Location: Munich / Muffathalle / Germany
Date: Friday, 07.03.2014
The Muffathalle, located pretty much in the heart of Munich, played host this time to the international supergroup Transatlantic. Prog rock fans really don’t need a detailed introduction, since the band is made up of active or former members of nothing but renowned bands and side projects. Founding members Neal Morse, the singer/multi-instrumentalist who was once a member of American prog rock revivalists Spock’s Beard, and Mike Portnoy, by now the former Dream Theater drummer, decided in 2009 that after a lengthy absence the time had come to ‘sober up’ and bring the supergroup back to the music scene.
They quickly got in touch with their European buddies, Swedish guitarist/singer Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings, ex-Kaipa) and bassist Pete Trewavas (Marillion). The end result of the newly reborn Transatlantic was their third album »The Whirlwind« (2009) and the extensive tour that followed its release. The quartet of musical grandmasters and top-notch songwriters didn’t rest in the following years either, and created Transatlantic’s fourth album, »Kaleidoscope« (2014), which can even be declared their best achievement so far. Full of freshness and verve, which was surely helped along by the new album’s high chart placements in Germany and the Netherlands, they set out on the European leg of the »Kaleidoscope« tour and picked Munich among the first dates.
To our relief, there was no support act this time to grate on our nerves or suck out the good vibes before the main attraction of the night, as happened far too often in the past. Still, a bit of needless bad mood came courtesy of the headache-inducing prices of the various Transatlantic ‘souvenirs’, while Portnoy’s apathetic attitude toward the fans of his music, whom he strolled past before the show as if they didn’t even exist, was a chapter all its own. The fact that Transatlantic played their own covers of prog rock classics, which they put on the bonus disc of the special edition of the current album, before coming on stage also struck some as a bit off-putting and self-indulgent, as if the band members didn’t like other artists’ music and nursed a sort of superiority complex. Of course, none of this had any effect on the supergroup’s actual performance, which met and satisfied all our high expectations, and that was what mattered most.
After a short orchestral intro, Transatlantic opened their set with »Into the Blue«, the opening suite of the new album, setting the tone for an evening dominated mostly by prog rock super-epics and multi-part suites, running more than 20 or even more than 30 minutes. Neal Morse, who played most of the keyboards and sang the bulk of the vocals, is by far the most charismatic stage presence of the four masters, as we could thoroughly convince ourselves in every performance of a Transatlantic standard that night. Neal is a born actor, with exceptional stage mimicry and vocal presence, so it’s no wonder some music critics have dubbed him the ‘American Peter Gabriel’. That surely sounds like a bit of an exaggerated comparison, but there’s no doubt about who his main stage role model is. Even Neal’s look, a combination of a ‘long-lost relative’ of Quentin Tarantino and a young Jack Lemmon, lets him make the most of his huge charisma, while his singing abilities have only ‘matured like fine wine’ over the years.
Morse’s acoustic guitar playing is at least as good as his keyboard work, as we could hear during a short joint solo spot with Stolt, and he can also handle a few other instruments well, including drums and bass guitar. It’s a real shame that Neal, after the fateful ‘vision’ in 2002 when ‘God told him to leave Spock’s Beard,’ devotes half of his creative energy and time to religious preaching and devotional gigs in churches, which also shows in most of his solo lyrics as well as Transatlantic’s. Otherwise he would surely have earned legendary status long ago, which only a handful of prog rock musicians (three or maybe four at most) among those active since the nineties really deserve.
Mike Portnoy isn’t charismatic, let alone a positive guy, which longtime Dream Theater fans have known full well for ages (and not just since he left). But the role of the loudmouthed yet entertaining grump with the blue beard suits him extremely well. Every so often he stirs up the crowd with a witty address, like the one early in the Transatlantic show, when he poked fun at a sign someone in the front rows was holding high above their head. It said ‘Portnoy is the shit’, which he liked. But he’d surely have reacted quite differently if it had said ‘Portnoy is shit’ instead, as he hinted himself. Mike is of course still a drumming ‘beast’ of a kind there aren’t many of in the drumming world, so watching him play is always a mandatory field trip for every young, eager drummer who wants to learn to play across all possible genres. His singing was criticized often in the past, back when he was in Dream Theater, but he’s really nowhere near a bad singer, and his ‘psychedelic’ vocals in the right sections, with the right sonic backing, come off as great fun.
Guitar grandmaster Stolt, in the style of the proverbial cool-headed Swede, came across as reserved on stage, just as expected, with his ‘professorial’ bearing. So every sudden, jerky move or raised hand above the guitar neck, never mind a smile, was a big surprise. His guitar wizardry, especially the solos, was a chapter all its own and, as always with him, a rarely heard combination of melody, precision and enviable speed at working the strings. As a singer, he shone brightest in sections that stylistically recalled his ‘home’ band, The Flower Kings. The calm but great-humored Trewavas was the most animated member of the Transatlantic crew throughout the show, which is no surprise to any Marillion devotee, since they’ve all long known what Pete’s stage approach is like. With his harmonious laying down of melodic yet complex bass lines he delighted young and old, and he really shone in both of his short vocal spots, so that every member of this splendid prog rock foursome got to try out a vocal role.
Instead of Daniel Gildenlöw (Pain of Salvation), who usually accompanied them on past tours, Ted Leonard (Spock’s Beard, Enchant) filled the guest-member slot. That especially delighted all the Spock’s Beard fans, who got both the former and the current singer of that wonderful American prog rock band on stage at the same time. Transatlantic simply couldn’t have wished for a better supporting vocalist, as Leonard and Morse meshed superbly on the vocal harmonies, especially in the sections with Spock’s Beard’s stylistic and atmospheric pulse. Leonard helped Morse and Stolt with extra synth lines, rhythm guitar and backing vocals. His solo spots in the chosen songs were rare and short, but among the singers only Morse got a bigger round of applause. For part of the Rockline crew this was already the third live encounter with Ted, and each time he was in a different band: first we saw him with Enchant, then with Spock’s Beard, and third with Transatlantic.
Morse, with his Roland V-7 organ, was set up in the left corner of the stage, while Portnoy sat in the right, his drum kit arranged so he could look straight in Neal’s direction, which was something special and surely a fun experience for him. After »Into the Blue* came an no less impressive performance of the 16-minute epic »My New World« from Transatlantic’s debut »SMPT:e« (2000), and it was instantly clear that even in the older material everyone on stage enjoys themselves no less than with the new stuff. Everything was played in a dreamlike way, while the vocal harmonies were a real balm for body and soul. The sound in the hall was excellent all night, so it made no real difference where in the crowd you were standing throughout the show.
With the rousing, slightly psychedelic »Shine«, also from the new album, the four prog rock ‘astronauts’ came back down to earth a bit, showing that playing ‘more compact’ pieces (compact by their usual standards) isn’t foreign to them. These are musicians who, in some other era, could have written big pop hits too if they’d felt like it, which goes especially for the all-round Morse, while Trewavas undoubtedly has the most experience writing songs with hit potential. The color of the graphic projections in the background suddenly changed; the green-and-blue »Kaleidoscope« cover gave way to a yellow-and-orange combination from the cover of the »Whirlwind« album. »Whirlwind« is both an album and a song that clocks in at a whopping 77 minutes, so nobody expected Transatlantic to play it in its entirety.
Instead they put together a »Transatlantic Medley« that condensed the best sections of this astounding prog revivalist epic, during which all the band members shone equally, including guest Leonard. With »Beyond the Sun« they returned to »Kaleidoscope«, which hit its peak of the evening with the title super-epic, a veritable orgy of old-school prog rock brilliance. In it they once again combined their extraordinary virtuoso skills for creating magical symphonic arrangements, laying down seductive melodies, orchestrating unpredictable time changes and weaving epic choruses. That was undoubtedly the first of the evening’s two big highlights.
After the »Kaleidoscope« triumph everyone but Neal and Roine left the stage, and it was time for a joint solo spot: a short guitar duel that ended in a draw. During it Neal also indulged in a little burlesque, quickly playing and singing the main motif of the famous country evergreen »Ring of Fire« (Johnny Cash). The show was slowly nearing its closing stretch, and it was time for »We All Need Some Light«, perhaps even Transatlantic’s best-known and most beloved creation, which Neal, its creator, sang with almost religious fervor, not surprising given its spiritual message and lyrics. The performance of »Black As the Sky« meant that Transatlantic had played the whole of »Kaleidoscope« that night, which, even though they’re capable of plenty that’s beyond the grasp of ordinary musical ‘mortals’, was still an impressive achievement.
After a short break they returned to the stage and played the 30-minute suite »All of the Above«, which comes from their debut, so Portnoy’s announcement from the start of the show, that epic suites would define the evening, was finally fulfilled. The concert wouldn’t have been complete without at least one song from the second album »Bridge Across Forever« (2001), and since Transatlantic offer their fans only the best, they chose the most impressive track from that album: the 30-minute super-epic »Stranger in Your Soul«, with which they staged the second highlight of the evening. We didn’t hear any covers of other artists that night, which was fair enough in its own way, since the members of Transatlantic are gradually realizing more and more that since reuniting in 2009 they’ve become a real band with heart and soul. They’re no longer just a side project for ‘killing free time’ and pleasing those prog fatcats who can’t be bothered to go to the shows of this masterful foursome’s ‘home’ bands.
Transatlantic came, played and conquered. Their show at the Muffathalle was a real treat for all symphonic prog rock gourmets. These unstoppable prog fanatics don’t run out of energy for playing 20- to 30-minute epic suites any time soon, which is certainly worth a deep bow from guys who have already ‘met Abraham’ or are getting close to it (Portnoy). Even more praiseworthy is their ability to fill concertgoers with positive energy and good vibes throughout the entire performance. Amid all the complex rhythmic variations and unpredictable solo excursions running through the individual compositions, there’s a beautiful feel for melody and for delivering life messages that speak a ‘universal language’ and go beyond Neal’s boxed-in views. That also means every fan of symphonic prog rock with old-school roots will always find something interesting while watching Transatlantic, so seeing them play is always a one-of-a-kind experience.
author: Peter Podbrežnik
photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
SETLIST:
The Orchestral Whirlwind (intro)
1. Into the Blue
2. My New World
3. Shine
Whirlwind Medley
4. Overture (Abridged)
5. Rose Colored Glasses
6. Evermore
7. Is It Really Happening?
8. Dancing With Eternal Glory (Whirlwind (Reprise) section)
9. Beyond The Sun
10. Kaleidoscope
11. Guitar Duet (Morse & Stolt)
12. We All Need Some Light
13. Black as the Sky
—encore—
14. All of the Above (Full Moon Rising/October Winds)
15. Stranger in Your Soul (Slide/Stranger In Your Soul)
