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Yes tour continues with replacement for Jon Anderson
It's been five years since Yes last went on the road for a tour, but fans of the iconic progressive rock band won't have to wait much longer. After cancelling their 40th anniversary tour over the summer, the band members have announced plans for a new tour -- with a new lead singer.
According to a statement posted yesterday on the band's Web site, vocalist Benoit David, who performs with several Yes tribute bands in his native Montreal, will stand in for original Yes lead singer Jon Anderson.
"This isn't an attempt to replace Jon Anderson, because as we all know, that would be impossible," bassist Chris Squire said in the statement. "With Benoit, we are bringing in a talented singer so that we can go out and honor the music of Yes for the fans who have waited for the past four years to see us perform."
Yes had initially scheduled a 26-date tour of North America to begin on July 12 in Quebec City, QC. "We're all very excited to play to all of our fans, a lot of which have been with us for almost 40 years. A lot of marriages don't even last that long," Anderson quipped in a statement at the time.
But just a month before the concert, Anderson suffered a severe asthma attack and was subsequently diagnosed with acute respiratory failure. Faced with Anderson's required six-month recovery, the band had to shelve its tour plans. Until, that is, the band saw a video of David's tribute band on the Internet and offered an audition.
In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Squire said the relaunched In The Present Tour will kick off on November 4 in Ontario, Canada. The full tour itinerary has not been announced yet.
In the interview, Squire went on to say that he hopes David's presence will allow the band to explore the rarer songs from Yes' catalogue that Anderson wouldn't perform. However, he also expressed wishes that Anderson would be fully recuperated in time for some shows in 2009.
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No offense against the new singer but I'll wait this one out. See you 2009 if Jon's back.
This is the reason why classic rock fans get royally pissed off. Anyone one who truly appreciates Yes knows that a tour without Jon is a load of crap. Maybe they should replace Squire with a sound alike bassist on the next tour. Of course that won't happen because Squire apparently owns the name.
Hopefully, this bogus tour won't prevent a real tour in 2009.
As I posted on my blog yesterday (http://isorski.blogspot.com/), the only way anyone will want to see this is if they play really intimate venues, or dig WAY deep into the catalog and do stuff Anderson won't do (like you noted). I guess we'll wait and see.
"Really intimate venues"? Who would want to hear and see a Jon Anderson wannabe that close?! This is a stab in the back to the co-founder of the band. Hey guys (Chris, Alan, Steve), do some solo gigs or write some material for your next albums and give Jon 5 or 6 months to be full strength and get on with the tour. It's a sad state of affairs when your impatience results in such an atrocity.
The rest of the Yes has to make a living with or without Jon. There are many legions of Yes fans who will support band without him. Jon will do just fine considering he makes the most in royalties from Yes. I look forward to seeing Benoit David, and if they have to go on without Jon, may they have the sucess like they did in the Trevor Rabin days.
Good Luck Guys!
Would waiting 5 more months for the guy to heal really hurt their wallets? Cmonn. Trevor Rabin doesn't belong anywhere near Yes and gave them a sound that was, well, Trevor Rabin. That guy couldn't write one song on Going for the One with a gun to his head!
"Not Yes"
September 18, 2008
Disappointed, and very Disrespected
Disappointed that, with the exception of one phone call from Alan, none of the guys have been in touch since my illness, just to find out how I am doing, and how we will foresee the future for YES. And disappointed that they were not willing to wait till 2009 when I’m fully recovered.
And I feel very disrespected, having spent most of this year creating songs and constant ideas for the band, spending time with Roger Dean creating a stage design, also working with VH1 and Sirius and XM Radio to help promote the welfare of YES.
Getting sick was not "on my radar”, and I thank my own angel Janeee and my family for helping me through this difficult time, and the many well wishers, friends and fans alike, for understanding that ''things happen''.
Of course I wish the guys all the best in their 'solo' work, but I just wish this could have been done in a more gentlemanly fashion. After all YES is a precious musical band.
This is not YES on tour...
I send best wishes to one and all
Jon Anderson
September 2008
The Drama album and tour was the first Yes album and concert that I did not care anything about. I heard 30 seconds of something about a camera and that 30 seconds too much for me. Jon Anderson's voice is Yes, has always been Yes, thats just the way it is.
Bob
The Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe tour that started in Memphis Tn @ Mud Island was a real yes concert. I think it was 1989 and it was great