Porcupine Tree returned to Glasgow lst night for the final date of their current UK tour playing the Carling Academy, a late switch from the Barrowlands.

It is immediately noticeable how their popularity continues to grow, the audience being substantially greater than the previous gigs I have seen them at in smaller venues.

The support act was once again their good friends Anathema who played a good set marred slightly by some dodgy balancing of the sound. They seemed to get pulled off stage before they had finished to their obvious bemusement.

Porcupine Tree's sound was superb, the separation of the instruments being clean and precise. The set list focused very much on "Fear of a blank planet" with most of that album being played. "In absentia" also supplied several tracks, but apart from "Waiting", there was little to please those hoping to hear the band's earlier numbers. Even "Deadwing" was given surprisingly little time (I was hoping for "Arriving somewhere..!) but with such a vast back catalogue now, it is inevitable that many favourites will be omitted.

Steve Wilson indicated that this would be the band's last UK gig for some time, but promised that they would return with a new album.

As we say in these parts, Haste ye back.