Steve Howe in concert 1994 and 2010
Steve Howe is an excellent guitarist with his own, very individual style. He cites several guitarists as influences including Les Paul, Barney Kessel and Chet Atkins. When I first saw Steve in Yes in 1971 I was struck by the Gibson ES-175D that he was playing. About this guitar, Howe said: “No one was playing archtop, hollowbody guitars in a rock band. People laughed at me and thought I was really snooty. To me, it was an object of art, it wasn’t just a guitar”. I was blown away by his performance of “The Clap” that night, and have remained a fan ever since. The way that he blends jazz and classical influences with rock defines his uniques style. A few years later I was equally impressed by “Mood for a Day”. I spent ages trying to learn to play it, and never got past the first few minutes. 
I have seen Steve twice in solo concert, both times with my mate Will. The first time was a concert in a small room in South Shields Temple Park Leisure centre, with support from Isaac Gullory. The second was at the Sage more recently when he performed with the Steve Howe trio which features his son Dylan Howe on drums and Ross Stanley on Hammond organ. The trio is very jazz oriented, but still perform versions of some Yes classics. For me a Steve Howe concert isn’t complete without “The Clap” or “Mood for a Day” (and ideally both!).
Archive for the ‘Yes’ Category
22 Mar
Steve Howe in concert 1994 and 2010
14 Apr
The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band Sunderland Empire 1969. Supported by Roy Harper and Yes
The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Roy Harper, Yes, Mad Dog
Sunderland Empire Theatre March 8th 1969
(Semi) memories of my first gig
The first concert I ever attended was the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band at Sunderland Empire in March 1969. I was 12 years old at the time and had been getting into pop and rock music for a year or two. I’d started to buy the New Musical Express and was beginning to collect records. I managed to persuade my parents to let me attend the concert on the basis that there were two shows at 6pm and 9pm, and that if I went to the earlier show, I could safely get the bus home. None of my friends at the time were interested so I bought myself a ticket, reserving myself a seat in the front row of the stalls. First gigs are important in my view. They can shape musical taste and set allegiances for life. For me this gig set me on an unavoidable path to becoming obsessed with seeing bands, with rock music in general, and gave me a life long interest in Yes and Roy Harper, who both formed part of the supporting bill. I can still remember aspects of this gig some 43 years later as I write this. I sat fascinated at the performers on stage, and entranced by the loud music. In fact the volume was something that did it for me. The bands (I probably called them groups at the time) seemed very, very loud to me; I was almost frightened that my hearing would be damaged (in fact, it is starting to go slightly now, but it has taken a long time, and I can’t be sure that it is a result of going to rock concerts, but I suspect it is). And the power, passion and energy of the performers also struck me. First up was a band called Mad Dog. I’m not sure what happened to them, and the only song I can recall was a great version of Moby Grape’s Can’t Be So Bad, which appears on one of the Rock Machine albums. Next up was Yes who were a revelation, and fascinated me with their jazzy mix of rock and pop. And they played some songs that I knew: Something’s Coming from West Side Story and The Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby. They also played No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed, which is a Richie Havens song and appears on Yes’ second album, and opens with the theme from the film The Big Country. Yes had yet to release their first album, and the line up at that time was Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Bill Bruford, Peter Banks and Tony Kaye. I was impressed by how Jon and Chris were dressed; Chris in particular was sporting a natty hat and impressive flares and boots. I recall that a compere introduced each band and chatted to the audience while the stage set up was being changed around, in the way that I imagine it worked on 60s package tours. Next up was Roy Harper who sat to the right of the stage on a high stool, directly in front of me. He had incredibly long hair (something else which impressed me) and was wearing a pair of beat up old jeans and big work boots. I think he sang Hells Angels, Nobodies Got Any Money in the Summer, and I Hate The White Man. I was surprised at the way he interacted with the audience; it was as if people knew him and were having conversations with him from the stalls. Finally the bill toppers took to the stage, accompanied by some amazing machines and props which were always an important part of the Bonzos show. The Bonzo Dog Band (they had shortened their name at this time) performed tracks from their first two albums Gorilla and The Doughnut in Granny’s Greenhouse, including such great (and fun) songs as: Cool Britannia, The Equestrian Statue, Jollity Farm, Look Out There’s a Monster Coming, Death Cab for Cutie (which I has seen them perform on TV in the Beatles Magical Mystery Tour show), Can Blue Men Sing the Whites?, Trouser Press (featuring some natty on stage trouser pressing), and of course I’m The Urban Spaceman, during which Viv Stanshall blew through a long plastic tube while swinging it around his head. And so the die was cast, I set out on my life long concert journey which has given me great joy over the years, and also caused me some trouble at times when I become obsessive and attend too many! Sadly I don’t have a ticket stub for this concert. I hadn’t got into the habit of saving them at that stage, and the tickets for shows at the Empire at the time simply listed the date, and not the artist, so didn’t seem worth keeping.
29 Mar
Jon Anderson Newcastle City Hall 1980
Jon Anderson Newcastle City Hall 
Support from Clare Hamill (thanks Doug)
Jon had just left Yes for a solo career. He had been replaced in Yes by Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes of Buggles, which is a story for another day’s blog. I remember this show well. Marie came along with me and we had tickets near the front, sitting right in front of Jon. Jon’ s solo material was very impressive and his voice as strong and beautiful as ever. He focussed on material from his solo album which had just been released and also threw in a few Yes favourites. 
Jon Anderson has a unique voice which works best on the jazz tinged ballads that early Yes produced. He always seems very at ease on stage. I guess there were ego clashes between him and Chris Squire, who are both clearly very strong personalities, but this never showed on stage. Yes were one of the first bands that I ever saw, in the late 60s, and I’ve always had a soft spot for them. I do hope that Jon rejoins the rest of the Yes guys some day. Although Yes are still great, it will never be quite the same for me without Jon centre stage, preferably wearing a cheesecloth smock top and singing And You And I or Your Is No Disgrace.
9 Nov
Yes Manchester Apollo November 13th 2011
Yes Manchester Apollo November 13th 2011
This rounded off a week of old memories, travelling and reflecting on the past. After seeing Roy Harper at his 70th birthday concert in London last week, I went to see Yes on Sunday in Manchester.
The first concert I ever went to was The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band at the Sunderland Empire in 1969. The support acts were Roy Harper and Yes. It’s funny how things keep coming around. The only member of Yes that was there with me all those years ago in the Empire is bassist Chris Squire; but some of the other guys have been there for many years! The Yes set in those days consisted of songs from the first couple of albums: Then, Time and a Word, Sweet Dreams, No Opportunity Necessary, Somethings Coming. I can picture myself now, a wide eyed kid sitting in the front row; totally mesmerised by the shiny, jazzy new sound of this band, with Jon Anderson’s vocals ringing in my ears, and Chris Squire’s bass thudding into my chest. In that moment I knew rock music was so important to me, and that I had to continue going to concerts, and I have done so ever since. I followed Yes through the 70s and saw them several times at Newcastle City Hall, and festival appearances at Reading and Stoke City Ground. I experienced (endured?) the Topographic Oceans tour and was confused by the Buggles Drama tour.
This time round the line up is Chris Squire bass, Steve Howe guitar, Alan White drums, ex-Buggles and Drama-era Yes Geoff Downes keyboards, and the (newish) vocalist Benoît David. So much has changed since those late 60s days, and yet in some ways nothing has changed at all. Yes are still playing wonderful music.
I arrived at Manchester Apollo around 7.15pm. There was no support act, Yes were onstage shortly after 8pm and played a reasonably long (two hours or so) set.
Yes were truly excellent. They are playing as well as they did in the 70s. Benoit has really fitted in and it is starting to feel right to see him there singing those great songs. His voice is very strong, and I got the feeling that the crowd has now accepted him as a full member of the Yes team.
It was nice to see Alan White introduce his 88 year old mum who was in the crowd last night. For me the stand outs were the opener Yours is No Disgrace, And You and I, Heart of the Sunrise (which brought Chris Squire to the front of the stage for the bass lines), Starship Trooper and the encore Roundabout. Wonderful. Mental note to myself: I must go to every Yes tour from now on; no excuses. They are just too good to miss.
Setlist: Yours Is No Disgrace; Tempus Fugit; I’ve Seen All Good People / Your Move; Life on a Film Set; And You and I; Solitaire / To Be Over (Steve Howe solo acoustic); Fly From Here; Wonderous Stories; Into the Storm; Heart of the Sunrise; Starship Trooper
Encore: Roundabout
I still hate e-tickets
13 Nov
Anderson and Wakeman Sage Gateshead 8 November 2010
Anderson and Wakeman Sage Gateshead 8 November 2010
Will and I went to see Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman on Monday at the Sage Gateshead. The two former members of Yes have toured before together, however this is the first time that they have come to the North East and hence the first time that Will and I had seen them in this formation. The show was billed as The Project 360 Tour and featured a selection of new songs form their new album The LivingTree (they called this part of the show the “recital”) and many old Yes favourites (the “recycle”!). The show was in two halves with a short internal between. Will and I had wondered on the way through whether the two guys would be accompanied by a band; in fact there was no band. The show was centred around Rick on two keyboards and Jon on acoustic guitar and vocals. We were treated to lots of banter between the two of them, which highlighted their very different personalities; Jon still very much an old hippy, Rick a bloke who would be more at home in the local pub.
The new songs sounded OK, and were very Yes like, but it was the Yes classics that the pretty full house had come to see. These included Yours is No Disgrace, Sweet Dreams, Time and a Word, Roundabout, Starship Trooper, And you and I, Owner of the Lonely Heart; I amsure I will have missed some.
The first thing that I must say is that Jon’s voice is amazing; still as strong as it always was, and that he had no problems at all in reaching any of the notes. The arrangements of the Yes songs took some getting used to for me. I missed hearing a band; but having said that it was still great to hear those wonderful songs sung by Jon again.
ticket
programme
14 Mar
Steve Howe Trio Sage Gateshead Mon 8 March
Steve Howe Trio Sage Gateshead Mon 8 March
Will and I went to see the Steve Howe Trio at the Sage on Monday. Laura and her friends were in Hall One watching Grizzly Bear (must admit I didn’t know who they are) while we were in Hall Two for Steve. Steve’s Trio consists of himself on (of course) guitar, his son on drums and a fine keyboard player. He opened the first set with a jazzy version of He Ain’t Heavy which was rather appropriate as I had been to see the Hollies two days before. The rest of the set, which was in two halves, consisted of instrumental versions of Yes classics and some jazz pieces. Steve is undoubtedly a fine guitarist, but I found the material a little too jazz-oriented for my liking. Highlight for me was a great version of Heart of the Sunrise.
ticket
21 Nov
Yes Newcastle City Hall November 20th 2009
Yes Newcastle City Hall November 20th 2009
Yes are a special band for me. The first concert I went to over 40 years ago was the Bonzo Dog Band at Sunderland Empire with Yes, Roy Harper and Mad Dog (?) as supporting acts. At the time Yes were a new band who had just released their first album. Since then Yes and I have seen a lot of changes over the years. I’ve seen lots of different line-ups and lots of different tours; including most of the 70s tours, the Buggles line up, Topographic Oceans (yawn), a show at Stoke City Ground which was stopped short because of terrible rain, headlining Reading in the mid-70s when they were simply majestic and at the top of thier game, up to the last UK tour at Manchester MEN arena (which was OK). Once again a new line-up is touring the UK, and Yes are back at the City Hall.
The current line-up features long timers Chris Squire (the only remaining member from the really early days), Steve Howe, Alan White, Oliver Wakeman (yes Rick has been replaced by his son) and a new singer (can’t remember his name; I need to look it up!) replacing Jon Anderson. To be honest I wasn’t sure what this was going to be like or what to expect; but hey its Yes, its the City Hall, and its Friday night!
I dropped a guitar off to Laura and arrived at around 7.35, took my seat and Yes took the stage about a minute later! Wow! An early start; that’ll do me ; I thought!
The set was a best-of-Yes including some songs that I don’t think I’ve seen them do for years. If I had to write down my favourite Yes songs it would have pretty much been this. So we get Yours is No Disgrace, Astral Traveller (great; takes me back to the late 60s! and seeing them play the Time and a Word lp supporting The Nice), Roundabout, Heart of the Sunrise (probably my favourite), Steve plays Mood for a Day, And You and I (I’m back in the field in Reading in my mind, but actually I always thought this one was a bit over-rated), and Starship Trooper.
And they were absolutely great. The new members have brought new life into the band. The new singer is excellent, he sings faultlessly. Of course he isn’t Jon and thats sad, but actually he does a wonderful job. The older guys area clearly enjoying it, Steve plays great, and Chris is as in command of his bass, and the band as ever. It is of course, a home coming for Alan White. The crowd love it and the band get standing ovations for many of the songs, and some even run down to the front and are dancing along to Roundabout (does seem a bit strange seeing 50+ and 60+ year olds behaving like kids again, but also great; I’m not the only one reliving rock memories).
Awesome. The best concert I have been to for some time. I’m tempted to drive to Manchester tonight to see them again.
Next gig is Yusuf (aka Cat Stevens) in Birmingham on Monday. That should be interesting.
Set list:
Siberian Khatru
Your Move – I’ve Seen All Good People
Tempus Fugit
Onward
Astral Traveller
Yours Is No Disgrace
And You And I
Steve Howe Acoustic Solo including Mood for a Day
Owner Of A Lonely Heart
Southside Of The Sky
Machine Messiah
Heart Of The Sunrise
Roundabout
Encore:
Starship Trooper
ticket
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