When Porcupine Tree returned in 2021 after a long hiatus, it was bafflingly without long-time bassist Colin Edwin and touring guitarist/vocalist John Wesley for reasons that still appear to be unknown.
Not to be denied the opportunity of performing the illustrious catalogue of songs that they recorded and played live, Edwin called on his old mate Wesley with the idea of forming a new band to tour and play the songs of Porcupine Tree, mainly from their earlier Delirium period with the odd newer song added in here and there.
Tonight’s show is only their 9th in the history of this fledgling band, so a unique opportunity to catch them right at the start of their new endeavour. It may be early days for Voyage 35, but for the following two hours their unique pedigree and professionalism shone through as brightly as their stunning psychedelic projections and simple but effective light show. If there were any early-day nerves, they were nowhere in sight.
Opening with the smouldering “Even Less”, one of the few of the non-Delirium songs in the set, gave them an early opportunity to flex their musical muscles with wistful “Waiting” and beat-heavy “And The Swallows Dance Above The Sun” following in quick succession.
Vocals throughout the night were shared mainly between Wesley and keyboardist Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari, with drummer Alessandro Vagnoni adding some nice touches too.
With “Up The Downstair”, “The Sky Moved Sideways” and the trippy “Voyage 34” heading into more ambient, psychedelic areas, giving the band room to really push their musical boundaries, it was left to the more accessible “Shesmovedon” and “Hatesong” to keep things more direct and accessible, showing the two sides of Porcupine Tree’s rich and varied output.
Hearing the rarely played “Sever” and “Dark Matter” was a real treat for longstanding PT fans as the set closed with a suitably atmospheric and inspiring “Radioactive Toy”.
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