•
Rating: I awaited with great enthusiasm the return of TransAtlantic and I must say that listening to “The Whirlwind” was definitely worth it (the wait, of course) and equally strong was my excitement upon hearing they would play in Milan, further strengthened by the conviction that I had to go, especially after missing Porcupine Tree and Riverside.
Initially, I waited intelligently, trying to find someone to go with, but then, after receiving confirmation from those who had come with me to Progressive Nation (acquaintances made through Facebook), I rushed to the nearest shopping center to buy the ticket. It’s an extremely powerful emotion and the anticipation just keeps growing. Once again, the purchase was made unbeknownst to my family; at Progressive Nation, I revealed only two days before the event that I had the ticket in my drawer. This time, my mother discovered it immediately upon seeing the yellow ticket on the desk, while my father was a bit perplexed about the distance of the venue and the late return (and assumed risks), convinced I was going alone, and began his usual endless and annoying discussions, but he calmed down when he found out I wasn’t going by myself. Surely, having such discussions with a 21-year-old is not what courageous fathers do, but here there is no room for those who are always afraid something might happen!
And so the big day arrived. After meeting the said people at the metro exit (and after receiving praise from one of them, delighted to see me for the first time after participating in the idolization that existed on Facebook towards me by many for my knowledge and my talks and considerations on modern prog) the wait outside Alcatraz was not gigantic, and that doesn’t surprise me; what surprises me instead is the massive attendance of metalheads, given that the band is certainly not metal. And so we enter. Questionably (and here I would like a scientist to analyze their neurons to understand the reason for such a decision) they ask us to leave cans and bottles at the entrance; just think, someone could have a firearm and take everyone out and they cared more about no one having bottles or cans, oh well! Let’s drop it.
And after a rather long and tough wait... here they are on the stage, ready with the first set of the concert. A light points to Italy on the scenography (corresponding to the new album cover) and the emotion rises even further. The four are finally on stage, ready to perform without breaks the entire suite “The Whirlwind”, which alone comprises their latest album. Many would have wondered if they would play it without too many imperfections and from memory... but we are in front of great musicians, who never get scared, not even by a long 77-minute score. The most "showy" was as always Portnoy: I had him quite close (I was quite in front, slightly right, just at the height of the drums, an ideal position for filming) and I saw well how he always manages to engage the audience; then it was remarkable to see how, in moments when there was a need to hit harder, he did so with such force that wooden shavings flew off the sticks as he struck. The most reserved was instead the bassist Pete Trewavas, very calm and expressive was the guitarist Roine Stolt, more lively, but in a rather contained manner, was the singer and keyboardist Neal Morse. The contribution on stage of the Pain Of Salvation leader Daniel Gildenlow (who had already toured with them at the time of Bridge Across Forever) proved to be invaluable; he appeared very lively, cheerful, almost like a kid, some say, running around the stage willingly and playing various instruments. And so with “The Whirlwind” gone is the first hour and a quarter of the concert, just to talk about it.
I take advantage of the interval to take some photos and chat a bit.
Once again, we have to wait quite a while before seeing them back on stage... and here they are re-entering the stage for the second part of the evening, ready to delight us with material from the first two albums. “All Of The Above” from the first album “SMPTe” is one of the moments in which I enjoyed myself the most, as I believe it represents one of the best things the band has ever done. Adrenaline rises a bit for everyone during the first minutes of the performance. During one of the slow parts, Portnoy takes the opportunity to rest, and it’s strange to see him singing from a seated position.
Then comes one of the most moving moments of the evening, namely the performance of “We All Need Some Light” (also from the first album), with Morse taking the 12-string guitar (keyboards played by Gildenlow); it's a pity the band chose to have Stolt sing the song that in the original version is regularly sung by Morse, but the audience seems to enjoy it all the same, with everyone waving their hands side to side and raising lighters and phones, once again incited by Portnoy who in the intro charges the audience, sitting on the speakers with a phone in hand.
And now a bit of material from the second album “Bridge Across Forever”. It starts with “Duel With The Devil”, also performed in its entirety and well-received by the audience (many around considered it the band’s masterpiece suite), nothing to add, another masterful and full of pathos performance.
Another delicate moment is offered with the ballad “Bridge Across Forever” performed as a duet by Morse and on the occasion also by Roine Stolt, who still proves to be up to it. At this moment, my two friends take the opportunity to rush to the Merchandising to buy some gadget.
The concert closes with the performance of the other suite from the second album, namely “Stranger In Your Soul” and here everything happens! Unfortunately, Daniel Gildenlow wears, to the dismay of a Milan fan like me, the Inter shirt of Eto'o (Inter was fresh from the league title), and in the most lively and fast-paced part of the song, the 5 (or 4+1, say it as you like) decide to extend it in the most original way: Portnoy grabs the bass, Neal Morse goes in front of the drums playing them personally, Trewavas heads to the keyboards; in between, there is also a tribute to Ronnie James Dio, who just passed away the day before. Portnoy (wearing something that seemed like a bathrobe) also does a crowd surfing on the audience! Then two of my four “followers” leave the venue early to avoid missing the last train to Turin, but I stay there, under the stage, getting emotional with the intense finale (Portnoy, after throwing the sticks a couple of times, signs a cymbal and throws it).
And I leave happily not before having passed by the merchandising area and bought myself a nice commemorative t-shirt of the tour. It was a fantastic evening, conducted by exceptional musicians who with only 6 songs, delivered a concert of over three hours (something rare) without ever losing tension. Some talk about “the definitive prog concert”, I simply call it an epic evening, where practically everyone had fun and that everyone will remember with great pleasure and would like to see again.
Loading comments slowly
