Just two days after I saw them play a solid but no shocking gig at the Arrow Classic Rock Festival in Holland, the Yes 35th Anniversary tour made a stop in Antwerpen. And although a lot of Belgium fans were already present in Lichtenvoorde, the Elisabethhall was packed which only went to show that most people think the band’s music is done more justice indoors rather than on a festival.

When the curtain dropped it revealed a the stage filled with inflatable black and white objects designed by Roger Dean, who’s responsible for most of Yes’ album covers. Walking on the scene one by one they were immediately greeted with a standing ovation before even having played a single note. It seems their music has effected a whole generation in the seventies and tonight this generation was more than happy to relive its youth for almost three hours. Obviously there where no teenagers in sight and being too young myself to remember that period, it was great to see them still playing antics such as ‘Going For The One’, ‘Yours Is No Disgrace’, ‘And You And I’ and Starship Trooper’.

The five piece looked in more than decent shape performing as if they were a new band: solid, precise and convincing. Yes always were excellent musicians with keyboard virtuosi Rick Wakeman in a leading role. When, after the break, he sat down at a piano-with Anderson, Squire and Howe holding acoustic guitars and drummer Alan White behind a mini-kit- we were treated to half an hour acoustical Yes. The band unleashed an ironic, honky-tonk "Roundabout"(from Fragile), which used to be their rousing encore, and also ‘Owner Of A Lonely Heart’ was played in a stripped down version, resulting in one of the bands many highlights of the evening.

Going from long instrumental passages, massive solos, cosmic lyrics and songs that go on for half an hour, the audience-with among them well known Belgian musicians Hautekiet and Riguelle- loved it all and tonight I was glad to be one of them. In return Jon Anderson personally thanked s the fans during a walk in the crowd making this gig truly unforgettable. I can’t wait to hear some new work from this line-up, hopefully in the near future. In the meanwhile go catch them live while you still can.