ARRIVING SOMEWHERE...

Never having seen PT live and not being particularly impressed with Deadwing, I wasn't sure what to expect from this DVD. I'd heard that the band was pretty hot, so I was curious. Well, this one's a winner for sure and makes me regret not going when the Deadwing tour passed through my town. This band is hot indeed, particularly drummer Harrison, who is a monster behind the kit, sometimes too much so, but I was very impressed nonetheless. Harrison and Wilson are the only animated performers in the group, as Barbieri is always hunched over his arrays of keys like a mad scientist and bassist Edwin is basically a mannequin on stage (a very proficient one, though). Steven Wilson is a very impressive performer, dramatic, animated and intense. His live vocals are excellent, and his guitar/vocal interplay with second guitarist Wesley is great. Wilson's soloing is creative, but those expecting metal chops should go somewhere else. Wesley also acquits himself well with some Gilmouresque leads. On the whole, I don't entirely disagree with those who criticize the arty cinematic effects that Lasse Hoile added, like fake scratches, b/w, different colourings, etc., as they can be kind of intrusive, but the band is so static as a whole that the effects add an good distraction to what could have been a boring visual experience, almost in a Floyd/Hawkwindian kind of way. It complements the spaciness of a lot of the band's material and creates a hallucinatory atmosphere. On the whole I found the set to be a good balance between the recent albums, with a good balance also between Barbieri's ambient interludes and the big metallic riffs that underpin many of the songs. There is a nice human touch amongst all the monstrous precision of the band when Wilson breaks a string on Trains and makes light of it to the crowd. I'm pleased he left it in there. Overall, this DVD demonstrates that PT are incredible players and Wilson a fine singer and songwriter. I'll have to go revisit Deadwing now, since I even enjoyed those tracks on this excellent concert DVD.