Steven Wilson - Warwick Arts Centre

I've never seen Steven Wilson before , or been to the Warwick Arts Centre at the University of Warwick. So a first in different ways. Parking was good, free after 5pm in the multi storey on site. We had a good couple of hours to kill before doors and we had reserved seats so no rushing around tonight.

Off to the Student Union bar 'The Mucky Duck' it was then. I have to say three very nice pints of 'Wye Valley' 'Goddess' Golden Ale (4%) went down well. Not much studying going on in there I can tell you.   
As expected the audience  was largely made up of males over the age of 40. I set my wife a challenge of trying to spot 10 teenagers which with some effort she just about managed. (2 females as well).

I confess that I am not an expert on Steven Wilson.I know that he was with 'Porcupine Tree' and before that  'No Man'. A self taught multi instrumentalist, a Producer for a 'who's who' of
'prog rock' royalty. The Daily Telegraph described
him as the most successful British Artist you've
never heard of. After a career spanning 30 years and numerous awards he is justifiably known as the 'King of Prog Rock'. 

At this stage I will mention the absence of photographs..No sooner had I got my camera out than I noticed a tap on my shoulder. Strange place to put a tap I thought .... A stewardess
 warned me that photography was prohibited and I would be requested to leave if I continued. I queried this draconian action during the interval and was told that it was not the venue but the artist who had made the request. No doubt to stop people filming the entire concert I suspect.
This tour is to promote his 5th solo album 'To the Bone'. 8 tracks from the album are played.

 As you would expect the musicianship is of the highest quality.
 I was surprised how much he spoke to the audience as I always thought he was quite reserved. He spoke about how he has never labelled his music as a particular genre. His love of Prince and David Bowie. Listening tonight I am struck by the Pink Floyd and Peter Gabriel influences. It is about a three and a half hour concert all told with a 20 minute interval.  As with watching Dream Theater there are parts that are very 'instrumental' and lengthy. For someone not well versed in the back catalogue it can be a case of persevering until those moments of something explosive detonate and all is good again.There were 6 Porcupine Tree songs thrown into the mix culminating with the wonderful and melodic ' The Raven who refused to Sing'. In the week we lost the wonderful Ken Dodd who liked a long show, you get the feeling Steven Wilson would happily stay and play all night if he could.

Full Set List

Intro ('Truth' short film)

Set 1

Nowhere Now
Pariah
Home Invasion
Regret #9
The Creator has a Mastertape
Refuge
People who Eat Darkness
Ancestral

Set 2

Arriving Somewhere but not Here
Permanating
Song of I
Lazarus
Detonation
The same Asylum as Before
Heartattack in a Layby
Vermillioncore
Sleep Together

Encore

Even Less
The Raven that Refused to Sing