Koen Dejonghe

A concertevening with music of YES is always a delight for my ears. This 8th concert, my first was the "Going for the One" tour, was in the fantastic Elisabeth Hall in Antwerp. I sat 4 rows after the PA and had a great sound where every instument could be heard very independent exept the drums from Alan which were unequal mastered. The volume was in the beginning of the show not too loud but it augmented during the concert and at the end unacceptable. Oh God, my ears...

I enjoyed the concert especially the "new songs" they never played in public for the last years. For instance the happy sounded "Astral Traveller" where Benoit sings with much effects through the lyrics like an opern singer. Well done Benoit, I like the way you try to interprete the words. Also in "Onward" he gave a fantastic emotional interpretation with a very helpfull accompaniment from the band with Steve playing muted on his strings. Not so easy to do. The two Drama songs " Machine Messiah" and "Tempus Fugit" are played, like the other "new songs", also with freshness and much enthousiasm. The band liked it. The "old songs" were played a little bit as repertoire they know too well. Neverthless, I enjoyed it to hear them all live. Highlights were "Heart of the Sunrise","Onward" and all of the "New songs". "Owner" was played in a strange way and I saw Steve playing with his back to the public: no comment.

During "Yours is no disgrace" the sound in the venue, the "soundtowers", are muted. But this was interesting: instead the quite unpersonal bass sound of Chris through this soundtowers, I heard him playing with very much contrasts in every note. Great musician.Thanks Chris.

Oliver Wakeman, who played keyboards, has the right fingers but the wrong sounds. Try to search the good Moog sounds like your dad did, and a little bit more playing withhout fear like the solo in "The South Side of the Sky" and you wll be a real Yes member. It's sure if John Anderson has sung it should be another sort of concert. I find him amazing and a marvellous artist. But, because the strongness of the music itself, it's not a problem that another good singer performs the music.That's the eternal power of YES music.

A good choice was to give the concert in one part, so that he concentration of the public doesn't felt down.

Wonderful concert. Go and see. These guys are unique in the World of Prog Rock. Let us hope after "Magnification", for new music?

Jeff Richards

I have seen Yes quite a few times over more than 30 years. With the departure of Jon, I brought my ticket not knowing if it could be a waste of time. The big question was how would the new guys shape up.

First of all Oliver. I thought he was good. I know that every fan thinks that Rick was the keyboard player for Yes, but he always seemed to be in competition with Steve Howe. Like Geoff Downes, I feel Oliver compliments Steve's guitar much better.

As for Benoit, my first impressions are not so favourable. Lets face it Jon is a hard act to follow. For a start he is one of the few singers that sing with an accent. Beniot being Canadian is not going to have a Lancashire accent. However, there were times when his voice seemed out of tune, or just failed.

In general however it was a good show, and I really enjoyed the two tracks from Drama.

One last passing observation was I got the impression that the band seemed happier on stage than I have seen them in a long time.

Pieter de Jongh

Last night was my fourth time at a Yes-concert, but I've never seen them as powerfull as they were yesterday! They played a wonderfull set:

1. Firebird Suite
2. Siberian Khatru
3. I've Seen All Good People
4. Tempus Fugit
5. Onward
6. Astral Traveller
7. And You And I
8. Yours Is No Disgrace
9. Steve Howe solo: Surface Tension/Laughing With Larry
10. Owner Of A Lonely Heart
11. South Side Of The Sky
12. Machine Messiah
13. Heart Of The Sunrise
14. Roundabout
15. Starship Trooper

During Yours Is No Disgrace the sound in the venue turn down. You could only hear the pure sound from the amplifiers and drums. After a minute it was fixed.

Highlight of the show: Tempus Fugit, Astral Traveller, Machine Messiah and Heart Of The Sunrise. They played those peases briliant!

c de vos

YES, the sound and balance were not always like they should be
YES, the stage is a simple thing
YES, Oliver Wakeman and Benoit David are not Jon and Rick
YES, Steve made some little mistakes
YES, Chris' pants were dirty ...
BUT I WAS THERE (I saw them for the 4th time) and I'm glad I was (I have some nice photos and videos to rememeber that evening)
What a good music, what a performances
I hope it is a never ending story. Next time I'll be there too (I hope there will be a next time - and if possible with Jon and Rick)

Rob

Since 1971 i have been seeing YES. This time for the third time in Belgium in a very nice venue. The sound was excellent, apart from a moment during 'yours in no disgrace'. And the two new members were great. Oliver is like his father and, i must be honnest, i did not miss Jon, as a singer.
It was a really a lovely evening with the band on a very high level.

Marc-Olivier Becks

I went to this show with mixed feelings. I was expecting to see a kind of tribute band with 2 young average musicians and 3 old guys, tired and playing just for the money.

For the 2 young musicians, I was right: Oliver Wakeman was not really great (Tom Brislin would have done a much better job), he seemed bored and was not convincing at all. Benoît David completely ruined the first 2 songs with lots of missed notes, but I must admit he became better after that.

However, the mistakes and lack of professionalism of the 2 young guys were nothing compared to the powerful and extraordinary playing of the Squire - Howe - White trio!
I never saw Chris and Steve enjoying a show so much (and I went to see them 8 times since 1991). Bass and guitar parts were just perfect, exciting, balanced, emotional, powerful ! They can play with closed eyes, they understand each other instantly.
And Alan was perfect too: he was so good that the rythm section was not just a bass plus drums: it was like a single instrument (which can be unfair to the drummer behind his stool, because when the cohesion is so perfect and the flow so natural, the drumming is not "spectacular").

The passion of Squire - Howe - White last night in Antwerp was bringing tears to my eyes. I enjoyed every second of the show. If you hesitate to go to see this special lineup of the band, just consider you'll have the unique chance to see one of the 3 most talented musicians alive on this earth, playing eternal music that is Yes music !

A nice surprise at the end of the show: after Heart Of The Sunrise, they played Roundabout immediately instead of playing it as an encore. So they came with a new encore: Starship Trooper!

Setlist:

Intro: Firebird Suite
Siberian Khatru
I've Seen All Good People
Tempus Fugit
Onward
Astral Traveller
And You And I
Yours Is No Disgrace
Steve Howe solo: Surface Tension
Steve Howe solo: Laughing With Larry
Owner Of A Lonely Heart
Machine Messiah
South Side Of The Sky
Heart Of The Sunrise
Roundabout

Encore: Starship Trooper