Roger Dean and the Yes 2004 Worldwide Tour

[Sheerah]

This seems like a good place to discuss how Roger Dean and his work relate to the current 2004 35th Anniversary tour.

I really just want to share my enthusiasm about one thing in particular. I bought a tour program in San Jose the other night. I met Roger Dean after the show and had him autograph the program!!!!!

How cool is that?

[Astrall Traveller]

I've always loved Roger Dean's work including his non- yes related art, but I have to say the set just looks cheesy. It probably started out as a good idea, but the drawings were quite bad and the real thing just looks clumsy and cumbersome.

I've always liked his work before, so i feel cruel to say so, but they're just awful.

It would really be cool to meet him though.

[Thoughtbecontact]

I've always loved Roger Dean's work including his non- yes related art, but I have to say the set just looks cheesy. It probably started out as a good idea, but the drawings were quite bad and the real thing just looks clumsy and cumbersome.

I've always liked his work before, so i feel cruel to say so, but they're just awful.

It would really be cool to meet him though.

Well, AT,

If you want to meet him, come to Yesfanomenon in London on June 17, the day after the Wembley show. Roger is scheduled to be part of the fan gathering that day and I believe that if you attend, you will really get quite a chance to talk to him in depth.
For info: http://www.yesfanomenon.org

[dpguru67]

Finally got the pleasure to meet him on April 17th at the San Jose, CA show. He was hanging out by the sound board and got 5 minutes of his time after the show! He ended up autographing my ~YES~ program as well...what a treat!

[Astrall Traveller]

Cheers, but these's no way I can get to that. I have a rather important exam on the same day. :-(

[Faceintheplace]

Yeah, I've got to say I wish Roger's brother Martyn was more involved. I always wanted to see a Dean stage set at a Yes show, but this isn't really what I had in mind.

[Steve Brittenham]

Just got back from seeing the Mandalay Bay show. The idea is good, and I didn't think it looked bad. But it looked unfinished to me. I had the impression they ran out of time and had to hit the road before it was done. I loved the show, and it was still better visually than other shows I've seen.

[Snarly]

My Wife Deborah has been very ill, so ill in fact that she could hardly enjoy the show (Anaheim).

The highlight of her evening (other than Ritual) was when I spotted Mr. Dean at the lighting board and helped her to go down there. She asked Mr. Dean to sign her program and he asked where she wanted it signed. She told him "on your favorite picture". He signed it like this:

For Deborah:
*double page color drawing of stage set*
Roger Dean

We thanked him profusely for all of his work. He looked us up and down (probably noticed how sick she was and my Yesshows 1979 tank top) and gave us a smile like a 10000 watt electic toaster. :D It really made the night for both of us.

This years stage set in no way makes me think of cheese. I think it looks very psychedelic. Just check out "theYESkid"s photos in the spoilers area, they are an excellent representation of how it looks. (I think it looks great.)

[Earl Grey]

What a fantastic story Snarly!

I got to meet Roger in San Jose as well...

I met Roger Dean for the first time in Hawaii last year, he signed my YES: In A Word booklet when I met him then.
This time, the only Roger Dean item I had backstage was the same 'In A Word' booklet... So I went up to Dean and said, "I would ask you to sign this, but you already DID in Hawaii!" He laughed, and noticed that I was wearing my 'Yesfanz: Roger Dean and YES in Australia' shirt.
He said, "I didn't think I'd see any of those shirts while here!"

A very amicable man, Roger Dean.
Friendly, and interested in his fans.

His kindness towards your wife is SO in keeping with what I've seen from him so far.
His art truly reflects his spirit.

Anyway Snarly, I loved that!

Earl:yesbird:

[5_percent]

I hate to quote from a.m.y., but I thought this post to be interesting, and probably true in the world of a touring "rock band":

"Apparently Roger... didn't get all the money that he was promised, and Yes ... didn't get what they paid for, which may or may not account for some of the "unfinished" aspects of the staging. Since these guys have been in each others pockets for three plus decades, I'm sure this is business as usual, but who knows. As to what was promised, spent, not delivered, etc etc etc, who knows what the truth is. None of the information that I was given tried to attribute any kind of blame. This is just the kind of
chaos that happens in their world, and you either roll with it, or go insane."

[Earl Grey]

I hate to quote from a.m.y., but I thought this post to be interesting, and probably true in the world of a touring "rock band":

"Apparently Roger... didn't get all the money that he was promised, and Yes ... didn't get what they paid for, which may or may not account for some of the "unfinished" aspects of the staging. Since these guys have been in each others pockets for three plus decades, I'm sure this is business as usual, but who knows. As to what was promised, spent, not delivered, etc etc etc, who knows what the truth is. None of the information that I was given tried to attribute any kind of blame. This is just the kind of
chaos that happens in their world, and you either roll with it, or go insane."

This isn't the first time I've heard this story.
Interesting... Veeeery interesting! ;)

[BrianD]

Roger will be rejoining the tour in New York - so look out for him there!

[Earl Grey]

I have my ear stapled to the floor in direct concordance with the equidistant hypothetical position of the south side of the sky, and in such a position, I'm able to hear Roger Dean burping during an epiqurian episode with a bad grape, and I am able to hear it as he makes certain microbytes of knowledge known to mankind, through a dna-split with a casio keyboard from 1982, manifest in the strangest of circuitous manners.

Anyhoo...

I have my sources.

Dubious, but always the best of friends!

:ele:

[5_percent]

Well, a lot of folks are hemming and hawing about the stage design on this tour, and I personally was very disappointed when I saw the "end result". Mostly because I spent so many years admiring the Crab Nebula, etc.

I must say though, seeing photos of it in action - the overhead piece looks very cool when lit properly. It's the inflatables that are recieving the razzies, and I think if they simply had a backdrop painted by Dean and the overhead unit, it would have been fine. But hey, that's Rock and Roll, and it will probably make a funny story after the tour.

Let me say for the record - I think Roger is a great artisic visionary.
We should be able to buy a house designed by Roger, in the woods, perfectly blended in and at one with nature while having all modern conveniences.
You know.. like this http://www.homeforlife.co.uk/images/hflmod.jpg .
But no, we get prefab McNeighborhoods plunked right down next to each other after clear-cutting - or after a farm has been paved over.

-- Another cool Roger Dean story. I met him at a showing at a gallery in Philly before the Symphonic or Masterworks tour. Someone had done their own Yessongs painting and wanted Roger to sign it. He wisely declined (it could end up being sold as being a genuine sketch on eBay or whatever) and was so polite and gracious saying he didn't want to ruin it and if he signed it, it would no longer be by that gentleman...
Very pleasant man, I must say...


3 more days until the Philly show... At the Spectrum... I'm excited.

[lostinmusing]

It is pretty obvious from the MSN interview, various posts on AMY, the initial advertising of a grand $4 Million Dean stage, and that arenas were booked for an in-the-round stage, that what-you-see *IS NOT* what was originally conceived or planned.

Once again, feet were dragged .... valuable time lost, and in the closing moments everyone realized there was not enough time left (nor enough money by some reports) to complete the grand design in time. What a shame. Typical YES, that is, thinking big but not really thinking in practical terms with the necessary planning, thinking, or resources.

But after all, this is about music, not theater. No doubt that a great visual show can enhance the experience, but that's icing on the cake, not a fundamental.

I saw the Chicago gig, and had a great time nonetheless, my 22nd YESSHOW since 1974, despite some problems (drunks near me who preferred talking to listening, yelling at inappropriate times, and a squelchy sound with a harsh treble zone and Wakeman often a little low in the mix).

Hey, this is live rock'n'roll afterall, and I've seen some disasters (Kieth Moon collapse after 1.8 songs in the Garden, a fire in the Chicago Stadium between bands - I thought I was a dead man, Kieth Emerson's keyboard rig stolen before the Chicago Ampitheater Show, and Milwaukee riot police closing in with tear-gas after the Summerfest HUmblie Pie/JoJo Gunn gig around 72-73, etc.)

It's very difficult to get the perfect mix in an arena, but I've heard far far worse than on May 4.

It was not the best YESSHOW I have seen, but overall a very good gig, and excellent considering the Classic line-up playing tight after 36 years.

As far as the stage setup, "Kill the chicken" (LOL)

I did notice a gray bandage on the chicken thing. Perhaps someone already has tried in vain.

Regards to all ...

[Bluetailfly]

Check out The Yeskids pictures of the set with lighting it looks killer. From further back in the arenas it looks good. The set glows with the lights colors. Way way better than the past few years. And I for one am glad that they are doing something artistic with the stage using colored spots and pans, instead of relying on boring video screens that show close ups of the band members. I'm so tired of that scheme from the dead and the stones and everyone else. I also thought KC did a nice job with colored lights and inflatables on their tours in 2003.

[ferderig]

I just saw the show at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Being an Artist myself I think the one element that was missing from the
set design was a background. With nothing more than just a black background, the set looked like blow-up circus decorations. Had they added a matching backdrop it would have tied everything together. Even a white backdrop with images and lights would have worked. It wasn't bad, it just didn't look finished.

thats my 2 cents
ferderig