The Yes UK tour came to a close at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall, a venue truly fitting for the majesty that is this band. Following what has been a truly inspiring tour, this was the ultimate performance on the closing night, and it is fair to say Yes did not disappoint.
YES ROYAL ALBERT HALL, LONDON – 4 JUNE 2024 Words: Adrian Stonley
Photography: Robert Sutton
Of course, there will always be some naysayers out there who still stick to their stance that without Rick Wakeman or Jon Anderson, there can be no Yes, yet anyone witnessing this performance is likely to say otherwise.
Yes have been a band of many incarnations over the last fifty-five years, and this lineup is just the continuation of the Yes story. No, there is no Wakeman or Anderson, and sadly, no Alan White or Chris Squire with us anymore. Yet the legacy of Yes music is all-encompassing, and this musical juggernaut rolls on.
The five members of Yes now are as entitled to the name as any that have come before, and based on the audience reaction, those fans who caught this tour and this closing night are likely to be of the same opinion. This version of Yes is as valid as any lineup that has gone before.
So, to the set. In the words of the current frontman, Jon Davison, who himself has now been at the helm for twelve years, they played an eclectic set, and that truly summed up the show.
The concert itself was split into two parts, with set one consisting of revisiting past albums while pulling out some lesser-played pieces and deeper cuts. WhereThe second set continued that theme before bursting into highlights from Tales From Topographic Oceans, with some pieces being played for the first time in fifty years, as was pointedly commented upon by Steve Howe.
Quite simply tonight there was something for everyone.
The show itself was stripped back with a simple curtain and lighting for a backdrop. There was none of the hi-tech paraphernalia that many bands bring with them to enhance the show, as Yes have themselves done so in the past. Tonight, this was all about the music with no visual distractions.
Opening with Machine Messiah from the Drama album, they set out their intent with Steve Howe’s intricate guitar picking aligned alongside the driving bass of Billy Sherwood, a man who could almost be a musical reincarnation of the much missed Chris Squire, such is his musical dexterity.
It Will Be A Good Day (The River) from The Ladder album followed, and though this is not a regular set list song, it more than held its own, allowing Jon Davison to show off his vocal range.
Now, there is no escaping the fact that he does have a similar vocal range to Jon Anderson and realistically needs to manage the vocal gymnastics required to sing much of Yes material. The voice in itself is as much part of the Yes sound as is Steve Howe’s guitar or Geoff Downes flowing keyboards.
Yet Jon brings his own style and touch to the performance. He isn’t Anderson, and he brings his own personal flourishes to the pieces and, in this way, clearly makes them his own.
With Steve Howe’s famous slide guitar being rolled on stage, many were expecting firm favourite And You And I. Yet in line with the evening proceedings, the fabulous slide introduction to Going For The One shone out, and the band went into full rock band mode.
Your Move/I’ve Seen All Good People followed with the band showing that they still have the ability to build beautiful choral landscapes before the powerhouse drumming of Jay Schellen brought All Good People to bear, and the band rocked out in its full glory.
With the tempo rising and the audience responding in true fashion, they brought out a real treat in the instrumental section of their cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s America. Perhaps this is fitting as this very English band now contain three American members.
Stepping back to 1969, we were then treated to a beautiful rendition of Time And A Word, which evokes feelings of love and compassion, as well as companionship and care. It’s a gentle return to times past and provides a soulful anecdote to the driving rock of the previous twenty minutes.
This allows both band and audience to relax, although the rapturous reception it received at its closure was evidence of the love for this piece.
However, this does not last for long before the 1979 hit single and ecological anthem Don’t Kill The Whale is performed, with the band moving up a further level and bringing parts of the audience to their feet.
The first set closed with Turn Of The Century from the Going For The One album, a delicate and emotive piece, part love song, part ghost story relating an undying love affair. Again, this allowed Davison to show his vocal abilities as his range was tested to the full, yet he was able to wring every musical nuance out of the piece.
It was quite simply beautiful, tranquil, breath-taking and emotional.
After a short break, the band returned with the familiar Fragile intro tape of footsteps and blowing winds as they burst into South Side Of The Sky. Cut From The Stars from the recent album Mirror To The Sky followed, being the only new song played, yet this fitted perfectly into the set and may well become a standard for the future.
However, the main part of the evening, and that element which many had turned up to hear, was to follow with a reduced version of the ninety-minute bombast of Tales From Topographic Oceans being played, though not in its entirety.
That would have been a step too far. Yet condensing the four key elements of the album into a twenty-minute piece brought out the very best of this opus. All the major parts of the piece were lovingly revisited, and with some parts not having been played in the live environment since the album was originally released back in 1973, it was an absolute joy to hear.
Initially, I had reservations about how the four very different and complex pieces could be joined together as one. Yet, I need not have worried as the whole piece flowed perfectly and outlined what an absolute tour de force this album was. Though critically dismissed at the time, revisiting all these years later and in a condensed form brought the very best out of the work and it was clear to see that not only the audience but the band themselves were having the time of their lives.
The band returned for two encores, and here the surprises ended with two old favourites and standards rolled out. Realistically, you couldn’t finish a Yes show without playing Roundabout. If that wasn’t enough to bring the audience to their feet and dancing [Yes, it appears you can dance to prog], the powerhouse of Starship Trooper closed out the set.
This enabled every band member to open up and show the consummate skills that are contained between them, the interaction sublime and complimentary. As we thought it was finishing, the band threw in a few bars and a verse from The Beatles’ I Feel Fine.
Perhaps that was a comment from the band about their longevity and vitality. It was the perfect ending to a perfect evening.
I’ve been to many Yes shows over the years, but honestly, I cannot remember two such enjoyable hours passing so quickly.
Roll on the next tour.
Set 1:
Machine Messiah It Will Be A Good Day (The River) Going For The One Your Move/I’ve Seen All Good People America (Simon & Garfunkel Cover) (Instrumental) Time And A Word Don’t Kill The Whale Turn Of The Century
Set 2:
South Side Of The Sky Cut From The Stars The Revealing Science Of God (Dance Of The Dawn) / The Remembering (High The Memory) / The Ancient (Giants Under The Sun) / Ritual (Nous Sommes Du Soleil)
One of the cornerstone bands of British prog wrap up their latest British tour in June.
Classic Rock 24 May 2024
Steve Howe, guitarist and Yes’s de facto leader of the moment, previews a nine-date British tour from the enduring progressive rockers. Billed as The Classic Tales Of Yes, it will see the group performing music from last year’s album Mirror To The Sky and, of course, a whole host of Yes’s catalogue standards, including some “rarely played” selections.
Before his death, Alan White, Yes’s drummer for more than fifty years, gave his blessing to his successor Jay Schellen. How do you think Jay is bedding into the line-up?
Those are difficult shoes to fill, but Jay has been in the background with us for a while. On tour, Alan would come out and do the encores, or maybe even the last song, as his capability minimised. Jay was there in the groove and ready to step up. Every musician has goals to reach. Jay has set a few of those for himself and also as part of Yes, but he’s working in [to the role] really well.
Were you satisfied with the general response to the most recent Yes album, Mirror To The Sky, which was released in May 2023?
Yeah. The band is enjoying moving forwards again. There have been some big gaps between albums, and there were reasons for that, but doing Mirror To The Sky so soon after The Quest [2021] gave us a real platform for development. I was very happy with songs like Luminosity and Circles Of Time.
In that same spirit of industry, how is work proceeding on what would be Yes’s twentyfourth studio album?
There are elements [of material] going forward, but we’re in no hurry. Rushing things doesn’t work for any of the team. We’ll go there when we’re ready.
One of the most fascinating things about Yes is the band’s regular changes of leadership. As producer and driving force, you are very much the man in the driving seat at present. How does that responsibility sit with you?
I had no goal of being the leader of Yes. I always joke that when I joined the band there were already two people arguing about it. But yeah,
at the moment the band does listen to me, though I’m head of a democracy. It’s a two-way street, and it works.
All the best organisations have succession plans. Do you have somebody in mind who might take control of Yes when your turn ends?
I don’t quite follow your question?
Who has it in their locker to become the next leader? As the band’s second longest-serving member, could Geoffrey Downes step up?
That’s far too presumptuous. As I’ve said, it’s not a leadership game. It’s about the person that has ideas and that can project them towards the band, that’s the spirit we’re talking about. Right now it’s me, but I can’t predict who the next guy will be.
Do you envisage a time when you will no longer be able to continue as a member of Yes, or even have the desire to do so?
I haven’t got a crystal ball, I don’t even know how I will feel tomorrow, but at the moment I’m happy going along with it. The band has some style, and it moves at a comfortable pace. But of course I still have external goals, particularly about playing solo guitar, which is why I released my album
Motif Volume 2 last year.
Are you proud of the fact that, along with bands like the Stones, Yes are rewriting the rules of rock music? At the outset, a group could hope to last maybe five or ten years at the most.
Absolutely. In the sixties I remember Paul McCartney saying that they [The Beatles] would be retiring soon. And I never thought that I would be in Yes again after I left [in 1981] and Asia came along. It does make me proud that we are still one of those bands that still goes out there and rocks. The Stones still do it, and so do we. I’m not into praising myself, but when I joined Yes [in 1970] there must have been some ingredient that enabled me to harmonise with Jon [Anderson] and Chris [Squire].
Here’s a Pseuds’ Corner question: is it important that Yes continues to exist in one form or another?
Yeah, I think that it is. When I’m not interested or unavailable, or for whatever reason, I believe that Yes should carry on. That’s down to the skill of the people that remain.
Like Kiss, when no original members remain could Yes continue as a hologram band?
People seem to really like the ABBA avatar show, and if that’s true I can’t see what’s wrong with it. I believe that if you don’t keep up with technology then you fall behind.
Who picks the set-list for Yes tours?
I don’t like to tell you how. I write a basic list, but it’s democratic. Everybody has to agree on the songs and the running order. This time there are some interesting ideas. We’ve reinvented Tales From Topographic Oceans [1973’s controversial, conceptual double album] into a twenty-minute visitation of its key moments. That’s my pride and joy at the moment.
The last date of the tour is at London’s Royal Albert Hall on June 4.
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Yes (2024)
06/04/2024 London, United Kingdom
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