Bruce walked me to the train and explained how to take the train and then Underground go to Royal Albert Hall. Unfortunately, when I got off the train to catch an Underground connection, the stations were locked up and there were police, fire trucks and ambulances on the street. I had no idea what to do. I asked people and couldn’t follow what they were trying to tell me. I couldn’t get the Uber app to work. Last option was a London black cab. I struggled to get one for a half hour, because of the chaos they were busy too. I was almost going to give up when I finally got one. The driver was great and managed to get me to the venue a half hour before the start. I found my seat in the Arena section A row 8 seat 10 on the Arena (floor section). Great sight lines and I could clearly see everything. The first half was an hour with just the band playing some old and some brand new Steven Wilson material and then they took a break. Then the orchestra and choir took their places and they played the Overview in its entirety. It was fully and newly imagined. Most of it worked really well but I thought it got a bit too much as times. I was disappointed in the acoustics of the event and found the drums overpowering and had difficulty making out the lyrics or hearing the choir which was on the opposite side of the stage. However, the show was amazing, the venue awesome as I expected and the money and effort to get here worth every cent. Now I get to do it again from a different view point. I managed to catch a London black cab back again, two very expensive cab rides.
Thursday, October 29th.
Bruce and I headed out by train to Royal Albert Hall so as to see it in daylight. We had a coffee at a little kiosk in Hyde Park right in front of the the Albert Monument (Queen Victoria’s consort and the man the hall is named after). We went to a local pub and had a pint and dinner and then he went back home and I walked back to the Hall. At that point I could enter and I wandered around the circular hall that led to the Arena, the upper levels and a number of bars and restaurants. I went up to the gallery section to take a few photos and videos and then found my box. There were five seats in there, two in front on the rail, two behind them and then a ‘high chair’ which was my designated seat. The first two people were and there and then another bloke showed up and waved at this buddy in the upper gallery. I don’t know why but he had bought two seats in this box and his buddy bought two in the gallery. For some reason he chose to sit up top with his mate and then there were only three of us in the box, so I had sit seat. The show started about 45 minutes later and during the first set they played two different songs from last night and the same three from the album that is being released next week. I was pleased that the sound up here and the acoustics were much better. I took a few photos and then realized that Craig Blondell the drummer was playing behind a glass box. Last night I found the sound muffled, the drummer overpowering and I couldn’t hear the lyrics or the choir. I checked the photos from last night and low and below last night there was no glass box. You think they might have figured that out during the sound check. Then they took a break before the orchestra and choir came out to the join them. The rest of the show was the same with the exception that after the complete Overview performance, Steven played an acoustic version of Lazarus accompanied by Adam Holtzman on piano, while the orchestra sat quietly in the dark… Then they played the final track Staircase with everyone and then it was over. I am very chuffed I came and saw both shows. Expensive event(s) but well worth it and apparently never to be repeated or released as a DVD. Done. I took another black cab ride to Greenwich, talked to Bruce for half hour and then retired satisfied, satiated and exhausted.
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