Yes Announce 50th Anniversary Tour
The current Yes lineup will mark the band's 50th anniversary with a series of tour dates scheduled to start next spring.
Guitarist Steve Howe, drummer Alan White, keyboardist Geoff Downes, singer Jon Davison and bassist Billy Sherwood announced the tour on the official Yes website, as well as plans to build the set list around an assortment of hits and fan favorites, as well as most of 1973's Tales From Topographic Oceans LP. The dates — a complete list of which you can look over below — include two nights at the Palladium in London, where plans call for a fan convention featuring an appearance by longtime Yes album artist Roger Dean.
"We want to mark this anniversary with a tour that encompasses some of our best loved work," said Howe. "We want to play things we enjoy, maybe songs we haven’t done in a while.”
"I feel enormously privileged be a part of the legacy of the incredible and unique line of musicians in Yes," added Downes. "The band has always remained fresh and inventive throughout its 50-year history, and created an amazing catalog of music that has inspired millions from all generations."
"Reflecting on the past 46 years that I’ve devoted my life to playing Yes music, it’s been an interesting journey and a true labor of love," concluded White. "I’ve always believed in the power of music and the band’s recent induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and our Grammy are testament to the longevity of influence our music has had through the years. I’m extremely grateful to continue to be performing on stages for our dedicated fans and look forward to our 50th anniversary performing together in 2018. It’s been a great ride!"
The subject of the group's 50th anniversary has been on the horizon for some time, and at one point, it appeared as if the afterglow surrounding the group's Hall of Fame induction might make it possible for some former members to return for commemorative dates. Former singer Jon Anderson sounded an optimistic note last year, but that seems unlikely at this point; more recently, ARW — the trio Anderson started with fellow Yes vets Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman — has publicly squabbled with the current Yes incarnation over who has the rights to the band name.
Yes 50th Anniversary Tour Dates
3/13 — Bristol Colston Hall, U.K.
3/14 — Sheffield City Hall, U.K.
3/16 — Glasgow SEC Armadillo, U.K.
3/17 — Manchester Bridgewater Hall, U.K.
3/18 — Gateshead Sage, U.K.
3/20 — Birmingham Symphony Hall, U.K.
3/21 — Brighton Centre, U.K.
3/23 — Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, U.K.
3/24 — London Palladium, U.K.
3/25 — London Palladium, U.K.
3/27 — Tilburg 013, Netherlands
3/28 — Antwerp De Roma, Belgium
3/30 — Paris Olympia, France
Yes Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide