Although Yes was formed some 34 years ago they don’t look or sound like a spent force in 2003. With the return (his third time since he first left the band) of keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman these prog rock pioneers are back in their original line-up and touring Europe under the aptly moniker of “Full Circle”.

Just like most of their fans Howe, Anderson, White, Wakeman and Squire have aged a bit but they haven’t lost one bit of the magic between them that was responsible for creating many of their classic songs. And that magic was displayed as soon as they hit the stage at the “Koninklijk Circus”, a very cosy theatre hall with great acoustics and perfectly suited for a night of first class symphonic rock.

Even with a pretty sober looking stage set up and none of the musicians actually moving around much it was obvious to everyone present that Yes were back in optima forma.
The passion displayed when playing songs such as “Siberian Khatru”, “Magnification”, “Don’t Kill The Whale” and “And You And I” created a unique atmosphere complete with highflying temperatures. The crowd was captivated from the off and rewarded the band with a standing ovation at the end of each song. Jon Anderson was clearly touched by the punters’ amount of appreciation and expressed his gratitude more than once during the show.

After a short break in the set Rick Wakeman gave his all during a truly spectacular keyboard solo that treated us to parts from “Six Wives Of Henry XIII”. The exceptional quality of the sound of this small theatre hall was underlined once more while enjoying gems such as “Heart Of the Sunrise” and “Long Distance Runaround”. Every little part of the complex song structures was clearly audible and that’s something extremely rare even in this day and age.
Jon Anderson wasn’t afraid to throw in a couple of dance moves with a beautiful looking lady that turned out to be his wife.

Towards the end of the set the crowd decided to forget about sitting down and moved closer to the stage. The band closed their 2-hour performance with the obligatory “Roundabout” and “Yours Is No Disgrace”. Hopefully this renewed collaboration with Wakeman is the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Yes. I for one can’t wait to see what’s coming next.