Dream Theater Weekend

Wolverhampton Civic Hall 23 July 2011

After some twitching in my concert summer schedule I decided it was a must to see Dream Theater (DT) in Wolverhampton provided is so close to where I live now and it is "small" venue. Support was Eden's Curse, which was an awesome band. Very good opener for DT. But anyway I was happy that their set finished...

DT setlist was the one they have been playing, they are only changing the encore a bit or playing selected songs from the setlist when playing shorter sets like 1 hour or less in European summer festival spots. This is mainly a summer tour and they are playing the song "On the Backs of Angels" which will be part of their upcoming album "A Dramatic Turn of Events". This tour also serves as a welcoming tour for Mike Mangini at least an introduction to the European fans.

The setlist for Wolverhampton show:
1.Under a Glass Moon
2.These Walls
3.Forsaken
4.Endless Sacrifice
5.Drum Solo
6.The Ytse Jam
7.Peruvian Skies
8.The Great Debate
9.On the Backs of Angels
10.Caught In A Web
11.Through My Words
12.Fatal Tragedy
13.The Count of Tuscany
Encore:
14.Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper

Setlist for Wolverhampton was the same as the previous show in Leeds (UK) with Metropolis pt 1 as the encore (I didn't go to leeds). What a great opener that "Under a Glass Moon" is... And the whole set is amazing... I was a bit worried about "These Walls" but I was so wrong... It was perfect... It brings the perfect balance after the opener... The setlist is so well designed that by the time you think only 20 minutes has passed... You are already listening to "The Count of Tuscany". “On the Backs of Angels” sounds good live... better than in studio I must say...

As this was a headline show the band had their video show which I like very much (specially the Wizard 3D live animation). The setlist includes one song from each album in the main set. The encore is one more from “Images and Words” (Metropolis pt 1 or Learning to live). I have to say after Saturday, I thought I would see exactly the same setlist the next day as Metropolis seems to be better suited for festival audiences (not that any DT song is really suited for festival audiences lol), but still I was not expecting a change the next day.
The band sounded awesome, I was second to the barrier in the middle between the centre and John Petrucci (the left side of the stage as from the bands perspective). I had the chance to take very good pictures and thought that would have been my very best location ever in a DT show.

This was my 4th DT gig, saw them in Oslo in 2005 in the Octavarium tour “An Evening with” show and in 2009 in Southampton (inc. meet and greet) in the European Summer tour and in Manchester in the Black Clouds and Silver Linings Progressive nation tour 2009. These are pretty much the options I had to see them in the countries I have lived in.

Well we all know that John Petrucci (JP), Jordan Rudess (JR) aka the Wizard, John Myung (JM) and James Labrie (JLB) are amazing and they were. I was really close to JP so could see him shredding and wow he is amazing... And everything seems so easy for him... JLB is sounding great, his voice, as he acknoledges, has matured but he is still one of the most amazing voices out there. JM totally awesome but on Saturday I was not on his side so I couldn't see him that much that night. The Wizard amazing... I have to say that after Mike Portnoy (MP) no longer in the band, JR is my favorite band member... When he takes the Zen Riffer and comes to the front and shows his wizardry in the front is just so cool. But I was not on his side that night...

The new one: Mike Mangini (MM). I am a huge MP's fan and will always be, but I have to say that MM knows how to hit that massive cage that he calls drumkit... That is a huge drumkit... And since he has the octabans on the top, it looks really cool when he hits them... He goes up and down and to the right and to the left like we human beings walk to our rooms... It is just what he does... His drum solo is ridiculously breathtaking, is cool watching it on youtube but being there is a whole different experience (of course). He can play everything with whatever arm he wants, and he really shows off... During his solo, he does a cross arm at mach 5 that blows your mind...

I don't know if MP skills will be missed I don’t think so... I don't know if MP care for the fans will be missed, we will see... for sure MM has the technical skills to seat behind the DT drumkit and totally dominate it. However, at this moment since he is just starting touring again after years of being a faculty member in the Department of Percussion at Berkley, he looks tired after some songs (not that it affect his performance though) and he actually lets everybody know that he is exhausted... So I don't know if we will see Evening with shows (no opener DT basically plays to sets) ... But especially after reading an interview with JLB ... Well JLB did not mention anything in particular related but I don't see "An Evening with" tours coming anytime soon... I don't know if in the future, but I don't think so... But that is how things are... Maybe I am wrong... (I hope I am wrong about this!). Talking about that interview, I think that it is also sad that DT is not doing rotating setlists anymore... But I understand it (And they probably know what is best for them)... I don't like this decision (just my opinion) but I keep supporting the band... But one of the various things that made DT different apart from the virtuosity and complexity and metal, is (or was) the setlist rotation...

Well... I went home and did not sleep that much, and on Sunday jump in the train to go to London.

High Voltage Festival 24 July 2011

I arrived early afternoon to Victoria Park which is located in Hackney in Greater London, Hackney is not a tourists destination I must say...

The High Voltage Festival (HVF) is a classic and prog oriented festival. They have 3 stages: the metal stage, the prog stage and the main stage. Audience seems quite mature, a lot of middle age people. Very peaceful festival... Headliners on Saturday had been Judas Priest. On Sunday the main stage included: Saint Jude, Michael Schenker, Thunder, Black Country Communion and finally the headliners would be DT (DT is the reason why I went to the festival). On Sunday on the prog stage, the headliners were Jethro Tull, I missed them of course... as I had to take a good spot before DT would onstage.

I enjoyed very much Michael Schenker set, being an Iron Maiden fan it is something to listen to "Doctor Doctor". For you who do not know, Steve Harris bassist and founder of Maiden, is a huge UFO fan. "Doctor Doctor" is a song that is always the last in the PA before a Maiden show. Maiden and DT are my two favourite bands (yes I know what you are thinking; this guy has extremely good taste in music).

When Thunder was about to play I decided it was time to begin to try and get to the front. I thought it was going to be very difficult until Thunder started to play and I realised that these people that were to the front in that time were probably not keen on seeing DT. Thunder seemed forever... Don't take me wrong they are ok... But is not my cup of tea (or ice cream, not a huge fan of tea really). Too rock and rolly for being sober (I don’t drink when I am going to see my favourite bands)... Anyway... Their set finished and some people started to get out so I kept gaining positions.

Black Country Communion (BBC) was good I must say, well of course it is basically rock royalty and includes a keyboardist that of course we all know a lot: Derek Sherenian (DS), DT keyboardist before he was released so the Wizard could join the band. Well I have to say that DS sounds like him... I am not a musician (at all) and you could just let me listen a bit without letting me know who is that and I would tell you: "That keyboard playing sounds familiar... Hmmm... Wait a minute... " Hopefully eventually I would tell you that is DS, well maybe not... But still the point is he really sounds like himself. By the way I really think DS is a very good keyboard player, probably way better than an average one... But there is only one Wizard... BCC finished their set and a lot of people left the front so the DT fans could take over... Luck was on my side this weekend...

And now it was again time for DT, I was touching the barrier with one of my hands. Before the show some photographers took some pics... I tried to show my Ecuador flag, hopefully it will get there to the HVF facebook page.

DT on stage!!! Wow... As it is summer here in UK, at least half an hour into their set was with daylight which was awesome because I could take awesome photos. This night I was on the side of the JR and JM. I have to say that at that moment I was thinking I can't believe I am lucky enough to see DT as headliner act from the front. For some reason I had better perspective than in Wolverhampton. Well I actually know the reason (of course), the stage in a festival is very high and some meters away from the fans barrier. So I could see everything almost without turning my head.

Wizardry to the front: When the Wizard comes to the front with his Zen Riffer all the JR fans (include me in this group) get so excited. He is using the Zen Riffer for the instrumental part in "Endless sacrifice". For those who have not seeing him, he comes to the front and as a guitar player he shows off and totally gets the spotlight... He has moves that he obviously has rehearsed... He totally blows your mind with his total wizardry and geeky coolness (Ah?... Can geekyness and coolness coexist, well it can! Ask the Wizard!), what a prodigy... . I had a close view of his new keyboard stand. Just amazing now apart from turning, he can also incline it... He inclined it at the intro and outro in "The Great Debate", and during the crazy part of "Fatal Tragedy"... Total awesomeness
Talking about the Wizard right now there is a poll by musicradar to vote for the best keyboard player ever... This should be the Wizard, seriously as I read a post somewhere, the only interesting thing is to know who is the 2nd... but JR is for sure the best ever...

Well this night was even better than the previous one. DT knew that this was their confirmation as a big band, not that they need a confirmation of anything but still being a festival headlining act in the country cradle of metal and prog is something! DT was on fire! I know they are always amazing but still, but this was definitively special as JP stated in his twitter account the day after "Last night at High Voltage was truly memorable. What a beautiful evening! Great to see all of our freinds." And yes it was memorable... I have to say that there was magic in that night... this was probably one of the most special nights in DT history. I haven’t seen any of their previous special nights (the recording of Live Scenes from NY, the recording of Score, etc, but I am sure this was one of those special ones). HVF was filming everything... I would love DT could sell this as a DVD but I don’t think this would happen... I will try to get a bootleg. As a fan I got into them right after “A change of seasons” came out... all their previous material blew my mind and bought their 4th record when it was just out... long time ago now... it was so special to see them headlining a festival!

The main set was the same as previous day but the encore changed: "Learning to live" as encore instead of "Metropolis pt 1"... Memorable moment... JLB hit the note although for a very short time. But it was good to listen to his voice in such a good shape.

The show finished and I was like in total ecstasy... My feet were destroyed, I was thirsty (hadn't drunk anything like in 6 hours to avoid the need of going to the toilet so I could get to the very front) but I was very happy...

I have to say that sometimes when I think about time travelling and what to do if I am ever able to travel in time ... I always think about Monsters of Rock in Donington UK 1988 (yes, tragic also during Guns n Roses set) but that was the first time Maiden headlined Monsters of Rock. I don't know if DT will ever headline a festival like Download or Sonisphere... But they definitively proved (not that they need to prove anything really) that they can be a headline act...

I started to walk to the exit and started to think about somebody, one of my greatest heroes, somebody who cared a lot about us (the DT fans). He had been in charge of most decisions in the band and in that way with non radio friendly songs, with odd time signatures, with 20 solos in a song, with an operatic voice, with “wanking" keyboards (all these things we love but are not mainstream)... so they manage to headline a festival... some 30k people in HVF I guess... After seeing that show that night I understood that DT couldn't be stopped, it was their time. They had to keep the momentum growing... There was no chance for pauses or hiatus... DT needed to move on... still I kept thinking that somebody should have been there probably in this special moment, I can’t believe he missed that moment (Why did he take that decision, I know he was burnt out and it is obvious that the things inside the band were not smooth... but still... maybe they could have work it out) What can we (the fans) do... The band moved on... So we probably should too... Maybe he will someday come back (deep inside I wish so...) but at this moment after reading some interviews and seeing things getting personal... it seems difficult... and honestly the one that is there now is very technically gifted... so I don’t know...

This was my best weekend ever... Thank you Dream Theater... Thank you for keeping the dream alive... Maybe in a new way... With no totally rotating setlists... But still the spirit carries on...

Pictures, (click the following links)

Wolverhampton

High Voltage Festival – London

High Quality Video Peruvian Skies at High Voltage Festival 2011


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