Event:	Steven Wilson: Hand. Cannot. Erase. European Tour 2016
Written by:	Ivor
Published:	24.02.2016
Galleries:	Steven Wilson - The Circus, Helsinki, Finland, 12.02.2016 by Ivor (20)

Less than a year ago, last April, I was at this very same venue, at the show of this very same artist. It still being more or less the Hand. Cannot. Erase. tour, I was expecting something of a repeat show, albeit, as I discovered not so long ago, with a slightly changed line-up. To my delight, Steven Wilson delivered two full sets of great stuff spanning slightly over two-and-a-half hours.




It's always interesting to gain a comparative vantage point on the shows, whether immediately back-to-back on the road, or at the same venue over a short period of time. It brings out interesting nuances. Frankly, I was saddened by the change in the line-up. I liked that 2/3 of The Aristocrats. It's always a joy to look at Marco Minnemann drumming, and Guthrie Govan is no slouch on guitar either. And having seen the band twice with them, they kind of felt integral to the whole Steven Wilson experience.

Craig Blundell on drums and David Kilminster on guitar are more than capable substitutions for the pair that left. While I clearly could feel the difference in drumming and guitar sound, that shift was kind of subtle. I couldn't tell if it were better or worse even if pressed. It was subtly different. More importantly, though, it worked. When somebody new comes in, they come with a touch of individuality that can oftentimes be distractive. These newcomers blended right in with their flavour.




The gig last April was in one aspect particularly important: it unlocked the Hand. Cannot. Erase. album for me. While I liked the album in and of itself reasonably enough even before seeing it performed, with all the added background video extras unfolding the storyline visually, the concert spun an interpretation on the album that made it speak to me. For some odd reason, for this album to become really alive, I needed to see it spring to life, to live.

To draw you an analogy, seeing the Hand. Cannot. Erase. on stage for the first time was like acquiring a friend for life. In comparison, this time around, seeing the album performed in its entirety during the first set was something akin to meeting that old friend you haven't seen in a while. It's essentially the same person, slightly changed and aged, but still, when you get down to it, the very same one you acquired for life what seemed like just yesterday.




During the gig Steven appeared to be in a rather talkative mood. I particularly enjoyed his interruption of the show to find out the cricket score between England and South Africa. "I'm serious, I'm not continuing until I know the score... What? 2-1?! Goes to show how much you know about cricket. It'll be in hundreds, I think." Ultimately he had to face the disappointment of defeat, saying he'd make "Transience" particularly sad. Nominating "Routine" as his entry for the competition of the most depressive song ever written, as well as his dedication of "Lazarus" to David Bowie because of the character named David, were also quite amusing interludes.

The second set of the show covered quite a bit of ground with Porcupine Tree songs among some others off his brand new EP 4½ and a couple of older solo tunes. From the shows I've been to, the audience has always been slightly partial and more geared towards Porcupine Tree songs, possibly due to some extra bite they bring. Ultimately, though, I think it's more the case of the typical nostalgia feeling of hearing a classic, rather than, say, anything to do with the quality of Wilson's solo output. Personally I felt "Index" to be performed very imposingly this night, probably the best I've seen it, either in person or video. And a pleasant, although admittedly not entirely surprising, addition to the encore was Steven's acoustic duet with David "Ninet for the night" Kilminster on Bowie's classic "Space Oddity."




Set 1 (Hand. Cannot. Erase.):
1. First Regret
2. 3 Years Older
3. Hand. Cannot. Erase.
4. Perfect Life
5. Routine
6. Home Invasion
7. Regret #9
8. Transience
9. Ancestral
10. Happy Returns
11. Ascendant Here On...
Set 2:
12. Dark Matter (Porcupine Tree Cover)
13. Open Car (Porcupine Tree Cover)
14. My Book Of Regrets (4½)
15. Index (Grace For Drowning)
16. Lazarus (Porcupine Tree Cover)
17. Don't Hate Me (Porcupine Tree Cover)
18. Vermillioncore (4½)
19. Sleep Together (Porcupine Tree Cover)
Encore:
20. Space Oddity (David Bowie Cover)
21. Sound Of Muzak (Porcupine Tree Cover)
22. The Raven That Refused To Sing (The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories))

Steven Wilson's live performances are worth seeing numerous times. It's not just for the slight chance of getting a Porcupine Tree tune, and it's not just about Steven himself or his work either. He has a solid, even if slightly changing, band behind him, every one of them a masterful musician and among the best in trade. It's a joy hearing what they play together as well as how they play it.