An acoustic set consisting of Jon on guitar and Rick on piano with a mix of classic Yes songs and a few new ones with a few good gags thrown in for good measure.

 

Indeed the whole evening was conducted in a very relaxed manner, which showed on a couple of occasions when Jon made mistakes. During his little solo stint after the interval he played piano whilst singing a melody and at one stage he forgot the lyrics to 'Close To The Edge'. He carried on signing with the words 'I've made a mistake, I've missed out a bit, do you mind if I start again?', which brought a great cheer from the crowd.

 

To be honest, I'm sure some 'mistakes' were delibrate as the pair sought to entertain with a bit of comedy as well!

 

On to the music. As you'd expect, Rick's playing was exemptory - as ever. Jon has never been reknowned for his guitar work but by keeping things basic and not over-reaching himself it came across well. Though at 62, he may not be able to reach those high notes as well as he once could, Jon's voice still sounds as good as ever.

 

It was good to hear some familar classics done acoustically. They even attempted 'Awaken' which was excellent. Some tracks however didn't work. Most notable of these was 'Owner of a Lonely Heart'. It's arguable that that never worked in its original version and it certainly cannot be described as a classic. I thought it a rather strange inclusion in the track list which included such gems as 'And You And I', 'Roundabout', 'South Side Of The Sky', and 'Yours Is No Disgrace'.

 

The highlight for me though was the marvellous rendition of 'Turn Of The Century', which, according to Jon, is a song that has never been played live on stage. So that was a special treat.

 

All-in-all a very enjoyable concert and highly reccomended even with the odd 'phoopa' - which sure may have been 'first night' teething trouble and should be ironed out quickly. That's not to say they spoilt the night. Far from it as I mentioned above, the lighthearted and relaxed atmosphere just made the night that more special.

 

If you get the chance go and see them when they come to a town near you.

 

 

 

 

 

Any band was significant by its absence. Perhaps that explains the odd mistake as I got the impression that these things hadn't been ironed out during rehearsals.

 

I know up until a few days before the concert that the tour was in doubt. The Glasgow gig was cancelled I believe. I've never found out why but perhaps band issues were the reason.

 

Anyway chopper, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I certainly did.