Victoria Times Colonist

Sunday, March 30, 2014 1:15 PM

"Concert review: Yes … they remember it well"

article by: Mike Devlin, Marc 19, 2014 11:43 PM

uploaded to Forgotten Yesterdays by: AD

When classic rock bad Yes puts its collective mind to something, don’t expect the group to stop short of reaching that goal.

The British progressive rock act does not skimp on musical details or take unnecessary shortcuts, particularly when it comes to re-creating its epic cosmic rock — the likes of which is considered some of the best of the ’70s. Not everyone can say they saw them perform in ’72, but if you see them play live in ‘14, you're getting as close to the real thing as possible.

With disclaimers, of course. The band’s current lineup is without original singer, co-founder Jon Anderson, who remains perhaps the most notable member of the group aside from guitarist Steve Howe.

While Anderson left big shoes to fill, his replacement, singer Jon Davison, is a pretty fair doppelgänger despite being 26 years Anderson’s junior.

Replacements or not, there was no denying the band’s exemplary playing on this night before a crowd of 2,582 at Victoria's Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. The band’s first concert since August (and one of 10 in Canada on this tour) saw Yes play three albums from its canon — The Yes Album (1971), Close To The Edge (1972) and Going For the One (1977) — front to back and in their entirety, with barely a deviation from the recorded versions.

That attention to detail is rare these days, but it shows a sense of respect for the Yes fans who pored over the originals upon their release, often with help from some extracurricular substances. On that front, there were some trippy lights to help re-create the visuals of the time, but they were low-key and understated.

This night was definitely all about the music, as evidenced by Squire’s almost Spinal Tap-like triple-necked bass he used on Awaken.

“Tonight is an evening of firsts,” said bassist Chris Squire. “It’s the first night of our tour, it’s the first time you’ve heard Close to the Edge played in sequence. Most of all, it's the first time we’ve ever been to Victoria. It only took us 45 years.”

For the diehard Yes fan, it was most definitely worth the wait. Howe, Squire and Davison were all excellent, and so were drummer Alan White and keyboardist Geoff Downes. The band hit a serious stride on Close to the Edge, the album that opened the show, and though it is far less known, the band did acquit itself nicely (if less heavy-handedly) during Going for the One during its front-to-back run.

There were moments of sunshine throughout — Squire’s harmonica blasts on The Preacher, The Teacher; Howe’s screaming pedal steel on Going For the One; an expansive, soaring Eclipse — which gave the set a nice, even feel. The Yes Album closed the show, and given that it came after a 20-minute intermission, show-stoppers like Yours is No Disgrace were met with the loudest reception of the night.

Victoria Times Columnist

Saturday, March 22, 2014 6:53 AM

"British band Yes practises in Esquimalt"

article by: Mike Devlin

Esquimalt has been rehearsal headquarters for classic rock band Yes as it prepares for a cross-Canada concert tour that starts tonight in Victoria.

The British rock group, famous for the hits Roundabout, I’ve Seen All Good People and Owner of a Lonely Heart, rented the Archie Browning Sports Centre on Monday and Tuesday so that its eight-person crew could stage a dry run of the two-and-a-half-hour concert.

“They all live in different parts of the world, so they have to get together to jam,” said production manager Joe Comeau, who oversees the band’s stage show. “It’s a chance for the band to work through the kinks.”

It’s unusual for a touring act to have space on its schedule for a full-scale rehearsal even for a single day, let alone two. Days off are usually spent travelling instead of rehearsing, but these practices were necessary, Comeau said.

They come on the heels of a six-month layoff for Yes. Though it was time-intensive to set up the band’s gear, it gave everyone involved some peace of mind heading into a series of concerts. “It’s the longest break we’ve had in a long time,” Comeau said.

Various band members and Yes crew were in action Monday morning, but the curling rink at Archie Browning didn’t get into full swing until Tuesday, when drum, guitar and lighting techs began readying gear for the full band’s arrival.

Yes members Alan White (drums), Steve Howe (guitar), Chris Squire (bass), Jon Davison (vocals) and Geoff Downes (keyboards) were all present for a full practice by late afternoon Tuesday and ran through the concert in its entirety.

The real thing will be unveiled tonight during the band’s inaugural Victoria performance, the first of 10 dates in Canada on the Grammy-winning band’s Triple Album Tour. The band is scheduled to perform three records, The Yes Album (1971), Close to the Edge (1972) and Going for the One (1977), front-to-back tonight.

In an earlier interview with the Times Colonist, White preached the need to practice while in Greater Victoria.

Though various members have been with Yes since 1969, the band doesn’t like to leave anything to chance.

“You’ve got to tighten things up,” White said. “Some of these songs, we haven’t played for six months. We need to get in the mode.”

Comeau praised the helpfulness of Archie Browning staff in making them feel comfortable during their stay.

“We’ve had a really good time here. We’ve been well taken care of.”