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Porcupine Tree Live at the Thunder Dome:
Porcupine Tree - Live
at the Thunder Dome, Baltimore MD, July 26th, 2002
Set List: Blackest Eyes / She's Moved On / Even Less / Slave Called Shiver
/ Wedding Nails / Pure Narcotic / Hate Song / Russia On Ice / Smart Kid /
Strip The Soul.
Encore: Dark Matter / Signify
I would like to start by thanking Michael Piper of the Porcupine Tree crew, who
helped me get a copy of the set list (so I could call the new songs by name!), the
CD sampler (to contrast what I heard that night with the versions that will appear
on "In Absentia"), and who answered many of my questions concerning the gear and the
"Fruit salad" lightshow in spite of being caught up in a frenzy of activity after
the show.
The Thunder dome, for those of you wondering what kind of a place it might be, is
really an unlikely (and in my opinion unfortunate) setting for a Porcupine Tree
show. Think of a medium-sized bar with a balcony and pool tables that normally
features the likes of Dee Snider, Dokken, and Vince Neil. Yes indeed, it's that kind
of a place, with that kind of a retro 80's metal vibe and a staff to match running
things. Needless to say, publicity for the event wasn't exactly massive, which is
unfortunate because a large number of the local Baltimore PT fans (like the bulk of
the Orion Studios crowd) probably never even heard that the band was coming to town,
and missed them.
 The band hit the stage punctually at 8.00 p.m., and kicked things off with "Blackest
Eyes", a dark rocking cut taken from their upcoming release "In Absentia", and never
really looked back. There were many differences between this show and their
performance at NEARfest, last summer in Bethlehem, but none more important than the
loss of drummer Chris Maitland. His mark on their music is indelible, plus the
ferocity of his live performance wasn't something easy to forget, so I have to admit
his
replacement, Gavin Harrison, didn't really seem to have
 much of a chance. The band
was also "fattened-up" sonically by the addition of John Wesley on rhythm guitar and
backing vocals, which was a mixed blessing in my opinion. Nothing against John, who
never over-played and who sang great harmonies, but the new mix had a tendency to
clutter, more than enhance, especially in a boomy club setting. Having said that, I
have to say I was very impressed nonetheless by the performance overall. Barbieri
and Edwin were subdued as always (the keyboards were not very well mixed, ranging
from inaudible to almost intolerably shrill), but they delivered, creating enough
space for Wilson to lead them on. His vocals, and especially his solos, were always
expertly delivered, and his command of the stage is notable, especially for such a
frail, pale barefooted hundred pounder! Kudos to you my friend. To wrap it all up,
Harrison showed that he is a very impressive, melodic drummer, and he successfully
filled the
gap left by Maitland. Their styles are very different, but the economy of motion and
the precision of his work soon left no doubt that this man was the glue and the
engine that propelled them cohesively on.
 The light show was fantastic, marred only by the lack of a proper screen for the
various cyclic projections, and everyone left the room impressed by the band, even
the "regulars" at the bar, who were wondering why they had never heard of this band
before. I remember one guy saying he thought they were great, but didn't understand
why the singer faked an English accent. I told him it wasn't fake, and tried to
explain that they were on tour all the way from England, but I guess the massive
amounts of beer didn't help the communication to move along. His last remark?
"Goddamn
limeys!"
You just gotta love the Baltimorons...
I look forward to their new album, and I would strongly encourage anyone who hasn't
yet seen these guys live to catch them next year if they come around. Make a road
trip if you have to; their live show is really worth it, and they rock harder on
stage than they do on CD, so it will be worth your while.
PS. I am not entirely sure why they call it the fruit salad light show. I guess it
does have a bit of everything, ranging from Greek mythology to a swarm of white
polka dots, but I think that such a stretch qualifies for a wank.
Concert Review by Luis Nasser
Pictures taken at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia
Pictures by
George Roldan
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