----------------------------------------------------- SEPTEMBER 21, 2003 ----------------------------------------------------- Source: The Age (Australia) http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/09/20/1063625264952.html The hiccup and roar of a dinosaur By Warwick McFadyen Dinosaurs still walk the earth. The evidence was on show on Friday night at Vodafone Arena when 35 years after its birth, and 25 years after it was pronounced dead by punks, tyrannosaurus Yes took to the stage and roared a howl of defiance to time and fashion trends. Jon Anderson, 58, Steve Howe, 56, Chris Squire, 55, Rick Wakeman, 54, and Alan White, 54 -- the classic Yes line-up -- strode on stage to an adoring audience of mainly 40-year-old-plus fans. It could have been the curtain call. Wakeman and Squire were resplendent in long coats -- shiny silvery-purple and black with gold embroidery respectively -- their hair shoulder-length, white with age. Howe, with glasses, looked more the part of an eccentric professor. Anderson, the prince of the realm of otherworlds, moved with the air of one atune to the whisperings of fairies and the rainforest rhythms of the soul. But then the trouble started. Anderson's microphone was "whistling", for which he apologised. A high-pitched shriek occurred on every second song. Much worse was the crackling from Howe's acoustic guitar, which when amplified was an intolerable noise to assail an audience with. It could not be fixed and Howe had to abandon a solo acoustic set. It also gave rise to a false start of And You and I, which Anderson laughed off. But when ticket prices are $100 or more, an audience deserves better. If they want to hear electrical static they can go home and stomp up and down on an electric guitar cord themselves. Unfortunately, these things interrupted the flow of the night, for when the band got into a groove it really did underline the reasons for their longevity. Taking aside the prog-rock labels (or any labels for that matter) Howe, Squire, Wakeman and White are virtuosos. When the music gelled, as in Awaken, they were playing as well as any time in their career. During the night, Howe swapped effortlessly from electric to acoustic to lap steel and traded rapid-fire notes and riffs with Wakeman, whose hands flew across the banks of keyboards. "He's been practising," quipped Anderson. Indeed, he could have balanced a pint of lager on the top of his hands. It was to Squire, however, that the honours belonged. Stalking the stage like a modern-day Thor of Valhalla, his thunderous playing, full of bravado and showmanship, propelled the songs. The rarity with which Yes tours here means that diehard fans will always come to the show. But dinosaurs, even harmless ones, need to ensure their survival through a good sound system. This is fairly basic. Otherwise they may find themselves close to the edge of extinction. Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, problems, corrections, or additions, contact YesinthePress@aol.com