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Rating: Welcome back, Mr. Wilson!
About a year after the Blackfield concert at Magazzini Generali, our spectacled friend makes an appearance in Milan on the 10th of this month of a completely different caliber, his solo debut on Italian soil.
He is accompanied by a prestigious lineup, which includes respectively:
- The big guy Marco Minneman on drums
- Nick Beggs (with his absurd platinum blonde braids), on bass and Chapman stick
- Theo Travis, saxophone, and flute
- Adam Holzman on keyboards
- Niko Tsonev on guitar
The concert is held at Alcatraz, a famous disco which has hosted several big names in recent months including Opeth, Mastodon, and Anathema. What surprises has Steven prepared for us this time?
Quickly said: once inside the hall, the spectators are faced with an enigmatic canvas, onto which is projected a mysterious black figure, complete with the accompaniment of various Wilsonian soundscapes.
After about ten minutes, Marco makes his entrance on stage (greeted with great enthusiasm by the audience, probably cheering for his very Italian name). The drummer starts with a nice rich and syncopated rhythm.
It doesn't take long before Nick Beggs' accompaniment reveals the identity of the piece, which is "No Twilight Within The Courts Of The Sun". The other members of the lineup gradually join in, progressively creating an intriguing and smothered sonic kaleidoscope that nonetheless heralds an abrupt change of course.
Finally, Steven makes his entrance amidst applause: visibly pleased, he moves from one musician to another, then picks up his beautiful Paul Reed Smith and rocks the sound system with the ferocious riff of the song.
The next five pieces all come from "Grace For Drowning": there's "Index", with its sinister atmospheres; then "Deform To Form a Star", which warms the hearts of the spectators; followed by the intricate "Sectarian", the melody of "Postcard", and the obsessive and schizophrenic theme of "Remainder The Black Dog".
The group's chemistry is almost perfect, and the technical level exceedingly high: Minneman and Beggs perform a breathtaking rhythm section, Holzman is the linchpin of the accompaniment of each piece, while the composed Theo contributes significant touches of class (jazz stylistics with the sax and typically "old school" progressive with the flute) to enrich everything. The excellent abilities of the fusion guitarist Tsonev remain somewhat in the shadows, possibly because the pieces written by Wilson don't greatly highlight the guitar parts.
Yes, about... and Wilson? Well, he's simply transformed: he twists, shakes, runs to the keyboards, plays the guitar with passion, accompanies his band members' parts by gesturing wildly. It's the dream of a lifetime coming true, and he celebrates it in his own way, ecstatic.
The canvas, which has accompanied the performance with snippets of videoclips, projections of silhouettes, and explosions of lights, has fallen, and the band has made contact with its audience.
The explosive "Harmony Korine" is used to celebrate the new situation. The dark atmospheres of "Insurgentes" are subsequently carried on with "Abandoner" and the title track.
But here's a surprise: Steven presents a new piece, a mini-suite that will be included in the next solo album (recorded with the same lineup as the tour). Its name is "Luminol", and from the start, it's clear it's set to be a great track. The first part of the suite has an incredible drive and presents characteristics quite different from everything Wilson has done in his career: modal guitar parts (and here Niko gives it his all), a Nick Beggs in a state of grace with an exceptional groove, and an equally unleashed Minneman.
A sudden stop makes way for more subdued atmospheres, decidedly more "porcupi-ish". A bit bare, I must say; I hope the band makes a few tweaks before the release.
Gradually, the final part flows and ends in the same frenzy as the beginning. For now, the track inspires a lot of confidence.
It continues with a changing performance of "No Part of me", where Marco makes the original beat his own and enriches it in a very personal way.
Since we are approaching the end of the concert, Steven has thoughtfully decided to annihilate us with one last devilishly long piece: "Raider II" unfolds in six different sections, in a 23-minute sound journey that keeps you on the edge of your seat (or grounded, you decide). Without a doubt, the climax of the evening.
And so, in the same way, our lineup entered during the execution of "No Twilight", in the last part of the suite the musicians gradually leave their posts until only Marco and Nick remain to wrap things up.
After a few minutes, the band returns and performs "Get All You Deserve". At one point, during the sonic wall, Steven steps away from the stage only to reappear wearing the gas mask symbol of his first album, giving the performance great stage presence.
The concert has ended, and the band bids farewell to the cheering audience, while on the big screen behind the stage, the names of the musicians appear. Marco decides to wish a goodnight in his way ("Now I'm going to have a good j...!"), so our team retreats backstage.
All in all, I would say that Steven is now definitively launched into his solo career and has taken quite a liking to it. Metaphorically, the porcupine has come down from its tree, and I don't think it will go back up anytime soon (...).
There remains curious anticipation about this new autumn project from the Wilson household, and the waiting for news about it as soon as possible!Loading comments slowly
