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YES DEPANDING ON THEIR FANS LOYALTY

Yes live at The Vereeniging-Nijmegen (NL)

November 21, 2011

Reviewer: Michel Scheijen
Pictures by Bert Treep.

Only Yes has the courage to face a tricky deja-vu. Three decades ago the band hit the road without their illusterous keymembers Jon Anderson (vocals) and Rick Wakeman (keyboards). Singer/producer Trevor Horn and keyboarder Geoff Downes stepped into their shoes for the plagued ‘Drama’-album. As we all know: it caused a nasty way of trouble with critics and their so devoted fanbase.

Now Yes-mark XIII (and still counting) hit the road without Anderson and Wakeman again. Yesmen Chris Squire (bass), Steve Howe (guitar), and Alan White (drums) recruted Canadian singer Benoit David and ex-Yesman Geoff Downes (Asia) to record and promote the ‘Fly From Here’-album.

Does it satisfy this time? The fans are joyfully embracing the new album, so it seems that they’re giving Yes the benefit of their doubt.

On stage it’s a bit dissapointing to discover that things don’t work-out quite well… yet. Benoit David is young, eeger, and brings a certain refreshment on stage. Most important issue: he’s not trying to be Jon Anderson! He’s quite himself in the right way. But his voice is lacking sometimes in the higher range. During the all time Yes-classic ‘And You And I’ he makes a real boner.

Drummer Alan White seems to suffer and struggle. His facial exposure shows that he certainly isn’t in a remarkable shape. He doesn’t seem to handle the staggering rhythms anymore. Perhaps age could be the prepetrator?

Dressed like the lunatic Baron Von Münchhausen, Geoff Downes is an eyecatcher. His stage set-up of keyboards is truly an amazing sight. His playing is fabulous, but perhaps somewhat discreet. From that point of view he’s a million miles away from Rick Wakeman. Geoff’s non-soloing during ‘Wonderous Stories’ leaves a hole and raises some eyebrowes. But Geoff strikes back during a first-class version of ‘Heart Of The Sunrise’. Together with his Asia-partner Steve Howe, he’s the nucleus of this Yes-mark XIII.

Despite the misses, but this version of Yes is a capabel one. It has energy, passion, and great music. Chris Squire has to shape things up a bit. The surprising contentment of the crowd shows that maybe this time he owns their loyalty.

Setlist:

1. Yours Is No Disgrace
2. Tempus Fugit
3. Your Move/I’ve Seen All Good People
4. Life On A Film Set
5. And You And I
6. Solitaire (Steve Howe solo)
7. The Clap (Steve Howe solo)
8. Fly From Here (complete)
9. Wonderous Stories
10. Into The Storm
11. Heart Of The Sunrise
12. Starship Trooper

Encore:

13. Roundabout

Reviewer: Michel Scheijen
Pictures by Bert Treep, please visit his site with more beautiful pics ;-)

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Updated December 2011 by Nick.

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