# Just got back from Porcupine Tree...



## Shikaru (Apr 18, 2007)

Oh my god, what an amazing show!  

First night of the tour, and despite Steven Wilson's mentioning of mistakes (I didn't notice any) the performance was fuckin' great. Sound was one of the best I've ever heard, which I wasn't expecting. The setlist was pretty good, though they missed out a song or two I would've liked. They played some very rare songs I'd never heard, but apparently they'd never played live in years, so that was pretty damn cool. The drummer was spot on too, really great player. Also, when they played Open Car (One of my favourite songs), they added an extra section of badass metal riffage in the middle. It was just awesome .

Gear wise, Wilson and the other guy were both playing through "Badcat" amps, Wilson through a half stack and the other guy through a combo. Both of them sounded phenominal, and I wasn't expecting the heavy tones to sound as good as they did from those amps.

It's only recently that I started really getting into PT, but I think I'm hooked now


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## sakeido (Apr 18, 2007)

Man I would not doubt Porcupine Tree puts on a great live show.. my buddy has got their concert DVD and he is talking about it non-stop. Here's to hoping they come to Canada soon  I am damn jealous you got to see them!


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## b3n (Apr 19, 2007)

Cool, I'm seeing them in London next week


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## Donnie (Apr 19, 2007)

Nice. I'm thinking about hitting this show up when it hits Seattle.


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## eleven59 (Apr 19, 2007)

If I can afford it right after moving into our apartment, I'll try to make it to the Toronto show (assuming it's not sold out, I can't seem to make myself check lol).


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## WarriorOfMetal (Apr 19, 2007)

i guess he got his Bad Cat head replaced.....when he played with Blackfield in boston, he used a Rivera head instead of the Bad Cat (although he had a Bad Cat preamp/pedal thing in front), b/c just about every piece of Bad Cat gear they'd taken on that tour had some sort of issues.


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## Grom (Apr 19, 2007)

Been to this show as well  the guys really ruled and gave one of the best show I've been to (it was the 3d time I saw them). The Bad Cat amps sounded much heavier than before ... Their timing was spot-on, and I did not understand why Wilson said at the end that some of the songs they played would not be played anymore ; the setlist was great, methinks.

Gavin Harrison is really too underrated ; this drummer is wicked ...


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## Drew (Apr 19, 2007)

Shikaru said:


> Oh my god, what an amazing show!
> 
> First night of the tour, and despite Steven Wilson's mentioning of mistakes (I didn't notice any) the performance was fuckin' great. Sound was one of the best I've ever heard, which I wasn't expecting. The setlist was pretty good, though they missed out a song or two I would've liked. They played some very rare songs I'd never heard, but apparently they'd never played live in years, so that was pretty damn cool. The drummer was spot on too, really great player. Also, when they played Open Car (One of my favourite songs), they added an extra section of badass metal riffage in the middle. It was just awesome .
> 
> ...



They've been doing that heavy breakdown in "Open Car" every time I've seen it - I miss it in the studio version now. 

I'm not sure what the deal is with Bad Cat - I think it's based loosely on a Matchless, but they've played through them every time I've seen them, and they were the principle rig on "In Absentia" ("Deadwing" was Line6, and suffers for it, I think). They sound absolutely killer, though $2-2.5k for a combo (I've never seen Wilson with a head) is a bit much. 

It's tough to guage in the studio, because Wilson even makes the Pod sound pretty good on DW, but when you hear them live there's no denying the fact that their tone just rules. 

May 25th can't come soon enough.


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## Makelele (Apr 19, 2007)

The tone on their DVD is absolutely crushing. 

I'm really pissed that they chose to come to Finland for the first time right when I'm in the friggin' army. The place they're playing isn't the best choice possible. Would've been smarter to go to Helsinki than the Ilosaarirock festival, which is in the middle of nowhere.

Oh:


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## JesseTheMachine (Apr 19, 2007)

Yeah, the Toronto show is definitely sold out. My friend and I were some of the last to get tickets, back row, and that was like three weeks ago.


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## Shikaru (Apr 19, 2007)

I was looking forward to getting a t-shirt, as I missed the opportunity to get one the night before at Amon Amarth. However, the artwork isn't really thrilling imo, and both of the t-shirt designs weren't great so I opted to save my money.

As an aside, they played the entire of the new album at the show, and "Anesthetize" was definitely one of, if not THE highlight of the show for me. They definitely sounded a lot more rockin' and metal live, and it was great. I didn't feel it took away from their softer side at all, but the heavy sections seemed a lot heavier, which I loved .

I hadn't watched any lives videos of them before, and one thing I noticed was the difference in playing styles between Wilson and the other guy. From what I've seen of Wilson (mostly on the "making of" opeth documentary he's on, and where I don't remember him playing a lot of guitar), I was sort of expecting him to be less of a.... rockin' player? I mean he had his guitar slung real low, moving around quite a bit and he was straight down-picking a lot of stuff. Whereas the other guy seemed a lot more reserved, and he alt-picked pretty much everything etc. Which is more how I was expecting Wilson to be. Definitely both great players though, the other guitarist had a pretty damn good voice as well 

Also, I'll be picking up the CD tomorrow!


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## Roundhouse_Kick (Apr 20, 2007)

Their playing in preston tonight, a lot of my friends are going to see them. 


But me, I'm going to uni to get slaughtered!


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## astrocreep (Apr 20, 2007)

The Glasgow gig was indeed awesome!

I had a strange deja vu like moment about 5 seconds before they started open car... it wasn't like I thought they might play it, I could hear it in my head before they even started!

Anyway, awesome!

(Deadwing recorded on Line 6??? Anyone got any proof of that?)


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## Shikaru (Apr 20, 2007)

I heard on the Andy Sneap forum on Ultimate Metal that it was Line6 mixed with marshall for the dirty tones, and just line6 for cleans...

Also, up yours people not in Europe!:


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## Drew (Apr 20, 2007)

astrocreep said:


> (Deadwing recorded on Line 6??? Anyone got any proof of that?)



The *ahem* liner notes state it was recorded with Line6 exclusively.


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## TomAwesome (Apr 20, 2007)

I haven't seen them live yet because of where I live, but from what I've seen/heard, they put on an awesome live show.

Yeah, I think Steven has pretty much always used Line 6 stuff pretty heavily. He's under the artist list on the L6 site. I love his quote:



Steven Wilson said:


> Several times I have been talking with a producer or engineer who said how much he admired my productions and recording work, but later in the conversation has sneered at the idea of using amp or delay modeling in the studio. I then inform them that the recordings they admire so much are made making extensive use of modeling, and it's with great pleasure I watch their jaws drop!!!


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## Drew (Apr 20, 2007)

Tough to say. I was 99% sure "In Absentia" was cut with his live Bad Cat rig, but reading the liner notes I see nothing to confirm or deny. 

Either way, my ears tell me something changed between that and "Deadwing" - the guitar tones on IA are, to my ears, significantly better. If they're modeled, then not only are they some of the best I've ever heard but they're quite a bit better than what he did a couple years later. I'll pop it into my car tonight and give it another critical listen, but...


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## TomAwesome (Apr 20, 2007)

I didn't mean that he always used L6 for everything.. mainly effects I think. I think he was using real amps on IA, 'cause the tone rocks. DW is the only album that I'm remotely sure of him using any significant amount of amp modeling on.


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## astrocreep (Apr 22, 2007)

Drew said:


> The *ahem* liner notes state it was recorded with Line6 exclusively.



Thanks. 

You know what's frightening? i opened up the liner to check this and didn't recognise any of it. It's like I've never actually looked at it before. Weird, I'm normally the sort of person who overly studies these things.

Oh and is uses the carefully picked "extensive" rather than "exclusive".


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## Makelele (Apr 22, 2007)

The new album seems to be real amps, cause it says Steven Wilson uses Bad Cat amplifiers and Line6 effects in the booklet.


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## Grom (Apr 22, 2007)

Drew said:


> The *ahem* liner notes state it was recorded with Line6 exclusively.



I've never really liked the tone of the guitar solos on this album ... It sounded "processed" to me, unnatural. This may be the explanation ...


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## _detox (May 13, 2007)

Shikaru said:


> I hadn't watched any lives videos of them before, and one thing I noticed was the difference in playing styles between Wilson and the other guy. From what I've seen of Wilson (mostly on the "making of" opeth documentary he's on, and where I don't remember him playing a lot of guitar), I was sort of expecting him to be less of a.... rockin' player? I mean he had his guitar slung real low, moving around quite a bit and he was straight down-picking a lot of stuff. Whereas the other guy seemed a lot more reserved, and he alt-picked pretty much everything etc. Which is more how I was expecting Wilson to be. Definitely both great players though, the other guitarist had a pretty damn good voice as well



The other guitarist guy isn't actually in the band, he just plays with them during concerts. John Wesley (guitarist) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Drew (May 14, 2007)

astrocreep said:


> Oh and is uses the carefully picked "extensive" rather than "exclusive".



 sorry dude, I was going off memory. 

John Wesley also sings some harmonies on FoaDP. Also, I want his gig.


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## Espaul (May 25, 2007)

They're coming to Norway July 11th, and I have tickets. I'm really lookin' forward to it.. I mean REEEEALLY!


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