Yes – The Cliffs Pavilion, Westcliff-on-Sea
I always like going to the Cliffs Pavilion. It’s a day out at the seaside, innit!
Half way up the steps that lead from Southend’s Western Esplanade to the venue
Found it hard to believe that I’ve never seen Yes live. Well, I saw Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe in 1989, which you could argue was as much Yes as any other line-up of the band, but no proper Yes gig, with the logo and everything.
Luckily I had purloined press tickets for this show, which was at the Cliffs Pavilion, just 15 minutes down the road on a good night (box ticked), all seater (tick), 10 rows back (tick) and in the middle (yes, I’m happy with all of that!)
The particular tour that the band were doing was one where three albums were pretty much played back to back – The Yes Album, Close To The Edge and Going For The One. Normally that would freak me out a bit as it would keep me out wayyy too late, but the seat and my general feelings towards the albums (I love them all) got me nicely relaxed for the night.

As you can see from the band’s web poster, it was a good line up too – the ever-present Chris Squire, Steve Howe, the Buggles’ Geoff Downes on keyboards (he also played on Yes’s 1980 album Drama, one of my favourites) and Alan White. And the voice of Jon Davison, the second singer since Jon Anderson quit for health reasons (and wasn’t asked to come back, apparently) in 2008. And what a voice! In places he sounded more Anderson than Jon Anderson.
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Set 1 – Close To The Edge LP:
- The Firebird Suite (Igor Stravinsky – walkon song)
- Close To The Edge
- And You And I
- Siberian Khatru
Set 2 – Going For The One LP:
- Going For The One
- Turn Of The Century
- Parallels
- Wonderous Stories
- Awaken
Interval
Set 3 – The Yes Album LP:
- Yours Is No Disgrace
- Clap
- Starship Trooper
- I’ve Seen All Good People
- A Venture
- Perpetual Change
Encore:
- Roundabout
Wednesday 30 April 2014, 704 views
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Gigs
- Gigantic Indie All Dayer – Marble Factory, Bristol
- HMS Morris, Pictish Trail – Tŷ Pawb, Wrexham
- The Others – The 100 Club, Soho
- Stray Tracks: White Gates Band, Mystery Team, Basharan, SNM, Monumental – Pink Toothbrush, Rayleigh
- Franz Ferdinand, Master Peace, Great Leslie – Empire, Shepherd’s Bush
- Melys, Yr Anghysur – Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda
- Ynys, Sybs, Lafant – Y Cwps, Aberystwyth
- Sultans of Ping FC – Saint Luke’s & The Winged Ox, Glasgow
- Franz Ferdinand, Permanent (Joy) – Grand Central Hall, Liverpool
- Half Happy, em koko – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
- My Life Story – The Quarry, Liverpool
- Melys, Osgled – Y Cwps, Aberystwyth
- They Might Be Giants – The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm
- Darling Buds, Simon Love and the Loves – 229, Great Portland Street, London
- Fightmilk, Tugboat Captain – Paper Dress Vintage, Hackney
- Bugeye, Lucky Number You – The Victoria, Birmingham
- Art Brut – The Castle & Falcon, Birmingham
- Sultans of Ping FC, Meryl Streek – The Ritz, Manchester
- Chroma, Baby Brave, Lila Zing – Tŷ Pawb, Wrexham
- Melin Melyn, Ynys, Pys Melyn – Town Hall, Llangollen
- Antarctic Monkeys – The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury
- Bloc Party – The Institute, Digbeth, Birmingham
- Urdd Gobaith Cymru: Achlysurol, HMS Morris, Llareggub Brass Band – Mathrafal Field, Meifod
- Echobelly, Camens – Live 45, Kidderminster
- Futureheads, Adult Play – Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury
- Adwaith – Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
- Melys, Pys Melyn, Sophie Kilburn – Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda
- Sea Power, Callum Easter – Town Hall, Birmingham
- Dydd Miwsig Cymru: Morgan Elwy, Tew Tew Tennau, Mynadd – Y Institwt, Llanfair Caereinion
- Bikini Beach Band – The White Hart, Stoke Newington
- Pacifica, House of Women – Academy 2, Islington
- Fonda 500, Bugeye, Hurtling, Colossus – Amersham Arms, New Cross
- Snow Coats, Toodles and the Hectic Pity – Signature Brew, Haggerston
- Snow Coats – Tunbridge Wells Forum
- Darling Buds, Keeley – The Thunderbolt, Bristol
- Fightmilk, Feeble Strength – Signature Brew, Haggerston
- Thousand Yard Stare – The Lexington, Islington
- Thousand Yard Stare – Prince Albert, Brighton
- Be Your Own Pet – Rough Trade East, Whitechapel
- Brian Butterfield – Bush Hall, Shepherd’s Bush
- Pulp – Apollo, Hammersmith
- Blur, Self Esteem – Wembley Stadium, Wembley
- Blur, Wu Lu – City Hall, Newcastle
- Salad, Repetitive John – Arts Club, West Hampstead, London
- Salad – The Hope and Ruin, Brighton
- The Others – The Garage, Highbury
- Fightmilk – Signature Brew, Haggerston
- Ynys, Gillie – The Victoria, Dalston
- Republica, Freya Beer – Powerhaus, Camden
- Pop Will Eat Itself, Sigue Sigue Sputnik – 229, Great Portland Street, London
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