justyes
10-26-2009, 06:15 AM
It's less than a week now until I will see Yes for the third time in my life... Many of you sees the band three times in a tour but also many of you have never seen the band live. I want to tell my story... For some of you it will be boring, too sentimental, I can imagine that. Not everyone likes to read other people's life stories, even YesStories. I do. And I have one of my own.
In 2001 Yes was during their YesSymphonic tour of the world. I wasn't a fan. By October, when Yes came over to play two concerts in Poland I knew only Relayer. I didn't really like the album at first. It was too much then. On October 27th, almost exactly 8 years ago, Yes played in Warsaw. One of my friends was there, but I wasn't a fan yet. More or less at the same time I got "The Ladder". Not the best album in the opinion of many, but the album contains two songs I love from the very first listen: Homeworld and The Messenger. Also around November 1st 2001 I got a second hand review of the Warsaw concert. These two facts were the impulse I needed to become a Yesfan. But I didn't want this to be the main part. This story was to be about my concerts...
It's 2003. I guess it was winter, somewhere around February. We are at school, talking during a break when one of my friends suddenly says: "hey guys, do you know Yes is coming to Poland?"... No, I wasn't immediately sure if I want to go. 150 zlotys was quite a lot of money for a 15 year old... But the first reaction was "when?" "how much?" "where?". Thankfully we had computer science later that day and we could look up all the info (it was long before long before every 5 year old child had internet access). June 15th 2003 was the day. It actually didn't take me long to decide that I go. I don't know where I got the money from but one thing was sure. I went to that concert. And it was very special. I was 15 and a fan. I've never before been to a concert. This year, I know what is happening. I know more or less everything I should know about the concert. Maybe except the setlist. In 2003 I knew the setlist but this was pretty much all. For 4 months I was anxiously waiting for the show. A couple of days before I checked Forgotten Yesterdays at school what did they play on the earlier shows. I knew all of the songs by then so I should have been surprised. But I was. I would never expect how amazing can a concert be. Despite sitting in row 26 it was all like a dream. Till the very last tunes, the very last seconds, I couldn't believe I see Yes live. When I am asked what was my best concert experience I always point to this show. I don't care if they made mistakes in every song or whatever. It was my first YesShow.
And then came I think January 2004 (well, it was 2004 for sure). And the news broke out: Yes are touring again. Yes will play in Warsaw again! The tickets were even more expensive but this time I didn't hesitate at all. It wasn't as sublime as the first time (yes, the first was sublime) but it was still amazing and great. This time I sat in row 25. And once again I couldn't believe it. Once again I thought I was dreaming. And once again I had a great time. I actually don't remember many details about both of the shows because I was to astonished to notice them. It was just too great.
And now it's 2009. I am a Yesfan who knows what's going on in and around the band. But this time I go to the concert without knowing the setlist. This time I'll be sitting in row 1. This time I won't be sitting with a group of friends but with other fans. And perhaps most notably this time it won't be the one and only concert in a year. I've already seen Asia, Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman to state only the Yes-related shows. I am not such a big concert goer as some people here (Anne, Malcolm, you're reading this? :D) but still I have never before seen 6 shows in a year and I still missed Steve Hackett and Van Der Graaf Generator. This particular Yes concert is different for not only because the line-up is different than befor (both shows I've seen were Anderson, Squire, Howe, White, Wakeman) but also because I consider myself a lot more developed fan. At this time in 4 days I will be on my way to Katowice with my friends. We will be possibly talking about the upcoming concert, our expectations. We will be waiting anxiously for the show to start. I'll be waiting for the pre-show meeting because I like meeting fellow Yesfans and in addition to that I'll be carrying with me two tickets: one for me and one for one of our fellow fans from the site. In 4 days I'll be seeing YES!
In 2001 Yes was during their YesSymphonic tour of the world. I wasn't a fan. By October, when Yes came over to play two concerts in Poland I knew only Relayer. I didn't really like the album at first. It was too much then. On October 27th, almost exactly 8 years ago, Yes played in Warsaw. One of my friends was there, but I wasn't a fan yet. More or less at the same time I got "The Ladder". Not the best album in the opinion of many, but the album contains two songs I love from the very first listen: Homeworld and The Messenger. Also around November 1st 2001 I got a second hand review of the Warsaw concert. These two facts were the impulse I needed to become a Yesfan. But I didn't want this to be the main part. This story was to be about my concerts...
It's 2003. I guess it was winter, somewhere around February. We are at school, talking during a break when one of my friends suddenly says: "hey guys, do you know Yes is coming to Poland?"... No, I wasn't immediately sure if I want to go. 150 zlotys was quite a lot of money for a 15 year old... But the first reaction was "when?" "how much?" "where?". Thankfully we had computer science later that day and we could look up all the info (it was long before long before every 5 year old child had internet access). June 15th 2003 was the day. It actually didn't take me long to decide that I go. I don't know where I got the money from but one thing was sure. I went to that concert. And it was very special. I was 15 and a fan. I've never before been to a concert. This year, I know what is happening. I know more or less everything I should know about the concert. Maybe except the setlist. In 2003 I knew the setlist but this was pretty much all. For 4 months I was anxiously waiting for the show. A couple of days before I checked Forgotten Yesterdays at school what did they play on the earlier shows. I knew all of the songs by then so I should have been surprised. But I was. I would never expect how amazing can a concert be. Despite sitting in row 26 it was all like a dream. Till the very last tunes, the very last seconds, I couldn't believe I see Yes live. When I am asked what was my best concert experience I always point to this show. I don't care if they made mistakes in every song or whatever. It was my first YesShow.
And then came I think January 2004 (well, it was 2004 for sure). And the news broke out: Yes are touring again. Yes will play in Warsaw again! The tickets were even more expensive but this time I didn't hesitate at all. It wasn't as sublime as the first time (yes, the first was sublime) but it was still amazing and great. This time I sat in row 25. And once again I couldn't believe it. Once again I thought I was dreaming. And once again I had a great time. I actually don't remember many details about both of the shows because I was to astonished to notice them. It was just too great.
And now it's 2009. I am a Yesfan who knows what's going on in and around the band. But this time I go to the concert without knowing the setlist. This time I'll be sitting in row 1. This time I won't be sitting with a group of friends but with other fans. And perhaps most notably this time it won't be the one and only concert in a year. I've already seen Asia, Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman to state only the Yes-related shows. I am not such a big concert goer as some people here (Anne, Malcolm, you're reading this? :D) but still I have never before seen 6 shows in a year and I still missed Steve Hackett and Van Der Graaf Generator. This particular Yes concert is different for not only because the line-up is different than befor (both shows I've seen were Anderson, Squire, Howe, White, Wakeman) but also because I consider myself a lot more developed fan. At this time in 4 days I will be on my way to Katowice with my friends. We will be possibly talking about the upcoming concert, our expectations. We will be waiting anxiously for the show to start. I'll be waiting for the pre-show meeting because I like meeting fellow Yesfans and in addition to that I'll be carrying with me two tickets: one for me and one for one of our fellow fans from the site. In 4 days I'll be seeing YES!