I'm not the kind of guy to wish ill health on anyone. But I am glad that Yes, featuring a singer from a Yes tribute band that the group found on myspace, is cancelling most of their upcoming tour dates. They say that it's due to "an unseen medical condition." Hopefully everyone is in good health, and the "medical condition" is a combination of well deserved poor ticket sales and a case of "tail between the legs." Bring back Jon Anderson, we'll all feel better.
Friday, February 13, 2009
YES CANCELING MOST OF THEIR FAKE TOUR DATES
I'm not the kind of guy to wish ill health on anyone. But I am glad that Yes, featuring a singer from a Yes tribute band that the group found on myspace, is cancelling most of their upcoming tour dates. They say that it's due to "an unseen medical condition." Hopefully everyone is in good health, and the "medical condition" is a combination of well deserved poor ticket sales and a case of "tail between the legs." Bring back Jon Anderson, we'll all feel better.
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4 comments:
We all wish health for all, and would like to see Jon Anderson well and able to tour. But the reviews of this tour have been stellar. As a Yes fan since my junior high days of the early 70s, I am very much looking forward to taking my 16-year-old son to see Howe, Squire and White at the Fillmore in SF on March 2. Fake tour? Call it what you must. It's your blog and I respect your opinion.
-- Brian
Brian, I respect your opinion as well. The fact is, Howe, Squire and White tried to tour a couple of years ago -- it was going to be Chris's pre-Yes band The Syn (Alan sitting in on drums), Alan's band White (also featured Drama-era Yes keyboardist Geoff Downes) and Steve Howe playing a solo acoustic set. The tour was cancelled because of visa problems or something like that - but it was well known that ticket sales were soft. This time, they're hitting the road with the "Yes" name, ticket sales are better, and lo and behold, no visa problems! I don't mind the three of them touring without Jon - they've been dying to play stuff from Drama, and Jon won't allow it - but to call it Yes when they decided to tour without Jon, and without asking for permission or telling him that they were planning to tour without him, well, that's lame. I've been a fan since the '80s, I love the band, and I'm sure they'll put on a good show. But I have a hard time accepting it as "Yes" when Jon was ditched like that.
Fair points from a learned opinion. They are billing this tour as "Howe, Squire and White of Yes," if that makes a difference. For me, its a chance to hear this music live once again. Judging by the way these guys haven't been able to coordinate their health, it might be my last chance.
I agree that calling it "Howe, Squire and White of Yes" makes it go down easier. I've pretty much seen it billed as a "Yes" tour. I love the music that they'll be playing - for the most part, I only write about music that I enjoy at No Expiration - and it's thrilling to be able to see the music performed by the guys who recorded it in the first place. I just didn't like the way the whole thing went down with Jon. To me, for Yes to be Yes, you need Jon and you need Chris. I saw Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe a few years back - it was great, but it wasn't Yes. Ditto for any group of musicians that isn't fronted by Jon Anderson. Here's hoping that the guys get together for one last tour. (P.S. a few weeks before the announcement of Yes's (cancelled) summer tour, Jon told me he was also thinking of doing something with Trevor Rabin. It would probably be a few songs, and not a tour (as Trevor isn't really interested in touring anymore). Anyway, thanks for contributing to my blog, I appreciate it.
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