FRANCISCO JOSE MOLINA

Well. I was there, what more can I say. Throughout my young life (compared to prog rock and hard rock bands that I love who began to perform before I was born), I´ve had the chance to see live some of the greatest of all times. I´ve seen Santana, John Mayall, Rolling Stones, Deep Purple... not to mention Jazz front men such as Tete Montoliú, Pedro Iturralde, but, yet, yet I had one mission in life,
I just had to see Yes on stage. My favourite band since I had 16.

They´d just recorded their ABWH work. This was the first I heard from them. Pretty good, but human, too human. The next thing that felt onto my hands, and eventually changed my life (not joking) was a 90 minutes audio tape (we´re in 1989)with Going for the one on the A, and Relayer on B, WOAH!!! Obviously, I didn´t enter the Gates of Delirium till I was pretty hooked up with Turn of the century (their most beautiful non epic song, for me), Awaken, Goin´for...

From sixteen to nowadays I´ve collected every yes kinda thing I could. But something terrible happened in 2000: I missed the Madrid venue, already had the ticket. But I´d just found a job and couldn´t give it up.

In 2003, holidays in Malaga, I was just looking for the press when I saw a red and white advertisement saying Y E S. It was the upcoming Benalmadena show. I had just lost my chance to see King Crimson in Malaga too, so I wouldn´t waste this one, It was just now or never.

That concert´s day, I rushed out of my job as a waiter in Priego de Cordoba (20o kms far from Benalmadena) and joined some friends who were expecting for the Big Day too.

And there we were, in the bull ring, watching the stage, silver and blue and green, talkin´bout what was going to come, greeting old friends not seen in a long time, when the ambient music changed onto Firebird suite. Hearing this, and inmediately after Siberian khatru, made me feel what a man out of a comma would feel. All I knew, that was the best-related-to-music-day of my life. When I recovered (I lie, I didn´t), and after Magnification, which I´d never heard before, they sook me again with Don´t Kill... shortly after, Heaven, South Side, Howe´s solo attending - outrageous!!! Heart of the sunrise, uffff... the medley Squire vs White, and the best finale set in rock´n´roll business: Awaken, Good People, and Roundabout. Even their Satanic Majesties can afford a better final lap.

No words can describe my feelings, I was just another grown man crying. We all had the luck of hearing the classic Yes line-up of members (even Wakeman was there to play for me)

I was concious that these four wizards were not in their twenties, but, while there was no youth, there were GUTS!!! and technique, and passion, and magic. Not even Mr r´n´r-Keith Richards gave me what Steve Howe gave me that nite. And will always be grateful to them. For so many years hiding and flying in their music, For that glorious night, Steve, Alan, Chris, Jon, Rick, thank you so, so much. You play farther than music. Love you. Don´t ever miss the energy, Don´t let it slip away!!!

jorge

Tardo 9 días en tratar de explicar con palabras mi primer concierto de yes, y no puedo... Probablemente, si pudiera verlos por segunda vez, podría. Ahora me es imposible buscar una frase que no suene a cliché y que pueda expresar claramente todo lo que sentí: si no es ésta la mejor banda de rock sinfónico de la historia que baje Dios a decirme cuál es... Quizás podría empezar por ahí.

Dani.

Day after the concert. Even tho i must admit i had a great time, there´s a couple of facts i´d like to state.
1) It could possibly be that i was standing in a bad location (which i don´t truly believe, since i was at the far back of the multitude,close to the bars, down in the arena) inside the bullring but, for Christ´s sake...the sound of the voice was horrendous, it was way too low!!! Did anyone else notice that or was it just my imagination?
2) I was a bit dissapointed at the very end... i was so eagerly expectin Starship Trooper..., still feel like something was missin in last night´s show!! Anyway, it was great to see them again.

p.s. Nevertheless i partially agree with mr. smith. Although i find the setlist chosen for this tour quite amusing (i would´ve chosen almost the same songs myself), it would be fantastic to see the band play the not-so-predictable tunes in future shows.

Barry Smith

Now I've loved these boys since the mid 70s. They're without peer in what they do. Tonight they played a blinder, their usual mastery well in evidence. So what's the big BUT?
The setlist. Maybe it's just me but I'm sick of hearing the same numbers year after year - you'd've thought we were back in 1971. Awaken was great - not so sure about Steves' 12 string solo anymore tho'- South Side was tremendous, and Steve's To Be Over was the highlight for me. It was unexpected, different and very imaginative. Unlike Squire playing practically THE SAME BASS SOLO since 1980.
Lazy sod.
Rick was magnificent, so were Don't Kill The Whale, In The Presence Of and Magnification.
Why not ditch, or rest, ROUNDABOUT, HEART OF THE SUNRISE, LONGDISTANCE, AND YOU AND I, ALL GOOD PEOPLE, STARHIP TROOPER...they're all classics and will forever be a large part of my life...but I'd rather hear some other facets of Yes.
So come on boys, what about this lot?
Wonderous Stories
Bring Me To The Power
Then
Finally
Time Is Time
Homeworld
Survival
On The Silent Wings
Give Love Each Day
Yes music is about no boudaries, endless imagination and creativity..."Trying to see over the horizon." Ahem. More like looking in the rear view mirror.
So get your fingers out again boys and rehearse some other stuff...if you can be bothered. Because if you can't,there may be some of us who might not be next time either.
AND WHY USE BACKING TAPES ? I THOUGHT I'D GONE TO SEE A LIVE BAND.

Barry Smith

Dani.

Well, firstly...congratulations on this site!! It´s really awesome, i never thought id find every single night´s setlist for this tour on the net!!!
Still a long way until the concert in Estepona, but, hey... I´m already shakin in excitement!!! I already seen them like 3 weeks ago in Sweden (at Sweden Rock Festival) and,after Jethro Tull (u´ll excuse my j.tull freakness, lmao) Yes was definitely the BEST (in capital letters) band durin the 3 days of the festival. The atmosphere they create is simply involving, magical... and add to that classics like "Long Distance Runaround" (let´s pray for theyll play that one in Estepona...definitely my fave, with "Roundabout" and "Heart of the sunrise"...by the way, I think "Magnification" is simply poetry), and u have one of the best concerts in yer life (mine in this case).