Steven Wilson N.A. Tour

[alienprophet]

Looks like some cracks forming in Steven Wilsons band. Lead guitarist Guthrie Govan and drummer Marco Minnemann will be replaced after the European leg. The 2015 North American leg will feature Dave Kilminster on lead guitar and Craig Blundell on drums.

I wonder if this lends any credence to the 2016 Porcupine Tree reunion. I find it quite odd for these guys to peruse other projects if Wilson was committed long term to them.

Here is the excerpt from SW website:

SW band lineup changes for Americas/Canada shows
I’m very happy to announce that I will be starting the Americas leg of the Hand. Cannot. Erase. tour with a show in Chile at the Teatro Cariola in Santiago on 8th May. This will also be the first show with a changed band line up, as Guthrie Govan and Marco Minnemann will be departing at the end of the European tour to fulfill touring commitments with their own band The Aristocrats. These 2 guys were always going to be a very hard act to follow, but I’m very pleased to introduce two world class British musicians in the shape of Dave Kilminster on guitar, and Craig Blundell on drums.

Many of you will know that for the last 8 years Dave has been the principal guitar player in the Roger Waters band (if you saw The Wall show you will have seen him on top of the Wall playing the solo at the end of Comfortably Numb!), while Craig has primarily concentrated on being an international clinician for Premier, Roland and Paiste. Both are extraordinarily gifted musicians and I’m honoured to welcome them to the SW band.

Either way, I am looking forward to this release and what lies around the next corner for Steven Wilson.

 

[Catcher10]

I love Marco on drums...saw the GFD tour and he is a beast period!! Looking forward to seeing Dave on guitar, very accomplished for sure. Will have to youtube Craig, don't know him.

Looking forward to the Seattle show, already have my tickets.

 

[alienprophet]

I missed GFD but I did see The Raven Tour, Phenomenal!

As of now, he isnt coming near me on the up coming tour. I hope that he adds some more dates.

 

[burneyreid]

Seen some of Craig Blundell's work on video drum clinics promoting Rolands HD series E-Drum line.
:thmbsp:
I like his style.

As for Porcupine Tree. Love 'em

 

[audiodon]

I've really enjoyed Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree. I've seen PT more than any band since Frank Zappa was touring.
This one will stop in Boston and I'll be there.

It did take me a while to warm to the SW material, since I was lamenting the loss of PT quite a bit, having followed them for over a decade.

 

[alienprophet]

I've really enjoyed Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree. I've seen PT more than any band since Frank Zappa was touring.
This one will stop in Boston and I'll be there.

It did take me a while to warm to the SW material, since I was lamenting the loss of PT quite a bit, having followed them for over a decade.

I thought Insurgentes was very P Tree-ish and easily accessible. Grace for Drowning on the other hand, that was a bit of a challenge for me at first.

Now The Raven, that is masterful record. Impeccable in every aspect. Played live it was mind blowing!

BTW, I read on Prog Wilson is in 100% denial over a possible and near PT reunion. Perhaps he is just done with this current band and the next solo album will have new musicians. SW can be very unpredictable for sure.

 

[audiodon]

Hand. Cannot. Erase has now been released.
I've picked it up on CD at the local Newbury Comics, where someone commented that it's the hottest selling release of the week.
They had a vinyl version with a book inside but it was $100.
Then they announced a 25% off all vinyl sale this weekend.
So, since my wife was going to the mall anyway, I asked her to pick me up a copy. They were sold out, but put a copy on hold at another branch that had to be picked up by Sunday.
I picked it up Sunday and it wasn't the deluxe copy, just a two-disc 180G copy at a far more reasonable price.
Now I have it on vinyl.
I'm looking forward to the Boston performance.
I got my tickets weeks before the new CD was released and to get four seats together I had to get less than great seats.
Amazing.
Oh, and the new disc is very strong. It's reminiscent of P-Tree's The Incident, but much better.

 

[Catcher10]

It's a glorious album by Steven Wilson, another gem. The Seattle show is gonna be amazing in June.....Plenty of time to be all in to this new album.

I read this weekend that Steven is not opposed to a PT reunion, although he has no desire to be the sole creator of the music. So to me he is throwing out the challenge to the rest of the band to create some music that they all can play.
He also said that PT would be a side project and not his main focus anymore.

So there is hope for Porcupine Tree material.......

 

[alienprophet]

It's a glorious album by Steven Wilson, another gem. The Seattle show is gonna be amazing in June.....Plenty of time to be all in to this new album.

I read this weekend that Steven is not opposed to a PT reunion, although he has no desire to be the sole creator of the music. So to me he is throwing out the challenge to the rest of the band to create some music that they all can play.
He also said that PT would be a side project and not his main focus anymore.

So there is hope for Porcupine Tree material.......

Well I cant fault SW for that. If one person is doing all the work why share the credit? Further more Raven and Hand are better than anything PT did since In Absentia. Clearly the rest of the fellas need him worse than he needs them.

Although I have seen PT and SW live and PT has a chemistry on stage that takes a long time to develop. The current band was excellent live, probably better from a technical standpoint, but PT has something different when playing together live. The "it" factor. Unfortunately unless more dates are added I'll be missing this tour.