While Porcupine Tree has their heavier moments, especially in recent years I think classifying them as a metal band is a bit of a stretch, due in part to what that implies about the show they would put on. While metal and hard rock bands are expected to jump around the stage and pump the crowd up Porcupine Tree certainly seem to be a band in the classic prog-rock sense in that at their shows the music should stand alone, and that craftsmanship overrules showmanship.
The reason I am off on a tangent to start a review is to make a point, which is that if you intend for the music to be the sole focus of a live performance it better sound damn good, and Porcupine Tree certainly delivered in that aspect. The three previous times I’ve seen Porcupine Tree I would say were three of the best sounding shows I had ever seen, and at this show the attention to sonic detail combined with the historic and acoustically designed Radio City Music Hall made for the best sounding show I have ever heard. Considering the many shows I’ve seen with absolutely horrid sound it is an amazing experience when every single drum and instrument can be picked out and heard as clear as if it was being played by itself. Combine that with clarity of each instrument and the added vibrancy of a live performance I can say that sitting in my seat a few feet in front of the soundboard was probably as close to sonic bliss as I will ever come.
But the sound wasn’t the only thing special about this show; it would prove to be Porcupine Tree’s longest show to date featuring three sets of material including some very rare cuts thrown in amongst fan favorites. The show started modestly with the band walking out to a very limited setup that included a small drum/percussion set, an upright bass, and a stripped down rig for keyboardist Richard Barbieri. The band kicked off the show with a five song acoustic set during which Steven Wilson referred to the configuration on stage as the “opening act”. The acoustic set had old classics such as “Pure Narcotic”, a big rarity in “Small Fish”, a new song, “Black Dahlia” and a bit of surprise when the band stripped down the normally heavy “futile” for what Steven called, “the least sensible song we can play with an acoustic setup”. Those mentioned along with “Stranger by the Minute” which opened the set all got strong reactions from the nearly full but not sold out crowd in the heart of New York City.
Through most of the ten minute break to remove the “opening act” equipment the intro tones to “Even Less” could be heard through the PA, and despite myself and others expecting to hear The Incident in full when the band came back onstage they instead ended up actually going into “Even Less” and actually played the full fourteen minute version instead of the much shorter track that eventually made its way onto Stupid Dream. After that came a modern era one-two punch in the forum of the aggressive “Open Car” followed by the mellow and enchanting “Lazarus”. Next up was an oldie one-two punch that would be the highlight of the show for me, the groovy “Tinto Brass” which featured amazing bass work by Colin Edwin followed by the first half of “The Sky Moves Sideways”. The latter song featured an instrumental section that blew me away live. I must say that perhaps the greatest part of Porcupine Tree live is how much room the keyboards have to breathe, and how a thick and lush atmosphere in a song like “The Sky Moves Sideways” can become even better live. Then came a little bit of a shocking announcement as Steven told the crowd they would not be playing The Incident in full as they wanted to play as much old material as possible, but he did assure the crowd they would get to hear a good chunk of the album before going into one of my favorite tracks from the disc, “I Drive the Hearse”. A beautiful and haunting end to the album I personally find the track does quite well standing on its own in concert. “Bonnie the Cat” would be the last song in the first set, but it would be the first to utilize the full sized screen behind the band that was hidden until that point. The video for “Bonnie” did not do the gigantic screen much justice, but later of songs would use it to its full potential.
The second set would see the band starting with “Occam’s Razor” and play through The Incident until a very high powered “Drawing the Line” which was certainly one of the best newer tracks played and one that had people singing and clapping along. The band then made one of the final two scheduled trips back in time to pull out “Dislocated Day” before coming back to the present for a very well received rendition of “Time Flies”. At this point in the show the crowd had a little bit of everything, the old, the new, the rare, the popular, the heavy, and the acoustic, but the next track would end up blowing everything before and after out of the water as far as the Radio City crowd was concerned. Excitement could be felt all around when the middle of “Anesthetize” began and the amount of headbanging during the instrumental section of that song would only be seen one other time in the night, later during the encore. After the roar of praise died down for “Anesthetize” drummer Gavin Harrison faced his final major challenge of the night, playing a final song that like many earlier in the set he had never played live before. The song in question was “Up the Downstair” and it was a fabulous choice for a final treat of the night. To end the set the band pulled out “Sleep Together” which I figured wouldn’t be bothered which at the show, but it seemed to end the set somewhat well.
The band left the stage without saying a word but didn’t take long to return, and then Steven said something that had the hair on the back of my neck standing straight up. “We only have time for one more song, but it’s a fucking long one!” Considering half of “The Sky Moves Sideways”, a movement from “Anesthetize”, and the full version of “Even Less” were already played there was one obvious song that seemed to be on the horizon. My favorite Porcupine Tree song, “Arriving Somewhere” received a warm ovation during the soft intro and would have fans singing along in no time, and have them rocking out as hard as they had all night for the guitar solo and instrumental brick to the face that followed it. As the song ended I felt complete finally having seen it and I cannot think of a better way to have ended the night.
Steven Wilson seemed in great spirits all night both musically and when having some banter with the audience, and those good vibes came across in an amazing performance. Steven was also nice enough to note that touring guitarist John Wesley was taking a regular leave of the stage, “Not because he’s incompetent, but because we can do it as a four piece!” Everyone was tight, it was the best sounding show I have ever seen, and there were a ton of special treats to enjoy along with some regular staples in Porcupine Tree’s live diet. New York City is fun, but it is expensive and any trip there is going to include a good deal of stress and so typically I will try and steer clear if possible, however there was no chance of me missing this show and the boys made the trip more than worth my money and effort and I can’t wait to see what they do next.
Topic: Porcupine Tree - 2010-09-24 Review (Read 3556 times)