Porcupine Tree v. Glarung is a Lightbulb

[KevShmev]

Is that the actual face value ticket price, or the price once Ticketmaster's scalpers (brokers) get their hands on them and jack up the prices?

[Lonk]

Face value for the NY show,  floor seats, close to the stage, is $205. Ticketmaster "Official Platinum" crap pushes some of them to $350, and front row is $956.

Cheapest floor tickets right now are $105 to be last row, and balcony last row is $55.

[El Barto]

Man, i was so excited for this until I saw the prices for Philly. The same seats I sat in the other night for Dream Theater($65 a seat) were $350 each.... What a money grab. That is BS and I will not be attending. Very disappointed in SW. I know he has lost money to make up for but economic times are tough on us fans too. I would have paid $100 a seat but $350??? Thats crazy.

$350 is very definitely a platinum seat. That'll change. Check again tomorrow and I bet you can find a comparable ticket for a bit less. It's still a cash grab, but you can probably get that seat or one like it for $150. Overall tickets seem to be in the $75-175 range.

[countoftuscany42]

If anyone needs presale codes for LA, HARRIDAN and GREEK2022 should work.  Expensive venue in general, but keep an eye out for those overpriced "Official Platinum" seats

[Ben_Jamin]

Man, i was so excited for this until I saw the prices for Philly. The same seats I sat in the other night for Dream Theater($65 a seat) were $350 each.... What a money grab. That is BS and I will not be attending. Very disappointed in SW. I know he has lost money to make up for but economic times are tough on us fans too. I would have paid $100 a seat but $350??? Thats crazy.

There is no need to blame Steven Wilson, or assume it's a money grab.

Other bands realize how expensive things have become and are not planning on touring anywhere else.

This is how the class division becomes wider as those would can afford the luxury will be the only ones who can attend.

But, people would do anything just to see something they value. People will risk a lot of things and sacrifice just to attend and witness something.



Edit: The closest place to me is Denver and their price range says $49.00 - $153.50, so that also tells me the prices depend on the place. Which I was telling my friend about when he was buying Lady Gaga tickets and was deciding on Dallas or LA, I told him LA is going to be priced more than Dallas.

[ReaperKK]

Face value for the NY show,  floor seats, close to the stage, is $205. Ticketmaster "Official Platinum" crap pushes some of them to $350, and front row is $956.

Cheapest floor tickets right now are $105 to be last row, and balcony last row is $55.

Damn that's pricey, my Tool floor seats 11th row were $182 after all fees and tax.

[ProfessorPeart]

Seeing these prices and knowing that Chicago is always usually one of the highest priced places, I'm skipping this. Would love to see them and the Auditorium Theater is a beautiful room, but they priced me out.

[Beavis]

Seeing these prices and knowing that Chicago is always usually one of the highest priced places, I'm skipping this. Would love to see them and the Auditorium Theater is a beautiful room, but they priced me out.

You and me both. I guess I will forever cherish those shows at the Park West.

Tickets, gas, lodging, food - this EASILY becomes a $1000+ road trip.

[ReaperKK]

New article by the guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/mar/10/reunited-prog-rockers-porcupine-tree-on-surviving-their-rift-you-cant-help-but-feel-bitter?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&fbclid=IwAR323JdsdWkq230NWX-Rg-G2OYP1bFbTk7p_irWkb2xmcy6uOSaq5jG8QsU

SW pulled a real bitch move to just ghost his bandmates.

[jammindude]

New article by the guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/mar/10/reunited-prog-rockers-porcupine-tree-on-surviving-their-rift-you-cant-help-but-feel-bitter?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&fbclid=IwAR323JdsdWkq230NWX-Rg-G2OYP1bFbTk7p_irWkb2xmcy6uOSaq5jG8QsU

SW pulled a real bitch move to just ghost his bandmates.

Even worse for all three of them to just pretend Colin doesn’t even exist. No mention of him or any acknowledgment of his previous contribution or even that he left or reasons he didn’t participate. Just ….nothing.

[Max Kuehnau]

Still a good article though IMHO (it's The Guardian, so I expected this)

[emtee]

Most recent song is not moving the dial for me at all.

[countoftuscany42]

"normal" face value tickets for LA range from 49.50-199.50 before fees, anything priced higher than that is either a VIP package, "official platinum", or resale.

[Ben_Jamin]

New article by the guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/mar/10/reunited-prog-rockers-porcupine-tree-on-surviving-their-rift-you-cant-help-but-feel-bitter?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&fbclid=IwAR323JdsdWkq230NWX-Rg-G2OYP1bFbTk7p_irWkb2xmcy6uOSaq5jG8QsU

SW pulled a real bitch move to just ghost his bandmates.

I feel that Colin left with a bitter resentment. He could've likely turned down some Greta opportunities because he wasn't sure what the situation was with the band.

I also feel the band wants to respect Colin and doesn't want to speak for him, so they are trying their best not to mention him.

This a very important quote from Barbieri

Barbieri says: “I know Steven will go into solo mode once this is over. And it depends where that takes him. Porcupine Tree can only really come from Steven wanting to be part of it. I’m quite happy if it is closure. I’m quite comfortable with that. Because we’ve made a good album. And I think we’re going to end on a good vibe between the three of us. There’s not going to be any kind of negative feelings.”

It goes with what I understood with regard to Porcupine Tree and how the artist/founder views it. The music Steven Wilson wants to make is not Porcupine Tree. But he tolerated making that music because it's what people enjoyed.

Now as he grew older, his interests were fighting with that passion. The solo albums we got is the real Steven Wilson and the music he has always wanted to make.

I can feel for Steven because that must be a stress when you're not sure if what you choose to do will br accepted, and you'll fall to the wayside of other musicians that have suddenly shifted I introduced a sound they always love into their current musical project.

Unlike Mikael Akerfeldt who is one who doesn't give a shit and will play and make the music he feels is Opeth.

[The Letter M]

New article by the guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/mar/10/reunited-prog-rockers-porcupine-tree-on-surviving-their-rift-you-cant-help-but-feel-bitter?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&fbclid=IwAR323JdsdWkq230NWX-Rg-G2OYP1bFbTk7p_irWkb2xmcy6uOSaq5jG8QsU

SW pulled a real bitch move to just ghost his bandmates.

I feel that Colin left with a bitter resentment. He could've likely turned down some Greta opportunities because he wasn't sure what the situation was with the band.

Greta Van Fleet? Or Greta Thunberg?

-Marc.

[KevShmev]

It goes with what I understood with regard to Porcupine Tree and how the artist/founder views it. The music Steven Wilson wants to make is not Porcupine Tree. But he tolerated making that music because it's what people enjoyed.

Now as he grew older, his interests were fighting with that passion. The solo albums we got is the real Steven Wilson and the music he has always wanted to make.

I can feel for Steven because that must be a stress when you're not sure if what you choose to do will br accepted, and you'll fall to the wayside of other musicians that have suddenly shifted I introduced a sound they always love into their current musical project.

Unlike Mikael Akerfeldt who is one who doesn't give a shit and will play and make the music he feels is Opeth.

With all due respect, I think most of this is way off base.  Wilson with PT almost always made the music he wanted to make at the time.  Remember that he was in a big hard rock/metal phase for a while, and PT getting a little more rocking when Harrison joined the band was a reflection of this.  Remember that this was right around when he started working with Opeth, and Wilson's music has often been a reflection of what else he was doing at the time, like him writing the super proggy The Raven... album around the same time he was doing the Yes and King Crimson 5.1s.  I think he went solo not so he could make the music he wanted, which he was already doing anyway, but because he wanted to go in a direction he knew certain members of PT at the time would not like.  He didn't want the constraints of "well, I have to write music the other guys in the band want to play as well."  Wilson is very much like Bowie in that he wants to play with musicians who will help him achieve the style he wants for that particular album.  If he had thought the other three guys at the time would have been all-in on the music that ended up being Grace for Drowning, that would have been the 11th PT studio album rather than his 2nd solo album.

[Ben_Jamin]

It goes with what I understood with regard to Porcupine Tree and how the artist/founder views it. The music Steven Wilson wants to make is not Porcupine Tree. But he tolerated making that music because it's what people enjoyed.

Now as he grew older, his interests were fighting with that passion. The solo albums we got is the real Steven Wilson and the music he has always wanted to make.

I can feel for Steven because that must be a stress when you're not sure if what you choose to do will br accepted, and you'll fall to the wayside of other musicians that have suddenly shifted I introduced a sound they always love into their current musical project.

Unlike Mikael Akerfeldt who is one who doesn't give a shit and will play and make the music he feels is Opeth.

With all due respect, I think most of this is way off base.  Wilson with PT almost always made the music he wanted to make at the time.  Remember that he was in a big hard rock/metal phase for a while, and PT getting a little more rocking when Harrison joined the band was a reflection of this.  Remember that this was right around when he started working with Opeth, and Wilson's music has often been a reflection of what else he was doing at the time, like him writing the super proggy The Raven... album around the same time he was doing the Yes and King Crimson 5.1s.  I think he went solo not so he could make the music he wanted, which he was already doing anyway, but because he wanted to go in a direction he knew certain members of PT at the time would not like.  He didn't want the constraints of "well, I have to write music the other guys in the band want to play as well."  Wilson is very much like Bowie in that he wants to play with musicians who will help him achieve the style he wants for that particular album.  If he had thought the other three guys at the time would have been all-in on the music that ended up being Grace for Drowning, that would have been the 11th PT studio album rather than his 2nd solo album.

It's based on Steven still viewing and considering Porcupine Tree as a side project that blew into something bigger that he felt he had an obligation to continue for the sake of the other guys.

[Kwyjibo]

I really like a lot of SW's music output, but the more I read of him and about him, the more I think he's not an easy person to be around or to work with, to phrase it nicely.

[jammindude]

I think he’s on the spectrum. So I give him a bit of leeway

[Kram]

It goes with what I understood with regard to Porcupine Tree and how the artist/founder views it. The music Steven Wilson wants to make is not Porcupine Tree. But he tolerated making that music because it's what people enjoyed.

Now as he grew older, his interests were fighting with that passion. The solo albums we got is the real Steven Wilson and the music he has always wanted to make.

I can feel for Steven because that must be a stress when you're not sure if what you choose to do will br accepted, and you'll fall to the wayside of other musicians that have suddenly shifted I introduced a sound they always love into their current musical project.

Unlike Mikael Akerfeldt who is one who doesn't give a shit and will play and make the music he feels is Opeth.

With all due respect, I think most of this is way off base.  Wilson with PT almost always made the music he wanted to make at the time.  Remember that he was in a big hard rock/metal phase for a while, and PT getting a little more rocking when Harrison joined the band was a reflection of this.  Remember that this was right around when he started working with Opeth, and Wilson's music has often been a reflection of what else he was doing at the time, like him writing the super proggy The Raven... album around the same time he was doing the Yes and King Crimson 5.1s.  I think he went solo not so he could make the music he wanted, which he was already doing anyway, but because he wanted to go in a direction he knew certain members of PT at the time would not like.  He didn't want the constraints of "well, I have to write music the other guys in the band want to play as well."  Wilson is very much like Bowie in that he wants to play with musicians who will help him achieve the style he wants for that particular album.  If he had thought the other three guys at the time would have been all-in on the music that ended up being Grace for Drowning, that would have been the 11th PT studio album rather than his 2nd solo album.

I agree with this for the most part.  I think he really didn't want to have to worry about what direction the other guys wanted to go in.  He wanted all of the control.  You can tell the dude's a control freak.  It's harder to do that when you have 3 other "equal" partners.

[Zantera]

I think SW probably feels a lot of salt towards the whole situation. The Future Bites was meant to be the big album propelling him into mainstream fame and he has been working on the last few albums to leave the prog behind and become something else, yet here we are and The Future Bites got fairly lukewarm reception among fans but people haven't stopped asking about his prog band that went defunct a decade ago. Every interview since Grace For Drowning you've heard "What about the future for PT?".

Not really surprised about his comments in that Guardian article about this being the last album and last tour. I'm not gonna say it's a paycheck for him, because I do think he sees some merit in closing the PT chapter with a definitive 'final' album, but on the flip side I don't get anywhere near the same level of passion/enthusiasm from him about this album that we got for The Future Bites or To the Bone. Almost feels a bit like when a director will do a superhero movie so the studio will let them make their passion project next.

[425]

It goes with what I understood with regard to Porcupine Tree and how the artist/founder views it. The music Steven Wilson wants to make is not Porcupine Tree. But he tolerated making that music because it's what people enjoyed.

Now as he grew older, his interests were fighting with that passion. The solo albums we got is the real Steven Wilson and the music he has always wanted to make.

I can feel for Steven because that must be a stress when you're not sure if what you choose to do will br accepted, and you'll fall to the wayside of other musicians that have suddenly shifted I introduced a sound they always love into their current musical project.

Unlike Mikael Akerfeldt who is one who doesn't give a shit and will play and make the music he feels is Opeth.

With all due respect, I think most of this is way off base.  Wilson with PT almost always made the music he wanted to make at the time.  Remember that he was in a big hard rock/metal phase for a while, and PT getting a little more rocking when Harrison joined the band was a reflection of this.  Remember that this was right around when he started working with Opeth, and Wilson's music has often been a reflection of what else he was doing at the time, like him writing the super proggy The Raven... album around the same time he was doing the Yes and King Crimson 5.1s.  I think he went solo not so he could make the music he wanted, which he was already doing anyway, but because he wanted to go in a direction he knew certain members of PT at the time would not like.  He didn't want the constraints of "well, I have to write music the other guys in the band want to play as well."  Wilson is very much like Bowie in that he wants to play with musicians who will help him achieve the style he wants for that particular album.  If he had thought the other three guys at the time would have been all-in on the music that ended up being Grace for Drowning, that would have been the 11th PT studio album rather than his 2nd solo album.

It's based on Steven still viewing and considering Porcupine Tree as a side project that blew into something bigger that he felt he had an obligation to continue for the sake of the other guys.

I'm far from the most knowledgeable person about SW, but it has to be strange to have your best-known work be in a style that was turned out to be a fairly-short lived interest of yours. As far as I know, Wilson's made just three albums that can really be considered metal—In Absentia, Deadwing and Fear of a Blank Planet*—and those three ended up being probably his three most popular albums. I can imagine him feeling torn between gratitude that those works were so well-received and frustration that he can't seem to get the same traction with the music he's currently more passionate about.



*I don't really see The Incident as a metal album, but as a prog rock album with metal elements.

[Ben_Jamin]

I think SW probably feels a lot of salt towards the whole situation. The Future Bites was meant to be the big album propelling him into mainstream fame and he has been working on the last few albums to leave the prog behind and become something else, yet here we are and The Future Bites got fairly lukewarm reception among fans but people haven't stopped asking about his prog band that went defunct a decade ago. Every interview since Grace For Drowning you've heard "What about the future for PT?".

Not really surprised about his comments in that Guardian article about this being the last album and last tour. I'm not gonna say it's a paycheck for him, because I do think he sees some merit in closing the PT chapter with a definitive 'final' album, but on the flip side I don't get anywhere near the same level of passion/enthusiasm from him about this album that we got for The Future Bites or To the Bone. Almost feels a bit like when a director will do a superhero movie so the studio will let them make their passion project next.

Colin Farrell was on Live with Kelly Clarkson and he was talking about certain acting roles of his. He mentioned Batman was to make money, while his passion project was some indie film titled 'After Yang'. He was saying that movie is the one needs the promotion, not the Batman movie.

I see this same mindset regarding Steven and how he perceives Porcupine Tree and his solo albums. And even the other members of the band.

Barbieri even said....

You can’t help but feel bitter and hurt. You get to a point of critical and commercial success and, at that very point, it’s just dragged away. And, of course, it’s not easy for the members to just carry on. It requires a lot of time before you step back into a career. But for the person at the front, they carry on with the same manager, the same record label, the same fanbase, the same publisher, the same promoter, the same agent. So it’s very painless for them. But it leaves people behind who spent as much time working as they did, so it’s tough.”

In all honesty. I feel this "Reunion" is only to please the fans, and the media who are constantly bugging Steven and the others about Porcupine Tree. Barbieri and Gavin accepted the offer. Colin on the other hand chose not to accept the offer. And I for one don't blame him knowing these circumstances. It's closure for everyone, including Barbieri and Gavin.

Steven also said...

“I didn’t feel particularly liked or respected in the band – or at least if they did have respect, it was never vocalised.”

So. It's not about Steven wanting all the control. His mindset has always been that Porcupine Tree is not his main focus. Yet, he was the one receiving praise from both the media and the fans. And everything followed along when he went solo, as the other guys were left in the dust to what as happening with Porcupine Tree. It's why I feel Closure is a great title for the album, and the Continuation is there because it's uncertain what may happen in the future.


It plays out into the reasons why I do not care one bit what kind of music a musician wants to make. I do not hold music to some high standard. Music is music and so subjective that people can make any noise musical. When one goes out into the world, everything around them can become music, people can get pleasure just from listening to the sounds and noises of the traffic, wind, and life in general. The problem arises when society dictates what constitutes a certain thing, in this case music.

If Steven wants to make pop sounding songs like Permanation, if he wants to utilize Elton John for a purpose, why not. I am sure Elton John did more than just contribute his shopping list to The Future Bites.

For the mental health of the musician, we fans should not be upset and should understand that we the fans are only along for the journey, we are along for the ride with the musician. We are riding the musical wave of the emotions, feeling, messages the artist wants to present. The same way we look at a painting and can see the emotion, feelings, and messages the artist is presenting in the painting.

[Nel]

...I'm guessing those three bonus songs are only on the $60+ edition? 

[frogprog]

So, i stand corrected. My buddy WAS looking at VIP presale tickets, hence the price of $350.
We ended up getting tickets very near where I sat for DT the other night. About $130 plus charges per seat.
So exactly twice what DT show charged. Expensive? Yes, but i want to see the show so I will pay.
For that price Mr. Wilson ought to at least put on a pair of shoes for us.

[KevShmev]

It wouldn't surprise me if Wilson is doing this reunion partially to recoup some of the losses he took last year when he had to cancel The Future Bites tour.  Considering he probably had to eat the costs of everything he had lined up for that tour, he probably took a bath on it.

I agree with Zantera that Wilson's enthusiasm for this album and tour doesn't seem close to what it was for his solo albums of the last decade, but then again all we have seen so far really are interviews in print.  Once he starts doing more live interviews, it will be interesting to see how excited he is about it.  Not like he is the type to look all giddy and talk excitedly about something, but there are tells that can give that kind of stuff away.

425, I am not sure I agree with your take. Leaving aside the fact that none of those PT albums are metal, I disagree that his recent albums have not gotten traction with the fanbase.  The Future Bites was pretty divisive (which I think said more about his core fanbase than it did about the album itself), but his four albums prior to that were all pretty well-received by the fans, especially The Raven and Hand.Cannot.Erase.   Even if you want to say that To the Bone wasn't well received because some fans flipped out over Permanating, he has still seen great success and much praise for his solo career since disbanding PT when looking at it in totality. 

[frogprog]

Yes, I too think he took a big hit on the whole cycle of his last album. I did not personally like it, but I bought it. I can't fault any band or artist for trying to make up for some of the losses of the last 2 years. I guess with that in mind, I have no problem paying what I paid for my ticket.

Has anything been said about another bass/gtr. player helping them out on tour? i know there has been specuLation about Nick Beggs (which would be great) I  can't see them doing the back catalogue as a 3 pc.

[The Letter M]

Yes, I too think he took a big hit on the whole cycle of his last album. I did not personally like it, but I bought it. I can't fault any band or artist for trying to make up for some of the losses of the last 2 years. I guess with that in mind, I have no problem paying what I paid for my ticket.

Has anything been said about another bass/gtr. player helping them out on tour? i know there has been specuLation about Nick Beggs (which would be great) I  can't see them doing the back catalogue as a 3 pc.

I almost guarantee they'll have a secondary guitarist as well, and tour as a five-piece. Steven may want to give some of his guitar parts to a dedicated guitarist so he can focus on vocals for PT songs. He'll still probably do solos here and there, but it might just be easier for them overall to tour as a five-piece.

As for Steven doing PT as a result of poor reception to TFB and the losses of not being able to do his biggest tour yet, I've been saying that ever since the reunion was announced. The timing seems too perfect to just be a coincidence. I'm sure the fans will come out in droves just to see PT one more time, especially if it has been confirmed that this will be the final time they ever tour. That's a good way to drive up ticket sales, although I have to wonder if SW will cave to fan-demand that do another PT reunion album after this year if it proves to be hugely successful, though last I heard, he was already planning another solo album after this year, so who knows.

-Marc.

[King Postwhore]

Yeah, that's a weird take frogprog.  They will have a full band and do their back catalog.

[Kram]

It will be interesting to see if he uses Beggs and maybe Alex Hutchings (the guitarist from his last solo tour) - or if he goes with some totally new faces for PT.

[ReaperKK]

If aristocrats werent touring call up Guthrie, although I'm not sure if that bridge is burned

[Kram]

If aristocrats werent touring call up Guthrie, although I'm not sure if that bridge is burned

Guthrie's one of my all-time favorites.  But yeah, I don't think that will be happening..

[KevShmev]

As for Steven doing PT as a result of poor reception to TFB and the losses of not being able to do his biggest tour yet, I've been saying that ever since the reunion was announced. The timing seems too perfect to just be a coincidence. I'm sure the fans will come out in droves just to see PT one more time, especially if it has been confirmed that this will be the final time they ever tour. That's a good way to drive up ticket sales, although I have to wonder if SW will cave to fan-demand that do another PT reunion album after this year if it proves to be hugely successful, though last I heard, he was already planning another solo album after this year, so who knows.

Agreed.  Plus, he said several times when promoting The Future Bites that guitar rock was dying or dead (cannot remember his exact wording), and lo and behold, here is he back in his band that is very guitar-driven.  But I am okay with it.  I know some love the idea of a starving artist never doing anything for me, but if we can assume he took a bath last year due to the canceled tour, I am good with him recouping these losses with the PT album and tour.  The pandemic stung many really hard financially, and if this is the best way for him to get back some of what he lost, it is what it is.  And we fans get new PT music to boot.  It's win-win, unless you're Colin Edwin. 

[IDontNotDoThings]

It's win-win, unless you're Colin Edwin. 

A Colin Ed win-win 

[Setlist Scotty]

I agree with the general consensus that part of this is due to SW trying to make up for the losses he incurred from the canceled tour he had lined up for his last solo album, and that this is probably going to be PT's last album/tour. But honestly, *why* does it have to be that way? Why can't he treat it the same way he does the other projects/bands he's involved in? Or maybe even do something similar to what MP does with the bands he's in with NM, where they rotate from NMB to FC to TA and back again? Given how prolific he is as a songwriter, as he writes songs, he can recognize where they're best suited: PT, Blackfield, No-Man or solo, and file them away until the appropriate time. 

It's win-win, unless you're Colin Edwin. 

A Colin Ed win-win 

Zing! Well played!