Ayreon/Arjen Lucassen Thread (Star Three on the way)

[The Letter M]

https://fb.watch/fRpvMb0Nn3/

Arjen just teased a live performance of 01011001 next year, September 15, 16, and 17, presumably at the 013 in Tilburg.

-Marc.

[Adami]

UGH THAT SOUNDS COOL!

Glad I was able to see the last show he did, but doubtful I can make this one, But who knows?

[ErHaO]

Awesome, all of the Ayreon live shows have been amazing. Hopefully I will be able to go/get tickets.

[SwedishGoose]

Only seen the Electric Castle and Other Stories live in Tillburg. Wish I had seen the two others.

Hopefully I can get tickets and fly down for this.

[The Letter M]

Just realized it'll be the 15th anniversary of 01011001 is next January, so it'll be a good time to perform the album next year!

Also, other than Arjen, do you think he'll be able to get the other 16 vocalists for the shows? It's a big cast, so I'll be interested to see if he'll get (m)any of them back.

I guess this means we won't see any new studio material from Arjen next year since he'll probably be too busy organizing and rehearsing for the 01 shows next fall.

-Marc.

[Adami]

Just realized it'll be the 15th anniversary of 01011001 is next January, so it'll be a good time to perform the album next year!

Also, other than Arjen, do you think he'll be able to get the other 16 vocalists for the shows? It's a big cast, so I'll be interested to see if he'll get (m)any of them back.

I guess this means we won't see any new studio material from Arjen next year since he'll probably be too busy organizing and rehearsing for the 01 shows next fall.

-Marc.

No way he gets Daniel Gildenlow or Jorn Lande. Not sure about the rest. A lot of them seem likely.

[Stadler]

01011001 is one of - if not THE - favorite Ayreon album (and I'm a big fan).  I don't know how I do it, but I'd love to see that show.

[Ben_Jamin]

Does this mean we'll get full versions of the songs from Ayreon Universe. Age of Shadows including We Are Forever, and the full versions of Comatose and Waking Dreams.

[ZirconBlue]

01011001 is one of - if not THE - favorite Ayreon album . . . .

No, THE is a different album entirely.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Does this mean we'll get full versions of the songs from Ayreon Universe. Age of Shadows including We Are Forever, and the full versions of Comatose and Waking Dreams.

I really missed the second halves of "Age of Shadows" and "Waking Dreams" on Ayreon Universe.  Anneke singing in binary was one of my favorite moments of the album.  Surely they had enough personnel to mimic it live.  And Tomas Bodin may be an idiosyncratic keyboard player, but undoubtedly Joost has the chops to at least somewhat do his solo justice.  Those sort of half-medleys are a little vexing.  Normally in a medley you're only getting a taste of a song, but once you're doing several minutes of it you might as well finish it. 

One of the sleeper hits for me from the album "E=MC^2" had a really cool alternate acoustic-ish release party version. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAgaqCKT4pw

[Nick]

Just realized it'll be the 15th anniversary of 01011001 is next January, so it'll be a good time to perform the album next year!

Also, other than Arjen, do you think he'll be able to get the other 16 vocalists for the shows? It's a big cast, so I'll be interested to see if he'll get (m)any of them back.

I guess this means we won't see any new studio material from Arjen next year since he'll probably be too busy organizing and rehearsing for the 01 shows next fall.

-Marc.

No way he gets Daniel Gildenlow or Jorn Lande. Not sure about the rest. A lot of them seem likely.

Daniel Gildenlow I understand, but why not Jorn Lande? He seems to regularly guest and collaborate on things.

[Adami]

Just realized it'll be the 15th anniversary of 01011001 is next January, so it'll be a good time to perform the album next year!

Also, other than Arjen, do you think he'll be able to get the other 16 vocalists for the shows? It's a big cast, so I'll be interested to see if he'll get (m)any of them back.

I guess this means we won't see any new studio material from Arjen next year since he'll probably be too busy organizing and rehearsing for the 01 shows next fall.

-Marc.

No way he gets Daniel Gildenlow or Jorn Lande. Not sure about the rest. A lot of them seem likely.

Daniel Gildenlow I understand, but why not Jorn Lande? He seems to regularly guest and collaborate on things.

I just assume since he didn't come to the first Ayreon show where he had a number of songs I believe.

I guess it's possible, but I also think his ego's so big that being part of a large ensemble on stage might feel beneath him.

[Nick]

Just realized it'll be the 15th anniversary of 01011001 is next January, so it'll be a good time to perform the album next year!

Also, other than Arjen, do you think he'll be able to get the other 16 vocalists for the shows? It's a big cast, so I'll be interested to see if he'll get (m)any of them back.

I guess this means we won't see any new studio material from Arjen next year since he'll probably be too busy organizing and rehearsing for the 01 shows next fall.

-Marc.

No way he gets Daniel Gildenlow or Jorn Lande. Not sure about the rest. A lot of them seem likely.

Daniel Gildenlow I understand, but why not Jorn Lande? He seems to regularly guest and collaborate on things.

I just assume since he didn't come to the first Ayreon show where he had a number of songs I believe.

I guess it's possible, but I also think his ego's so big that being part of a large ensemble on stage might feel beneath him.

Definitely doubtful on the second part since he's toured with Avantasia.

First part, yeah, that makes a bit of sense. But it's always possible that either Arjen didn't feel he was needed for that, or the timing legitimately didn't work for him.

I'm not saying he will definitely be there, but I'm certainly not ruling him out.

[KevShmev]

Bummer that he obviously doesn't want to the Migrator albums in full, as those combined is way better than 1001100011110001111111, but it is what it is.  I like the album quite a bit, but not sure it's "I am ready to fly to the Netherlands" good.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

I've been trying to resolve a whimsical chicken or egg dilemma.  The level of vocal talent in the Netherlands is off the charts.  Is that because Arjen is there and cultivates it, or did the talent already exist and Arjen was just magnetically pulled to it? 

[Cool Chris]

01011001 is one of - if not THE - favorite Ayreon album (and I'm a big fan).  I don't know how I do it, but I'd love to see that show.

Seconded.

[Nick]

Bummer that he obviously doesn't want to the Migrator albums in full, as those combined is way better than 1001100011110001111111, but it is what it is.  I like the album quite a bit, but not sure it's "I am ready to fly to the Netherlands" good.

For better or worse Arjen is very connected to his fans and really knows how they gauge his work. He's spoken many times on how the Migrator albums were relative flops, and so I doubt he'll ever do those until a lot of other options are pursued. Sucky as this is for you in this situation, it also keeps him from, let's say, performing the most recent Ayreon album in full.

If the assumption of 01 in full is correct, I wonder what is done with any remaining concert time. I really hope a small set of Star One material, focusing on the new album and the criminally neglected second Star One album through the first two live shows.

[The Letter M]

Bummer that he obviously doesn't want to the Migrator albums in full, as those combined is way better than 1001100011110001111111, but it is what it is.  I like the album quite a bit, but not sure it's "I am ready to fly to the Netherlands" good.

For better or worse Arjen is very connected to his fans and really knows how they gauge his work. He's spoken many times on how the Migrator albums were relative flops, and so I doubt he'll ever do those until a lot of other options are pursued. Sucky as this is for you in this situation, it also keeps him from, let's say, performing the most recent Ayreon album in full.

If the assumption of 01 in full is correct, I wonder what is done with any remaining concert time. I really hope a small set of Star One material, focusing on the new album and the criminally neglected second Star One album through the first two live shows.

I think it largely depends on the vocal talent he can recruit for the shows.

Bob Catley
Tom S. Englund
Anneke van Giersbergen
Daniel Gildenlöw
Floor Jansen
Hansi Kürsch
Jørn Lande
Steve Lee
Magali Luyten
Jonas Renkse
Liselotte Hegt
Simone Simons
Ty Tabor
Marjan Welman
Wudstik
Phideaux Xavier

There are a few who are regular collaborators with Arjen on other albums, so he could definitely ask them to sing other songs after 01011001. Just glancing at this Wiki chart, seems like they could do some songs from The Source, and it'd be neat to get a song or two from Transitus with Simone there.

01011001 is about the same length as ITEC, as far as the studio albums go, and ITEC was expanded in some sections for the live shows, and they still added about an extra 40 minutes of music after ITEC, so I suspect we may see the same for the 01 shows next fall. If we're lucky, he may toss in one or two Star One songs since Floor will likely be there. Otherwise, I don't see him doing what he did at the ITEC shows and do "one song per side project" like he did in that last set, covering Gentle Storm, Ambeon, Stream Of Passion, and Guilt Machine.

-Marc.

[SwedishGoose]

Otherwise, I don't see him doing what he did at the ITEC shows and do "one song per side project" like he did in that last set, covering Gentle Storm, Ambeon, Stream Of Passion, and Guilt Machine.

-Marc.

There was also a Star One song, an Arjen Lucassen solo song plus he let Fish do Kayleigh.

Frickin awesome concert that was....

The biggest surprise was when they rolled in the White Grandd Piano and Robbie Valentine entered....

[Ben_Jamin]

Otherwise, I don't see him doing what he did at the ITEC shows and do "one song per side project" like he did in that last set, covering Gentle Storm, Ambeon, Stream Of Passion, and Guilt Machine.

-Marc.

There was also a Star One song, an Arjen Lucassen solo song plus he let Fish do Kayleigh.

Frickin awesome concert that was....

The biggest surprise was when they rolled in the White Grandd Piano and Robbie Valentine entered....

It was more like Arjen and Joost "forced" Fish to do Kayleigh. 

It would be really cool if Arjen played a couple of his solo songs as a way to sort of tie in Mr. L.

[SwedishGoose]

Would love to hear some more songs from Lost in the New Real....

[KevShmev]

Bummer that he obviously doesn't want to the Migrator albums in full, as those combined is way better than 1001100011110001111111, but it is what it is.  I like the album quite a bit, but not sure it's "I am ready to fly to the Netherlands" good.

For better or worse Arjen is very connected to his fans and really knows how they gauge his work. He's spoken many times on how the Migrator albums were relative flops, and so I doubt he'll ever do those until a lot of other options are pursued. Sucky as this is for you in this situation, it also keeps him from, let's say, performing the most recent Ayreon album in full.

If the assumption of 01 in full is correct, I wonder what is done with any remaining concert time. I really hope a small set of Star One material, focusing on the new album and the criminally neglected second Star One album through the first two live shows.

Oh yeah, I totally get it.  If you are going to get people to travel that far, you need to play the ones you know the fanbase as a whole is nuts about it.  I am still kicking myself for not going years ago for the ...Electric Castle performances. 

[ErHaO]

I just hope he will pick some other songs for the non-01 finale (assuming that will be the case). Castle Hall has been played on 4 live releases, for example. I don't mind hearing it again, but if I had a choice I would love to hear some picks from other albums. I would not mind a Revel in Time song either.

Anyways, some of my most wanted live songs that haven't seen any live release will be played, as those songs are on 01. Expecially the extinction songs.

Would love to hear some more songs from Lost in the New Real....

I agree, with the recent vinyl rerelease I have been spinning it often.

[ZirconBlue]

So, what's the deal with Guilt Machine?  I stumbled across it because Spotify recommended a song, and I didn't even realize it was an Arjen project.  I had never heard of it previously.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

It's just another Arjen solo project, but with a single vocalist instead of a large cast.  Although closer to a pared-back version of his normal sound than say, Ambeon, or even The Gentle Storm. 

[ErHaO]

I think one major distinction of Guilt Machine is that Lori wrote the lyrics and that the tone of the album is not campy scifi or anything like that.

[Kwyjibo]

I really like Guilt Machine, it's a little bit different while still clearly Arjen.

[Nel]

It was the first Arjen project I ever hear, and I love the heck out of it. Was always sad we didn't get a second one.

[Adami]

It’s a bit samey as it goes, but the songs alone are pretty fantastic and I always enjoy them when they come up on shuffle.

[ZirconBlue]

I think one major distinction of Guilt Machine is that Lori wrote the lyrics and that the tone of the album is not campy scifi or anything like that.

That explains a lot.  On first listen, the lyrics really didn't sound Arjen-ish.

[Nick]

Per a Dutch article, we're looking at October 27 for tickets on sale.

Live Beneath the Waves is the title, 01 in full plus extras never played live in the previous Ayreon concerts.

10 piece band and about 20 singers.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Ayreon Live in 2023 - 01011001 Live Beneath the Waves

[Areola]

I think I might want to go this time. How much have the tickets cost for the concerts?

[Adami]

I would be so pumped to go, but given where I hope my life will be around then, I doubt it'll be possible. 

Buying the blu ray day one though!

[Schurftkut]

i went to both previous shows and it's about 60,- euro