2016-02-18 & 19 - Palladium, London UK

[ErHaO]

I really do not see the problem of going alone. I mostly go with other people, but I am there to enjoy the music in the first place. And given most of my friends have a completely different taste in music, I won't even bother asking most of them to a show of 70+ euro's. I frequently see people that are alone at concerts and do not think that is weird at all, they are fans going to the concert of their favourite artist.

Festivals and dance parties are a different matter to me. Those I consider to be more social (but still, my roommate goes to dance events by himself because he is a massive fan of certain DJ's, to each his own). Cinema is usually easy enough to find another person who would like to join since it is fairly cheap and often pretty nearby (the same film is showed in most theaters across the world at the same time).

[Mladen]

Man, if I had a nickel for every time I went alone to a show, not to mention traveled abroad to a show. I mean, it's also great to get together with ten crazy motherfuckers and go to a concert, but there are those other concerts that there's no way you're gonna miss just because none of your friends are into it.

[Logain Ablar]

.., but there are those other concerts that there's no way you're gonna miss just because none of your friends are into it.

^ This was exactly my situation.

[SwedishGoose]

Prefer to go with friends... have no problem going alone

[CB]

I usually have to go alone, because my friends and collegues aren't into prog/metal at all. When I was young it felt odd going to concerts or cinema alone, but now I'm almost JPs age and  I actually enjoy going alone. It's nice to meet new people and talk to other fans. I never feel alone amongst DT fans.

[Architeuthis]

It's also easier to get a better seat at a concert if you're alone. 

[SebastianPratesi]

Nowadays, I mostly go to shows alone, but there have been (and are) some shows I went to in company. The ones I remember the most:

• Soda Stereo (Nov. 2007 at River Plate, Buenos Aires): with my friend Martín. Out of the two of us, I was the big fan, but he also liked them a bit. Neither of us lived in Buenos Aires, and we were young (I was still 17) so our parents demanded we went together or there would be no show.
• Dream Theater (Mar. 2008 at Luna Park, Buenos Aires): I took Victoria, a friend I had recently made, to the show - again, my parents preferred I didn't go alone. She was a complete stranger to the band, so I lent her some CDs. From the show, I remember she liked "Surrounded" because JP played the "Mother" solo in the middle (and she liked Pink Floyd).
• Les Luthiers (Jan. 2013 at Gran Rex, Buenos Aires): this is a group which my parents and uncles had already seen live (in the '80s), so my grandparents were already aware of. Anyway, the show was on my grandparents' 52th anniversary, and they knew I wanted to see the group, so they paid for my ticket and the 3 of us had a nice evening out.
• El Cuarteto De Nos (Jun. 2015 at Kahlo, Puerto Madryn): this is a great rock band from Uruguay, which I've been into for 2 years, and it was their first ever visit to my city. Julieta, a good friend of mine, was around town, so I bought her a ticket for her birthday (which was a few days before the show). She is the most musical of my friends, yet we had never been to a rock show together, so it was a nice time.

[the keyboard wizard]

I took Victoria

And what did you say to her before the show? "You are going to see the best band in the world so...Open Your Eyes Victoria?" Were you learning all about your life by looking through her eyes?

[SebastianPratesi]

I took Victoria

And what did you say to her before the show? "You are going to see the best band in the world so...Open Your Eyes Victoria?" Were you learning all about your life by looking through her eyes?

Ha!
One of the CDs I lent her was Scenes From A Memory, so I think I told her that she shared the name with the character. That was it - I don't think I joked around after that.

I'm usually really boring with that sort of stuff - I used to do it a lot, though. A few years ago, while teaching Math to 13 year olds, I would ask a question to (let's say) Cecilia, and if (let's say) Bruno would answer for her, I'd say to Bruno "That's correct, Cecilia. Well done!", and joke around that bit for a while. The kids laughed at that sort of stuff, and none felt offended. Or, maybe there were two Brunos or two Cecilias in the class, so sometimes I'd pretend I had them mixed up or something - although that sort of joke I wouldn't do anymore (so predictable).

[Progmetty]

Well shit.. this truly is one of greatest undertakings for halfassment I have ever seen, the screens and what's playing on them were supposed to be the big surprise of this tour, am I the only one who was under the impression that this tour was gonna be a big production? I initially thought it was going to be the presentation of the story in the some form that is mind blowing enough to understand why they decided to dedicate the entire setlist to the Astonishing and nothing else.
The exact character pictures from the TA website ARE THE ONLY VERSION of these characters that they use! Along with the hilarious development of the pictures; having them blink like from the trailer.. what was the problem? Money? I feel like this is to cheap even for DT tbh! And how come NO ONE said anything in rehearsals about how stupid everything that plays on the screens looks? I'm genuinely baffled, but not upset per se cause I cannot help but see the humor in this, it just that I cannot see myself as immersed and emotionally engaged in the story live as I did listening to the album, I'll definitely be giggling heh, I just hope that doesn't ruin my DT concert experience.

[ariich]

Well shit.. this truly is one of greatest undertakings for halfassment I have ever seen, the screens and what's playing on them were supposed to be the big surprise of this tour, am I the only one who was under the impression that this tour was gonna be a big production? I initially thought it was going to be the presentation of the story in the some form that is mind blowing enough to understand why they decided to dedicate the entire setlist to the Astonishing and nothing else.
The exact character pictures from the TA website ARE THE ONLY VERSION of these characters that they use! Along with the hilarious development of the pictures; having them blink like from the trailer.. what was the problem? Money? I feel like this is to cheap even for DT tbh! And how come NO ONE said anything in rehearsals about how stupid everything that plays on the screens looks? I'm genuinely baffled, but not upset per se cause I cannot help but see the humor in this, it just that I cannot see myself as immersed and emotionally engaged in the story live as I did listening to the album, I'll definitely be giggling heh, I just hope that doesn't ruin my DT concert experience.

They have actors in shadow and sillhouette acting out motions alongside the pictures of them in a number of places as well.

And it depends what you were expecting. If you were expecting a full 2.5-hour CGI movie then I can see why you'd be disappointed. Or if you were expecting a visual show on a par with the world's biggest bands like Muse then again I get it. But DT aren't that big and can't afford that sort of thing. This is still by a long way the biggest show they've ever done, which is what they'd promised.

[Progmetty]

So you think this is bigger than what they had on the ADToE tour? Cause I remember the projections on the cubes were all so much more tastefully done, from Bridges to Outcry to LNF to BAI and even for older songs.

[ariich]

It's definitely a lot bigger and more immersive. There's a lot more going on on the screens and with the lights.

"Tasteful" is a matter of preference. You may well not like the stuff as much, I don't know. But this is undoubtedly a larger production.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

I've not seen the production in person, but I've loved what I've seen in youtube. I always wanted DT to look like this on stage.

[Cyclopssss]

I personally loved the large red DT banners at the back of the stage. Maybe not a very big thing, but a lovely stylisch touch. It all adds to the experience.

[Peter Mc]

Easily the best looking thing they've done in my opinion, I thought the cubes looked naff on the ADTOE tour.  I would go along with the criticism that they did not really help with the story but I thought it all looked pretty awesome with the screens and lights.

[Chino]

Well shit.. this truly is one of greatest undertakings for halfassment I have ever seen, the screens and what's playing on them were supposed to be the big surprise of this tour, am I the only one who was under the impression that this tour was gonna be a big production? I initially thought it was going to be the presentation of the story in the some form that is mind blowing enough to understand why they decided to dedicate the entire setlist to the Astonishing and nothing else.
The exact character pictures from the TA website ARE THE ONLY VERSION of these characters that they use! Along with the hilarious development of the pictures; having them blink like from the trailer.. what was the problem? Money? I feel like this is to cheap even for DT tbh! And how come NO ONE said anything in rehearsals about how stupid everything that plays on the screens looks? I'm genuinely baffled, but not upset per se cause I cannot help but see the humor in this, it just that I cannot see myself as immersed and emotionally engaged in the story live as I did listening to the album, I'll definitely be giggling heh, I just hope that doesn't ruin my DT concert experience.

This has been my feeling so far as well. This tour was hyped up so much. It's been labeled as a rock opera, great emphasis was placed on the venue selection, we were told it was going to be something really special, etc... I'm not saying it isn't good, but as far as I can tell, this is just a Dream Theater concert. There's really nothing being done on this tour that makes it different than any other tour (outside of only playing one album).

[Lazlow Panaflex]

For anyone interested...

I flew to London to catc both shows the Palladium, and afterwards when I got back home I was feeling a bit sad that it would probably be another 2 or 3 years before I'd get to see DT live again.  And so I decided to fly to France and catch yet another show!

Anyways, at the show in Paris I decided to buy a programme, something I'd not done at the London shows. (Or at any concert ever come to think of it)

The middle pages contain photos of DT mid performance on the tour, and also to my delight the photo taken from the stage of the band with the crowd behind them from the very end of the opening night in London! 

Lo and behold who's ugly mug did I spot in the second row right between MM and JM? That's right, yours truly 

Needless to say I was delighted to see myself immortalized in a piece of DT merchandise!

The programmes is also a nice piece of work with gorgeous artwork and character bio's and a big map of GNEA, worth having imho.

I was wondering if they were actually selling programmes at the London shows?  If so then that means the ones for sale at the later shows contain extra pages of performance pics does it not?

Anyways, if anyone is interested in (possibly) seeing themselves, the latest programmes have pics from the opening night of the tour.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

For anyone interested...

I flew to London to catc both shows the Palladium, and afterwards when I got back home I was feeling a bit sad that it would probably be another 2 or 3 years before I'd get to see DT live again.  And so I decided to fly to France and catch yet another show!

Anyways, at the show in Paris I decided to buy a programme, something I'd not done at the London shows. (Or at any concert ever come to think of it)

The middle pages contain photos of DT mid performance on the tour, and also to my delight the photo taken from the stage of the band with the crowd behind them from the very end of the opening night in London! 

Lo and behold who's ugly mug did I spot in the second row right between MM and JM? That's right, yours truly 

Needless to say I was delighted to see myself immortalized in a piece of DT merchandise!

The programmes is also a nice piece of work with gorgeous artwork and character bio's and a big map of GNEA, worth having imho.

I was wondering if they were actually selling programmes at the London shows?  If so then that means the ones for sale at the later shows contain extra pages of performance pics does it not?

Anyways, if anyone is interested in (possibly) seeing themselves, the latest programmes have pics from the opening night of the tour.

Awesome info. Thanks for sharing and glad you enjoyed the shows so much!

[Logain Ablar]

Cool. You must have spent a clean fortune!

Any chance of getting a scan of that photo from the first night? I remember it being taken. 

[SwedishGoose]

Cool that there are photos from the first night in the program... bought it in Stockholm so I should have the same photo....

[Cyclopssss]

I wonder if there´s a place to order the tourbook?

[Lazlow Panaflex]

Awesome info. Thanks for sharing and glad you enjoyed the shows so much!

No probs! And also, I'd go again if I could afford it   

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Cool. You must have spent a clean fortune!

Any chance of getting a scan of that photo from the first night? I remember it being taken. 

A painful amount indeed, had to take a dip and scoop from my savings for all that DT, but I regret nothing   

I don't have a scanner (coz I spent all me money on DT gigs ) but I'll do my best to get a decent pic of it and upload it here soon.

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Cool that there are photos from the first night in the program... bought it in Stockholm so I should have the same photo....

I'm curious to know if they print new copies with fresh photos as the tour goes on.  I could be wrong but I'd almost swear there were programmes for sale at both London shows, but they could not have had any tour photos in them as the tour had only started!

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I wonder if there´s a place to order the tourbook?

I wouldn't think so.  The thing about programmes/tourbooks is that they are only ever available at the shows. Then again this particular one is mostly story and character bio's rather than just band pics so they would probably whole sell a lot if they made them available in the online merch store.