Steven Wilson, the multifaceted singer, songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer and mixer, has more than established his expertise in the studio with five solo albums, beyond the 10 he made with Porcupine Tree. With a strong group of players in his corner, Wilson has managed to successfully present his music in an optimal live setting, mixing incalculable musicianship with spectacular visuals for a truly memorable concert experience. Home Invasion: In Concert At The Royal Albert Hall, available on CD, DVD, and Blu-ray Disc, is the live release Wilson fans have been waiting for, and the one live music fans should see and hear.
Recorded at the end of March 2018, during a three-night sold-out run at London’s famous Royal Albert Hall, Home Invasion: In Concert at the Royal Albert Hall captures the end of Wilson’s tour supporting To The Bone, his fifth record. Unlike previous albums, To The Bone doesn’t dwell so much on brooding themes as it does with different forms — be it progressive, World, pop, whatever Wilson’s inclination. At Royal Albert he went wide with songs from the album, bringing out Israeli singer Ninet Tayeb to join him on the exotic, Middle-Eastern flavored duet ““Pariah.” She would return to the stage to sing “People Who Eat Darkness” and “Blank Tapes.”
Later in the show, Wilson announces, “The time has come,” as he gives props to pop, alluding to his own hip-shaking “Permanating,” adding, “I’m going to play it now. You’re going to disco dance.” And off he goes, eventually joined by a chorus of seven Bollywood Co. dancers to help get the room moving. “Song Of I” features a different kind of dancer — a laser projected image of a woman slithering to the music. It did not elicit the same response.
Others from To The Bone — “Refuge,” “Detonation,” “The Same Asylum As Before” and “Song Of Unborn” — take their place alongside various Porcupine Tree tunes (including the superfluous “Lazarus”), songs from 2015’s Hand. Cannot. Erase, and the haunting title track from 2013’s The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories). Together, Wilson, bassist Nick Beggs, keyboardist Adam Holzman, guitarist Alex Hutchings, and drummer Craig Bundell treat the Royal Albert Hall to a command performance. And now, thanks to advances in digital technology, you can enjoy Home Invasion: In Concert At The Royal Albert Hall in the privacy of your home. Be sure to draw the blinds and turn it up.
~ Shawn Perry
