BACKDOORS PART-2(STEVEN WILSON)

EDIT: The link for the photographs for the Backdoors event is out on their official page, and so I am updating the post with the link down here. Do check it out 😀

https://www.facebook.com/pg/thtbackdoors/photos/?tab=album&album_id=627211697403883

 

It has been exactly one week since the BACKDOORS event happened, and I am still not over the awesomeness of it. Continuing from my first part of the BACKDOORS experience, I will now cover the most important aspect of this show, the one and only STEVEN WILSON!!!!

The crowd had thronged to the second stage, and were eagerly waiting for the band members to take stage. People were trying to push through the front as much as they could to get a glimpse of the man himself. The excitement levels were such that any passing person on the stage would be met with cheers and screams, expecting him to be one of the band members. We thought we would have to wait out for a few more minutes. Moments after that thought crossed my head, the band members, Wilson included came onto the stage and took their respective positions.

The crowd went mad, the moment was here. The genius was on stage, the instruments were ready, and the cheers didn’t stop for even a second. Looking out to the crowd, the band started off by playing the intro riff of the title song, “Hand Cannot Erase”, which kicked things up even more, as the crowd starting singing along, and grooving to it. Steven Wilson played the last show of his worldwide tour in Bengaluru, to promote his album, “Hand Cannot Erase”. After the song, the band themselves got the hang of the mad crowd, which I am pretty sure they would have expected, but not to the extent of the reality at Backdoors. 😀

He then armed himself with the bass guitar, and they started off to “Home Invasion”, infusing the required energy into the show, changing the entire setting of the show, from a show playing soothing, peaceful, to a power packed show, where half the crowd were already headbanging. The lighting and the sounds did their part in making this show as exciting as it already was.

After that energetic song, and that treat of pure prog rock music, he then went on to speak to the crowd, and present one of his own famous songs as a tribute to the late David Bowie, and that song is none other than Lazarus. This is one of his most recognizable songs, written during his stint with Porcupine Tree. True to its nature, the crowd sang the chorus louder than Wilson (Of course they were singing the other parts with him, but nothing beats the chorus). The setting was perfect, with Wilson on the acoustic guitar, the lights focused on him, and the crowd singing with him, and losing themselves into the music.  The “Lazarus” moment was captured by many smartphones during the chorus. The piano kicks into the next song, and he begins to sing the song “Happy Returns”, making the crowd sway to the soft acoustic song, supported suitably by the band.

Apart from the music, the band also played visuals for each of the songs behind, which was like an icing on the cake, adding to the overall experience. He then moved onto some of his older solo work, starting with one of my all time favorites, Harmony Korine and then going to Index. The execution of the song “Index” was done differently, with the introduction based on clicks of fingers by all the members keeping time, with Wilson singing the first part, and then the band kicking into the music after the chorus.

To give the crowd sometime to breathe, and relax into his music, he then moved into “Ancestral”, which is a 13-minute-long song, and gave us the right kind of mood to just enjoy and sink into his lovely compositions. It was with songs like this, that they keyboardist of the band, Adam Holzman, played all kinds of sounds, making us pause and notice his mastery behind the keys. Steven himself went behind the keyboards for this one, separately in the center. He went back to Porcupine Tree with “Don’t Hate Me” and “Sleep Together”. A newer version of this song was recorded for his latest EP release, “4 ½”, which was a little longer one, with more music. He then he kicked into the instrumental “Vermillioncore” from the same EP.

Wilson then teased the crowd by saying Goodnight, and leaving the stage with his band members, leaving us wanting for more, but of course came back and promised us more music for the night.

The band returned, and then Wilson talked about how Prince influenced life and his music, and had only great words to speak about him. Paying a tribute to the late artist, they kicked into their cover version of the Prince song , “Sign “☮” the Times”.

He then started off “The Sound of Muzak” and asked the crowd to sing the “catchy chorus” along with him, since he barely gets catchy choruses to write. After all the singing, swaying, and headbanging to the music, it was time for the last song. He got his chair near the mike, and the visuals were in sight. Many people like me guessed the song that was coming, and the first few chords of the piano led us to “The Raven That Refused to Sing”, which got all the die hard fans crazy, since he hadn’t played any songs from that album yet. While some of them lightly sang the initial lines with Wilson, most of them were either lost in the music, in his voice, or in the lovely music video of the song that was being played behind. There were many others, like me as well, who kept watching the visuals as the song went by, getting us into tears, and immersing ourselves into the pain expressed into the song.

He then kicked in with the electric guitar, and went into the final parts of the song, kicking into the stirring motif in a dramatic manner, with the dramatic lighting, bringing an end to his show at an emotional, but a satisfactory high.

This night was a dream come true for all Steven Wilson fans, as no one, like me would have expected him to play live, that too in our own city. When I wore the Raven t-shirt(Courtesy: Headbangers Merchandise), I felt proud to see Bengaluru listed as one of the cities along with those all over the world, where he toured and enthralled the crowds, and also the fact I was in the crowd as well. This night will be remembered for years to come, not just for Steven Wilson, but for the entire musical experience. I don’t think we can thank The Humming Tree enough for giving us Backdoors, and for giving us the Steven Wilson experience, down here in Bangalore. With smiles, and a heart full of satisfaction, the night came to a close. Well I wish I had better photographs, but I got this one from a friend, who was with me.

Picture Courtesy: Fisto Jose

PS: The experience is penned down based solely on memory and a little help from the Internet. The views expressed are solely personal, and does not attempt to be a critic in any form, on any department.

The setlist for this show(Steven Wilson) can be accessed from here:

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/steven-wilson/2016/indiranagar-club-bangalore-india-13fb8109.html