FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
YES MANAGEMENT ANNOUNCE CHANGE TO TOUR LINE-UP
22nd May 2022: YES Management have announced today that due to current health issues Alan White will not be taking part on the forthcoming 50th Anniversary Close to the Edge UK Tour. Alan was really looking forward to playing live again preparing to celebrate 50 years with Yes, having joined the band for the July 1972 Close to the Edge Tour, coming full circle in 2022. Alan’s close friend Jay Schellen will be taking on drumming duties in Alan’s place.
The Album Series Tour 2022 which will celebrate the 50th anniversary of YES’ iconic album Close to the Edge and will feature the album, performed in full, along with other classic tracks from YES’ extensive catalogue.
The tour line-up will feature Steve Howe (guitars), Geoff Downes (keyboards), Jon Davison (vocals), Billy Sherwood (bass guitar and backing vocals) with Jay Schellen (drums and percussion).
The show will comprise full production and a high-definition video wall directed by Roger Dean who will also be joining the tour with an exhibition of YES related art.
A full performance of the Relayer album will now be featured in a future UK tour in The Album Series. European dates were recently announced for rescheduled dates in 2023.
The 10 date UK and Eire tour starts on 15th June – full dates are:
Wed 15th June Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Fri 17th June Manchester Bridgewater Hall
Sat 18th June Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
Mon 20th June Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
Tues 21st June London Royal Albert Hall
Wed 22nd June York Barbican
Fri 24th June Birmingham Symphony Hall
Sun 26th June Newcastle O2 City Hall
Tues 28th June Dublin Vicar Street
Wed 29th June Cork Opera House
Tickets remain valid for the rescheduled shows. For full details and to book tickets for all shows go to venue website or http://yesworld.com/live where you can also book Meet and Greets with the band.
About YES
Steve Howe: guitars, backing vocals (1970 –1981, 1990–1992, 1995–present)
Alan White: drums, percussion (1972 – present)
Geoff Downes: keyboards (1980–1981, 2011–present)
Jon Davison: lead vocals, acoustic guitar (2012–present)
Billy Sherwood: guitar, backing vocals ((1994, 1997–2000), bass guitar, backing vocals (2015–present)
Formed in 1968 by Jon Anderson and the late, and much-missed, Chris Squire, YES have been one of the most innovative, influential and best-loved bands in rock music history. Their 1970s albums The Yes Album, Fragile, Close to the Edge, Yessongs (a triple live album set), Tales From Topographic Oceans, Relayer and Going For The One were ground-breaking in musical style and content. Their music also became synonymous with artist Roger Dean whose distinctive YES logo design and artwork adorned the lavish gatefold presentation sleeves of many YES albums.
With sales of over 50 million records, the Grammy-award winning YES were inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017 where they performed Roundabout from the album Fragile and the FM radio-friendly Owner Of A Lonely Heart from the 1985 album 90125. In 2021 YES released their 22nd Studio album, The Quest, produced by Steve Howe, which went to No.1 in the UK rock chart and entered the Official UK Album Chart at No. 20.
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Why isn’t Jon Andersen with the band singing lead vocals with Yes. He’s the only one that I identify with singing lead vocals in the band anyone other than Jon Andersen isn’t the same it’s like going to a buffet without a plate to put your food on! Reconsider getting Jon Andersen back into the band would be an excellent opportunity to bring back the sound and voice of Yes just saying.
Also not having the best person to play keyboards like Rick Wakeman is ridiculous he’s the pulse behind the sound of Yes. Getting Jon Andersen and Rick Wakeman together with the rest of the original members of the band would be the best thing for the tour not replacing them with the best that you can do at the time.
We want Jon Anderson!!!
I saw them perform a few years ago when they were playing Fragile and Close to the Edge albums. I never thought I would see these 2 classics performed in their entirety and I thoroughly enjoyed the show. Alan was, I believe, suffering from back trouble at the time; he was solid but did very few fills and didn’t move much. The one and only Chris Squire was amazing(he always was) as a musician and a showman. I don’t like to pick, but I think Geoff Downes wasn’t up to the task that night, but it didnt spoil the show for me. It has to be hard to do justice to Rick Wakeman’s keyboard parts.
I am a purist to a certain degree; I didnt get comfortable with Bill Bruford’s departure until maybe Drama. He went on to do such an impressive body of work that all is well now. Still, I wonder as many probably have what he might have brought to the great songs on Going for the One. I had always felt that Yes without Jon Anderson wasn’t Yes and to a point I still feel that way, however the classic line-up had said way back that it’s all about the music and they themselves imagined other musicians might be performing Yes music in the future.
At this show I’m writing about I closed my eyes and could imagine Jon Anderson from the 70s being on the stage; Davison’s vocals were respectfully true to Jon’s original delivery and Davison held some of those crystal clear high notes even longer than Anderson did. It never felt like he was just parroting the songs and I give credit where it’s due. I even think The Quest has some great music on it. Yes, in whatever form it takes,will never be all things to all fans but I give thanks that their music still means so much to me that losing Chris Squire and Alan White felt like deeply personal losses and I freely admit I cried more than once for both.