Porcupine Tree
Columbiafritz, Berlin, Germany, April 11th 2003
013, Tilburg, The Netherlands, April 16th 2003
Melkweg, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, April 17th 2003
By Andreas Vogel, Bart Jan van der Vorst

Mercy was with them, as Tarlton left the stage after only twenty or so minutes. Then, the technicians took their time preparing the stage for Porcupine Tree. Waiting, by the way, seems to be an integral part of concerts, though in this case it was sweetened be the sight of Mr. Wilson's famous little carpet being rolled out, and a huge board of pedals and switches installed in front of it. Finally, some dry ice vapour rose, and from the speakers emanated sounds immediately recognizable as 'Tree-ish'. It was to be a loooong, droning intro with bits and snippets taken from various songs. The audience stared into the blue mist, trying to make out someone with a guitar stepping forward. And ultimately, he came - Mister Steven Wilson. With him, bass player Colin Edwin, keyboardist Richard Barbieri, and two new faces, drummer Gavin Harrison, and supportive guitar player John Wesley, entered the stage. John Wesley, an experienced musician who has released a few solo records, is widely known for his affiliations with Fish and Marillion (two entirely different and totally separate things, for those not yet in the know).

Blackest Eyes set the scene for the gig: fierce pressure galore, the occasional soft interlude, and brilliant soundscaping at all times. Sound of Muzak kicked in second, and when it came to an end, Wilson made a quick survey in order to make sure not too many in the audience have seen the band in previous shows: "OK. Good. So it'll not be too embarrassing playing the same old stuff again." Of that stuff, Gravity Eyelids was next. Here, Wilson surprised by rather expressive gestures whenever his right hand wasn't needed on his chords. It also occurred to me that he raised his voice not to the full extent as heard on the album. That may be attributed to mid-tour vocal exhaustion or to artistic license - who knows.

The now-classic Even Less didn't fail to enchant the crowd. During its outro the stage fell half-dark, with Wilson and Edwin turning their backs to the audience. But before long, Edwin - spot on! - turned around to launch a bone-crunching rendition of Slave called Shiver, another tour favourite. Have I mentioned that Edwin's bass playing faculties are beyond comparison? His contribution to the feel of the music is just huge, and this becomes most apparent in a live setting. The beautiful Waiting met nostalgic cheers from the crowd, being one of the oldest tracks in the set this evening. Then, more contemporary material followed in the form of Hatesong and Russia on Ice - strong performances of two of the strongest compositions off the overly strong Lightbulb Sun album. A treat indeed, as the band came to shine in lengthy instrumental sections. Richard Barbieri deserves a special mention here, as his performance turns out to be much more than the glue between rhythm and lead - the sound tapestry he creates, the effects he triggers, the keys he strikes all amount to quite some part in the Porcupine Tree live experience.

Pumping and pounding, the next track came along: The Creator has a Mastertape. Gavin Harrison was really put through his paces on that one. Who'd have thought that the band could find a worthy replacement for the truly gifted Chris Maitland, who had left in February 2002 "for personal reasons"? But they did, and 'replacement' is certainly the wrong term here I guess. What pressure, what precision, what liveliness! It is the drummer's performance that has live music develop that overwhelming immediacy, as drum sound waves bring about a downright bodily experience. Having been delighted, well, ensnared by Harrison's play, I would not hesitate to declare him the unofficial star of the evening.

To offer an opportunity for the audience to calm down a bit, the band played the incomparably saddening Heartattack in a Layby, only to have it followed by another exciting pound-along: Wedding Nails. Impressive guitar work on that one. Wilson treated his instrument as if it was washboard, but still- the result was flawless. All in all, Wilson's appearance during the show differed somehow from how I remembered him from previous gigs. This time, he seemed much more *present*, in a way, even talkative at times. And if you looked very closely, you could sometimes spot a shy smile gracing the front man's juvenile face.

The encore section had Shesmovedon at first, which was followed by Dark Matter, an oldie of sorts from the 1996 Signify album. The band waved goodbye and disappeared, and apparently that was it. But wait- that hasn't been a good goodbye, has it? And indeed, the five appeared once again and did one final encore: Trains. In mid-song, one of Wilson's chords snapped, and he had to call for another guitar, which was swiftly delivered. A proper goodbye concluded the gig - five happy faces on the stage, and hundreds before.

In the end, seven cuts from the current album In Absentia had been played. With five songs stemming from Lightbulb Sun and Stupid Dream, only two tracks in the entire set dated from the pre-Stupid Dream era. Porcupine Tree evidently feel very confident and comfortable with what one might call their new sound: rougher, more song-oriented, dark and unsettling in places (lyrics!), multifaceted, incorporating even industrial and heavy metal undertones. The Tree's melancholic and psychedelic touches, however, hardly rub off, they're trademarks. Wilson's music is alive and honest, it is evolving, it is progressing. It is accessible, but not simple. Taking the band's incredible live capabilities into account, one must come to the conclusion that with Porcupine Tree we have the rare case of a band that is almost inevitably going to move something on a grand scale. So go and spread the word: The Tree is growing.

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