we even forgot they were there, and times when they nagged us to finish them to see where they would take us. Listening to the finished pieces, it was clear that this wasn't like any of our work outside of the band — the combined DNA of the people behind the music meant these tracks were forming what was undeniably, unmistakably, obviously a PORCUPINE TREE record. You'll hear all of that DNA flowing right through 'Harridan' ."

One of the most forward-thinking, genre-defying rock bands of any era, PORCUPINE TREE was founded in 1987 by renowned musician/producer Steven Wilson as an outlet for the experimental recordings he was making outside of his acclaimed post-rock duo NO-MAN . With the addition of keyboard player Richard Barbieri and drummer Gavin Harrison , PORCUPINE TREE soon evolved into a proper band, releasing 10 studio albums between 1992 and 2009. Each new release saw PORCUPINE TREE exploring new musical ideas, their expansive music shifting from pastoral psychedelic rock and ambient electronic soundscapes to experimental pop and propulsive metal. Later releases like 2007's Grammy Award -nominated "Fear Of A Blank Planet" and 2009's "The Incident" — the band's biggest seller thus far, reaching the top 25 in both the U.S. and the U.K. — saw PORCUPINE TREE effortlessly melding distinctive genres to create a groundbreaking musical universe all their own.

As relentlessly creative on stage as they are in the studio, PORCUPINE TREE proved innovative live performers known for sonic innovation and inventive visual productions. In October 2010, the band entered a period of hiatus following a spectacular concert at London's Royal Albert Hall — their biggest live show to date.

The most collaborative album of their highly lauded career, "Closure / Continuation" doesn't simply pick up where PORCUPINE TREE left off back in 2010. While the familiar traits of the band's idiosyncratic sound remain intact, the new album very much places PORCUPINE TREE in the here and now, with greater texture and color than ever before.

We would like to welcome Randy McStine and Nate Navarro to the Porcupine Tree touring line up. Both are incredibly... Posted by Porcupine Tree on  Friday, May 6, 2022

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Live Review: Porcupine Tree - Oberhausen 2022

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See also (all categories):

• PORCUPINE TREE - Release “Closure / Continuation.Live” on December 8th - 08/11/2023 11:42
• Live Review: Steven Wilson - Brussels 2016 - 29/01/2016 09:38
• Live Review: Steven Wilson - Cologne 2015 - 23/03/2015 16:19
• CD Review: Steven Wilson - Hand.Cannot.Erase - 02/03/2015 15:29
• CD Review: Gavin Harrison & 05Ric - The Man Who Sold Himself - 11/06/2013 16:37
• Live Review: Steven Wilson - Cologne 2013 - 11/03/2013 10:02
• CD Review: Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories) - 21/02/2013 15:29
• CD Review: Porcupine Tree - Octane Twisted - 30/11/2012 08:06
• CD Review: Storm Corrosion - Storm Corrosion - 27/07/2012 09:01
• Live Review: Steven Wilson - Dortmund 2012 - 14/05/2012 17:21
• Porcupine Tree - Bochum 2010 - 08/10/2010 16:47
• Porcupine Tree - Recordings - 19/09/2010 17:05
• Porcupine Tree - The Incident - 10/09/2009 17:26
• Porcupine Tree - Bielefeld 2007 - 04/12/2007 17:28
• Bospop - Weert 2005 - 10/07/2005 20:02
• Porcupine Tree - Tilburg 2005 - 22/04/2005 02:00
• Porcupine Tree - Amsterdam 2005 - 17/04/2005 13:10

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Live Review and Photo Gallery: Porcupine Tree at Auditorium • Chicago

Porcupine Tree

Tuesday, September 20, 2022

Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL

Review by Jeff Elbel. Photos by Andy Argyrakis, courtesy of Auditorium Theatre.

Given Steven Wilson’s prolific nature and the strength of his solo activity, many fans received a welcome shock upon the reignition of progressive rock torchbearers Porcupine Tree. The band’s eleventh full-length album,  Closure/Continuation arrived in June. It was the English band’s first release in 13 years, offered with a title designed to suit the band’s undetermined purpose. Was the album meant to close the band’s career arc on a high note? Was it intended to signal the possibility of good things down the road? After witnessing the band’s nearly two-and-a-half-hour display of technical wizardry, songcraft, and intuitive interplay at Chicago’s prestigious Auditorium Theatre on Tuesday, Chicago’s prog audience left with their fingers crossed for more to come.

The devoted crowd rose to its feet before the first notes of “Blackest Eyes” from the 2002 breakthrough album In Absentia . Wilson strode onto the stage barefoot, as usual, flanked by his celebrated bandmates. To Wilson’s right was former Japan keyboardist Richard Barbieri and to Wilson’s left was current King Crimson drummer Gavin Harrison. The familiar trio was augmented by guitarist/vocalist Randy McStine and bassist Nate Navarro.

“Here we are again, twelve years later,” said Wilson when greeting the audience. The singer and guitarist promised favorites spanning Porcupine Tree’s catalog, but he also wanted a fair shot for the band’s new work. In opposition to the norm when a veteran artist announces the intention to play all of a new project, fans cheered madly when Wilson promised the entirety of Closure/Continuation . “I’m glad you think that’s a good thing,” he said with a smile.

The quintet then lashed into three songs from the new album. Porcupine Tree’s affinity for doom-laced prog and grinding riffs remained evident during the bass-driven “Harridan.” Barbieri colored the heavy but intricate guitar arrangement with glistening electric piano and grand orchestral strings. “Of the New Day” began in a comparably gentle mood, laden with melody and vocal harmony before Harrison broke into a Zeppelin-esque odd-time rhythm. Poison-tongued math-rocker “Rats Return” began with a dazzling unison instrumental section reminiscent of Saga before Wilson sang angry lyrics lambasting duplicitous and self-serving politicians.

The mood shifted again for the bluesy prog of “Even Less” and lilting acoustic strummer “Drown With Me.” New fare continued with “Dignity.” Lifted by spacious keyboards, the song was a stirring acoustic tale of a once-promising character struck down by circumstances and rendered homeless. With images onscreen behind the band depicting the difficulties of life on the streets, the song served as Porcupine Tree’s thematic answer to Jethro Tull’s “Aqualung” with sonic echoes of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.”

“21 years ago, I wrote a song about how music was coming commodified,” said Wilson when introducing In Absentia favorite “The Sound of Muzak.” He described having imagined music becoming something to pick up at the grocery store or rendered as a product for software applications. “Well, thank goodness that didn’t come to pass,” he said wryly. The song’s sublime chorus harbored hard news. “One of the wonders of the world is going down,” sang the audience.

Despite the music’s downbeat themes and challenging construction, the musicians played with communal exuberance and without taking themselves too seriously. Wilson paused for breath at one point, saying, “We’re far too old and wretched, and some of this music is hard, okay?” He added, “If it’s possible, this song is even more bleak than anything we’ve played so far.” The band then offered “Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth Before It Is Recycled.” The song began with what Wilson described as a “cute love song” before drawing from a speech by the leader of the Heaven’s Gate religious cult, who led his flock in a 1997 mass suicide. The sullen but intense “Chimera’s Wreck” found Wilson musing upon the passing of his father and lamenting a fear of happiness. With McStine’s arpeggiated fingerstyle acoustic guitar, the song echoed Pink Floyd’s lonely “Hey You” from The Wall . Navarro’s active but melodic bass line suggested an appreciation for Yes’ Chris Squire.

Following an intermission, the band returned with a set drawing heavily from the landmark 2007 release Fear of a Blank Planet . The unsettling title cut was accompanied by images of disaffected and detached children, left adrift as latchkey kids and desensitized to violence through excessive screen time and overmedication. The band received strong response as Wilson shifted from guitar to acoustic piano for ballad “Sentimental.” Launched with Barbieri’s mesmerizing sound design and driven by Harrison’s grim lurch, “Sleep Together” turned a come-on into a death wish. “Would you like to hear something quite long?,” asked Wilson when introducing the epic “Anesthetize.” Responding to the crowd’s ovation, Wilson sighed, “Ah, such a prog rock audience.”

Closure/Continuation track “Herd Culling” was a highlight of the second set, despite a personal glitch.Wilson had admitted feeling under the weather but promised to get through with the goodwill of the audience. At the emotional apex of the song, Wilson’s voice finally cracked and appeared to be painful. The supportive audience responded with encouragement, cheering Wilson’s effort to hold the show together. “As you will have noted, there are apparently some notes I am not destined to reach tonight,” he said afterward with good humor. “Not many, but that was one.” The unnerving song had been a wary and agitated portrait of a remote homestead under threat by sinister forces and wolves at the door.

An encore of “Collapse the Light into Earth” featured a duet between Wilson and Barbieri. When Wilson announced a final song, the audience groaned that the generous show was soon to be over. “Come on, it’s a long show, seriously,” joked Wilson before adding kindly, “After such a long time away, I’m sorry if we didn’t play your favorite song, but hope you like what we played.”

Before naming the final song, Wilson acknowledged Porcupine Tree’s lack of hit singles. He counted this as a strength, meaning he wasn’t obligated to infinitely rehash a megahit on the order of “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” “Comfortably Numb,” or “Free Bird.” “However, there is one song that seems to have popped up more than the others,” he said. “Help me with the singing.” The crowd roared in recognition of the acoustic-driven anthem “Trains” and eagerly helped with the vocal duties.

Despite Wilson’s propensity for bleak and nihilistic material, the room was paradoxically filled with undeniable joy. It was as if Porcupine Tree and its fans were using the dark songs to exorcise those demons while reaching together for more optimistic alternatives.

Tags: Andy Argyrakis , featured , Gavin Harrison , Jeff Elbel , Porcupine Tree , Porcupine Tree Auditorium Theatre 2022 , Richard Barbieri , Steven Wilson

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• Drummer ELOY CASAGRANDE Talks Audition For SLIPKNOT & Decision To Leave SEPULTURA: “I Didn’t Want To Stop Playing Drums At The Age Of 33”
• SERIOUS BLACK Announces New Studio Album “Rise Of Akhenaton” And Shares First Video Single ‘Metalized’
• SIX FEET UNDER Reveals ‘When The Moon Goes Down In Blood’ Lyric Video
• HAKEN Guitarist RICHARD HENSHALL Releases New Solo Single ‘Yang’ From His New EP
• WHITE STONES Shares Video For Single ‘D-Generación’ From Their Upcoming Full-Length “Memoria Viva”
• ANVIL Announces New Album “One And Only”, Reveal First Single ‘Feed Your Fantasy’
• BRIT FLOYD Announce 2025 “Wish You Were Here 50th Anniversary World Tour” With UK Dates
• CROWNSHIFT Releases Lyric Video For ‘Rule The Show’ & Self-Titled Debut Album

CONCERT REVIEW: The PORCUPINE TREE Legend Lives On at The Bellco Theater (September 25th, 2022)

“We used to play a little theater in Boulder when we came to Colorado…yes, The Fox! I’d say we’ve stepped it up a little bit this time, haven’t we?” As he surveyed the swanky 5,000-seat Bellco Theater in downtown Denver, of which it looked like perhaps 80% had been sold, Steven Wilson  appeared slightly smug about his ban d Porcupine Tree finally getting their due. A year and a half earlier I had asked him the obligatory question about the ever-present requests for a PT reunion at some point, to which he wryly answered, “Yes, the legend [of the band]has grown, hasn’t it?” He was quick to point out how long the group toiled as a cult band, playing relatively small venues year after year, and how it was only after they “went away” for a decade that absence made the heart grow fonder as the legacy of the band seemed to grow. 

Photo by Francois Talbot

The demand for revisiting Porcupine Tree finally has been quenched, thanks largely to the touring downtime caused by a pandemic, which led Wilson to scuttle touring plans for his last solo album “The Future Bites” – twice. [He’ll reportedly offer some of that material and stylistic approach when he tours his next solo album “The Harmony Codex” in 2023]. While claiming this wasn’t technically a reunion (“ We never actually broke up.” ), three-fourths of the quartet known as Porcupine Tree released their first new album in 12 years with the non-committal title of “Closure/Continuation” . The internet having grown considerably during those dozen years, we can now hear thousands of different opinions as to whether or not “Closure/Continuation” is a worthy come-back album. But the overall sentiment seems to be that the band did a pretty good job (here’s our review). Certainly the band thinks so, citing their collaborative songwriting approach as a primary reason for its success. And here, finally, is the chance to experience those songs – and a wealth of back catalog – live in concert. For many, it would be their first time seeing Porcupine Tree live, having discovered the band as the legend grew while being dormant. 

The air of anticipation is electric before the show begins. The tour is curiously short, missing many prime markets for the band in North and South America, so any city which actually hosts a show is fortunate indeed. Wearing any color other than black in the audience will make you stand out and there are plenty of metal band t-shirts in attendance, a bit funny considering only a few PT albums have any metal elements on them and Wilson himself has claimed to be bored of the genre for some time now. Apparently this is also very much still a man’s band, as evidenced by the restroom lines which are about a mile long for men and non-existent for women. But enough pre-concert chatter…on to the music! 

Photo by Tim Snow

As the lights go down, the audience roars and the band takes the stage. Still shrouded in low lighting, Wilson already strikes a somewhat righteous pose as the opening intro of “Blackest Eyes” is played. It’s a spectacular if somewhat obvious choice, for many people this may have been their intro song to the band, perfectly mixing heavy distortion with acoustic guitar. The disturbing videos of that “In Absentia” era are projected on the giant back screen and it does indeed appear that Porcupine Tree have returned from the dead. 

Flanking the stage are the new boys – Nate Navarro on bass and Randy McStine on guitar and vocals. Is Colin Edwin , the original long-standing PT bassist, missed? Yes, very much so. Surely Navarro has no problem playing all the parts (though unfortunately the mix misses most of the subtlety of his playing and just wallops the audience with the deep notes through the subwoofers) but Edwin ’s downcast smile and pocket groove are part of what the nostalgic kid in us loves about PT . But Wilson has little regard for nostalgia, and plenty of reasons why it didn’t make logical sense to include Edwin in this iteration. Not to mention his nod to jazz musicians who change their personnel out all the time, as they are more dedicated to creative evolution than loyal nostalgia. But this is rock and roll and we do like our bands to stay intact, even if it doesn’t actually work for the musicians themselves. So, some of our cherished memories are jettisoned as Navarro ably covers the bottom end, end of story. 

As for Randy McStine , his qualifications are beyond reproach, having just come off gigs with ex- Wilson band-mate Marco Minnemann, who is a kindred soul and collaborator of two co-penned albums thus far. Really, check out “ McStine Minnemann” if you haven’t already. Drummer Gavin Harrison had played on a McStine album a decade earlier and simply said to Wilson “This is the guy,” when they were looking for a touring guitarist/vocalist (a role previously held by the much-loved, and friend of McStine , Wes Dearth/John Wesley ). Fittingly, McStine thoroughly delivers throughout the night, whether during scorching guitar solos originally played by Wilson , or taking most of the high falsetto parts originally sung by Wilson , especially on the new album. Look for a new interview with McStine that we’ll feature in the coming weeks. 

“Closure/Continuation” receives a large amount of air time during the first set, “Harridan” being the absolute standout with an incendiary performance accompanied by stunning video visuals. No question that this is a worthy modern PT classic. However, tragedy strikes five songs-in. Just as the opening chord of “Even Less” is setting the stage for his signature slide guitar entrance, Wilson is not pleased with the tone coming from his amplifier. “It sounds like a banjo!” he exclaims as he actually stops the song. A second attempt results in “Pathetic!” His tech swaps out an amplifier while a concert-goer suggests, “Gavin knows jokes!” to fill the unexpected down-time. Instead, Wilson is forced to prematurely introduce the new touring band members, after which a third attempt at the song comes…not up to Mr. Wilson ’s satisfaction. At this point he is clearly flustered, not being able to pull off perfectionist remedies in front of thousands of waiting fans who are having their buzz killed. Begrudgingly he admits, “We’ll do our best to carry on with the first set and remedy this during the break.” And carry on they do, sounding nearly as good as the audience would have ever expected, but the rattling of their bandleader has taken a toll on the collective energy of the room. 

Nonetheless, there’s plenty of tasty material offered, from the rare “ Drown With Me” – “At least we’re safe with an acoustic guitar” – to the epically titled “Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth Before It Is Recycled”. Gavin Harrison is the official “band director”, and known by most as one of the premier drummers in rock today. Although looking serious and slightly hunched over, his playing is always original, interesting and flawless. The new album boasts some of Harrison ’s best work but tonight we also get to enjoy some early masterpieces like “Sound Of Muzak”. Richard Barbieri shines frequently, too, his sonic treatments sometimes revealing that what you thought was a processed guitar solo was really him all along. There’s a few songs in the set-list where he clearly comes to the fore in performance and co-writing, such as on the beautiful new track “Dignity” , replete with videos of the forlorn and homeless on city streets. By the time Wilson makes a much-anticipated escape at the end of the first set, he’s wiped away most of the tech fallout by closing with a blistering take on “Chimera’s Wreck” which is accompanied by a mind-expanding computer-generated video. 

Set two is largely dominated by “Fear Of A Blank Planet” which the metal-oriented crowd eats up. Wilson addresses the concert-goer’s conundrum head-on: whether to sit or stand, and he offers relevant suggestions for each section of their sprawling epic “Anesthetize” . There’s something for everyone in this 18-minute centerpiece, from the Alex Lifeson -penned guitar solo which McStine nails and then some, to the crunching middle section, to the hypnotic atmospheric ending where ocean waves on the video screen careen overhead of the band. Above all, this is Harrison ’s master-class, leaving all air drummers bewildered and inspired. 

“Buying New Soul” is a welcome rare track to elicit the feels even more, while “Walk The Plank” is perhaps Barbieri ’s best statement of the evening, along with McStine ’s wild guitar squonks and perfectly placed backing vocals. Indeed, sometimes his backing vocals sound so much like Wilson’s voice that it’s a question if there’s a “Steven Wilson Vox” effect pedal at his disposal…or if he’s just that good. Barbieri also has a little alone time with Wilson on the never-before-performed “Collapse The Light Into Earth” which they offer as a duet. 

A few songs come and go from the set-list throughout the tour. Tonight we lose “I Drive The Hearse” but we gain “Sentimental” and during the encore “Halo” makes a surprise appearance, the sole song chosen from the “Deadwing” album which Wilson is able to belt out despite the sounds of a cold which inhibits his voice a bit. Pity, really, that there’s not more from that album and many others but Wilson makes a knowing apology at the end, “We’re sorry if we didn’t play your favorite song tonight but hopefully you did enjoy the songs we did play.” The audience responds with a resounding “Yes!!!!” They close, somewhat unsurprisingly, with “Trains” , after a lengthy monologue about the lack of signature classic PT songs that have captivated the #1 Billboard chart for weeks. Yes, it’s still true that in many ways Porcupine Tree remains a cultish band. Perhaps with Closure it will always remain that way. Or there’s always a chance that one day there will be a Continuation and they may yet win attention from the masses. The legend has grown, hasn’t it?

Photo Gallery by Francois Talbot

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Thanks for the review and photos! I was at the first Fox show in Boulder. They didn’t sell very many tickets so they let people in for free hoping college students would come and spend $ at the bar. Think there was maybe 50 people there. I’ve seen pretty much have seen every Denver/Boulder show since that one, but couldn’t make this one. At that Fox I took my ole Sony Mavica digital camera that exposed onto 3.5″ floppy discs. Yes. I contacted SW afterwards and he used some on his old website. Great to see his/their success these days. Time Flies as the songs goes… (there’s a link to my album of pics in the comments… notice the “free show” on the marquee)

Thanks, Steve. I was at that first FOX show, too! FREE! I had just discovered In Absentia when it came out and was so excited. I was also a bit sad they had made the show free as I was so supportive of the band that I wanted to give them some money for the show. Hopefully the record label took care of that.