steven wilson's hand cannot erase

Earlier this week Steven Wilson's latest album 'Hand. Cannot. Erase' was released. Always much anticipated, the Wilson catalogue grows into a formidable piece of modern sound production and 'progressive' music exploration. That's progressive with no hint of 1970's over indulgence by the way. And just like his previous albums there lies a theme of almost Gothic story telling arranged with the usual Wilson lightness of touch that belies the subject matter.
This time he enters an urban world not of fantasy but stark reality that most of us have either read a similar story or heard of one.
It is the grim tale of how the death of a young woman went unnoticed, and despite having friends and a career, lay undiscovered in her her flat for 3 years, with even her own family assuming she'd moved away. A very modern story then, of isolation and neglect.
You have to hand it to SW, the man does not take an easy route with his subject matter. Yet from the grimness of the tale the music and words never sink into maudlin morbidness. It is reflective and thoughtful with an empathy to how this nightmare of an urban nightmare could exist.
In a recent interview with Record Collector Wilson remarked how he "thought of an album in the same way as creating a film or a novel".
And with that comment the entire Wilson approach to recording is more than clear.
It does have one drawback in the contemporary world of downloads and random play-lists, he's asking the listener to hear the entire album in one go.
"I'm fighting against the prevailing trend.. bottom line is music I make is still outside of the mainstream.. it's still underground"
Wilson is more than aware of the difficulty his music has in wider acceptance but his "war of attrition" continues. Where and what this modern composer eventually ends up producing will be a fascinating story in itself.
This track, "A Perfect Life", from the album is unusually more in the Wilson 'pop' mode. The clip below is a teaser for the album. Available in all sorts of exotic media from Burning Shed

steven wilson new album and tour

Steven Wilson announces his new plans -

“I’m happy to announce the first tour dates to promote my forthcoming album ‘Hand. Cannot. Erase.’, starting in the UK before hitting Europe. We are currently developing a show that I hope will raise the bar both musically and visually from my previous tours, with a set list based around the new album (of course), as well as casting the net further back into my songwriting past for a few surprises."

.. er "raise the bar"..blimey, last years Raven tour was spectacular enough. Expect world tour dates to follow.
The cleverly titled ‘Hand. Cannot. Erase.’ is due in February and the tour begins in the UK in March (better get those tickets now they'll sell out quickly - from Ticket Master)

‘Hand. Cannot. Erase.’ has been recorded at the mighty AIR Studios, yes that's the one founded by George Martin in 1969 in London's Oxford St only now it's on version 3 and is relocated to Hampstead in North London.
And with the typical Wilson eye for detail on any of his projects here's two 6 minute shorts (Pt 1 & 2) by Lasse Hoile of the band working at AIR Studios last month, including previews of the new album as a work in progress.
The man explains it all -

twice around the world : steven wilson tour blogs 2012-13

In 2013 we published some of Theo Travis' blog posts of Steven Wilson's 'The Raven That Refused to Sing' tour (see posts). Now all the posts have been gathered together from 'The Grace For Drowning' and 'The Raven' tours and along with unseen photo's from top photographers and accounts of recording the band with contributions from band members, Theo has published a glossy, soft cover, limited editon book.

"The Steven Wilson 2013 tour was voted Event of the Year in Prog magazine. In this unique and limited edition book written in Travis' candid and relaxed style, he takes you on this amazing road trip, giving unparalleled access to one of the greatest Progressive bands in the world today."

'Twice Around The World' is available early September with a limited additon of only 1000 so advance ordering will be the smart move. Go to Theo's website.

Here's "Luminol" (from the Get All You Deserve Blu-Ray & DVD)
Steven Wilson with Marco Minnemann (drums), Nick Beggs (bass), Theo Travis (flute and sax), Adam Holzman (keys) and Niko Tsonev (guitars). Filmed in in Mexico City. 2013.

theo travis blogs the latest steven wilson tour

After Theo's last blogs from March - July he's been persuaded to pick up his posts and send some more in as the Steven Wilson band go into the October/November European schedule. Here's his first entry

Here we go, here we go...back on the road with Steven Wilson. 23 October 2013
So we are now back on he tour bus for another stint touring to promote 'the Raven that refused to sing' album and the new EP/ single 'Drive Home'. In September we went to Australia for 3 gigs. 3 cities, 6 days there, 7 flights and large doses of jetlag. It felt all a bit surreal and if we hadn't stopped by the Sydney Opera House I am not sure it would have felt like we were actually in Australia at all. Hotel, dinner, backstage, gig, bus, airport. It is like travelling in a bubble. But the gigs were good, and there were some very appreciative fans. Good to see Daevid Allen and Orlando from Gong in Brisbane too (even if Daevid did tell Steven all the things he thought were wrong with the gig!)

Then we had the UK dates. I always enjoy touring in the UK. In my jazz life I have played hundreds of gigs around Britain, from jazz clubs to Arts Centres to rooms above pubs; a brewery visitor centre in St Austell, Cornwall to the library on Iona in Scotland. I love it! I seem to have done less of it and have been touring abroad more in the last few years since I have been doing more Prog type gigs (Steven Wilson/Soft Machine Legacy) and also the ambient experimental gigs with either Robert Fripp or Cipher. We had one day rehearsal to learn the new song (which has been going well) and for Chad to play in 'Sectarian' which he had not played with us before. It was good to visit Wolverhampton, Bristol (where I played a lot in the early 1990s with Andy Hague and others), Newcastle (an alreet toon!) and then the Royal Albert Hall, London. The Albert Hall was a highlight for me. Such a stunning venue and big crowd. Lots of friends there (including Robert Fripp, Tony Levin, Steve Hackett, Jakko, Davide Giovannini, Robyn Koh, Maggie Docherty) and my family too - which was lovely. The sound was really good and pleasing to get lots of comments that the flutes and saxes were particularly clear and audible, and we all felt we played pretty well. We all came off feeling really good about it and there was a cool aftershow hang too- one of those special nights. I have just found out today that there is a four star glowing review of the gig in the Guardian which includes a reference to the 'preposterously honed and proficient band'. Cool.

Then a couple of days off before off to Europe for another run - Netherlands, France, Poland, Scandinavia, Austria, Spain and a gig in Tel Aviv, Israel which should be fun. I have not been to Israel since playing at the Red Sea Jazz Festival in Eilat in 2000 with my own jazz quartet - which was an amazing experience.

The tour has geared up as we are now travelling not just with a night liner tourbus and trailer but a whole other truck carrying our own full PA, lighting rig, and back line, and we have also extra crew to help with all of that. As the backstage rider gets refined I have noticed that it seems to be dividing between the rock 'n roll half and the health farm half - so we have vodka, beer, red wine, rum, and then blueberries, smoothies, nuts, humous and yes, Manuka honey!

So on Tue we met up at K- West hotel in Shepherds Bush (named after the sign on the Ziggy Stardust cover) to get on the tour bus to set off to Dover. Adam brought a DVD box set of 'Breaking Bad' which we watched a couple of episodes of (pretty good in a dark sort of way) and at about 11 pm we got the ferry to Calais to continue on to Nijmegenfor the first gig. And here we are, ready to go. Soundcheck in one hour.
Theo

steven wilson live at the royal albert hall

 
Steven Wilson and his band played the Royal Albert Hall in London last night on tour with his current Album, The Raven that Refused to Sing and other stories.This was to be an interesting concert experience having never been to the Royal Albert Hall, this was a chance to see a  favourite modern band of mine in a sophisticated venue of cultural and musical significance.
 

 After the initial video to open the gig (presumably relating to one of the 'stories' on the album) Wilson came on stage to open the show with a favourite Porcupine Tree song, Trains. The setlist was quite different from when touring with Steven's previous record, but now with more material to work with he had obviously shaken things up a bit. A new song was debuted and previous favourites as Harmony Korine and Raider II were included in the setlist and the evening would go on to be one of my favourite and most memorable musical experiences again finishing on an early Porcupine Tree track. This concert was a true 'had to be there' moment. You will never be able to replicate the sheer sonic experience or atmosphere from the band on any form of high definition Blue Ray or Surround Sound.

I found there to be only one disappointment of the night, and that was the Royal Albert Hall audience. Im not sure where it was just because it was a more sophisticated venue, or whether the local 'well to do' people had just gone for a Sunday evening out at the Royal Albert Hall, but the crowd seemed to lack atmosphere. After the final song before the encore, The Raven That Refused to Sing was played, I jumped to my feet to give a roar of applause and found it a shame that only around a third of the venue followed suit. There was a sort of standing ovation after the encore, but Steven had already got the crowd standing before the last song was played, so I personally felt the band had been cheated. Obviously some people just weren't aware of what they had just been a part of, but I would rate it nothing less than an incredible night by an incredible band.

Radioactive Toy live at the Royal Albert Hall 20/10/13. Clip has been taken down by the management.

steve wilson - 'luminol'

A video clip's just been released of the setup and recording of Steve Wilson's new album 'Luminol', due out next year. It's a good insider look at the recording Steve had began to write for during the 2011/12 'Grace For Drowning Tour'.
Here's the band putting together a track in the Los Angeles studio with Alan Parsons. (full lineup is Marco Minnemann, Nick Beggs, Guthrie Govan, Adam Holzman, Theo Travis). Also includes a clip of Theo and Adam Holzman rehearsing "The Holy Drinker".

Steve Wilson : "When I sent Marco the demo.. I got the track back in 30 minutes!.... You're sick Marco."

The first live dates have been announced for March 2013.
March 1 - Manchester Academy 2
March 2 - Glasgow ABC
March 4 - London, The Royal Festival Hall.
Expect more dates to be flagged up here later in this year.

steven wilson

Steve Wilson's "Grace For Drowning" tour comes to it's final gigs before finishing in London on the 15th May.
One of the best truly progressive bands on tour at the moment you have just these dates left to see them
10th May - Milan, Italy -Alcatraz, - 11th May - Rome, Italy - Orion, - 13th May - Dortmund, Germany - 14th May - Brussels, Belgium - 15th May - London - Shepherds Bush Empire, UK.
For those that missed it, you can catch up on all the gigs by reading Theo Travis' ongoing blog of the tour here.
Then below, in the words of JonnyWarez who filmed from the audience - "The excellent "No Twilight Within the Courts of the Sun" album "Insurgentes" kicked off the spectacular presentation of Steven Wilson and his "Grace For Drowning" tour this April 18, 2012 in the theater Caupolican in Santiago de Chile. Great sound, top musicians and impeccable staging".

steven wilson

Grammy nominated composer/singer/producer Steven Wilson continues the "Grace For Drowning" tour in April and May visiting the USA, South America, and Europe finishing in London at the Shepherds Bush Empire on May 15 2012.
This stunning band is quite something to behold and worth making the effort to see live. There is planned to be a live DVD/BlueRay from this tour. Venue for the filming is still to be announced.
The album can be picked up at GraceForDrowning.com.
Theo Travis (sax, flutes) has just started blogging the tours progress. Check him out to read the entries here.

steven wilson

Steven Wilson is touring his latest album 'Grace for Drowning'.
It's Steven's first solo tour (as opposed to a Porcupine Tree or Blackfield or No Man tour) and this band have the pedigree for something really special
Along with Steve Wilson is -
Theo Travis, flutes, saxes, clarinet and keyboards. (Robert Fripp, Soft Machine Legacy, Gong)
Aziz Ibrahim, guitarist (Stone Roses, Ian Brown and Paul Weller)
Adam Holzman, keyboards (Miles Davis group, New York electric jazz scene).
Nick Beggs, bass (John Paul Jones, Steve Hackett, Kim Wilde)
Marco Minnemann, drums (Terry Bozzio, Eddie Jobson, Kreator).
The European then American tour starts 21 October. click here for dates

Here's Steve recording one of the tracks for the album and below the finished track.

Steven Wilson - Raider II (Recording at Angel Studios) from Kscope on Vimeo.

Steven Wilson - Raider (edit) (full track from Grace for Drowning) by Kscope