It was one of those very rare days, one of those indeed. A day that could not be predicted in its flow and a day which very much demands you cherish it, hold it in your heart and let your thoughts slide back to that wonderful day just to again raise that smile on your face and feel the warmth inside. Did you imagine that it could be this beautiful? Did you sense the music was going to so captivate you? For sure, the band’s albums, and with this evening in mind, the live recordings, already promised a lot. More than a lot. At the same time, the band that performed the music on September 5 was different from the band that had already been on the road together. A sense of anticipation for the new train was there. There were personnel changes, there was unavailability of band members and there was the devastating blow of David Longdon’s sad death last year. The band had to seriously consider the future. With the bond forged in a band and knowing what David would have wanted, Big Big Train carried on, ready to embrace the future.

Energy renewed and with new band members on board, Big Big Train returned from the not quite voluntary retreat, ready to take on board familiar and new passengers all the same (Passengers being  the name for Big Big Train fans). With guitarist Dave Foster, violinist/singer Clare Lindley, wizard at the keys  Oskar Holldorff and multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Alberto Bravin, the band announced a short tour featuring Dim Gray (with Oskar as vocalist and keyboardist) as support act. The young and passionate Norwegians kicked off proceedings in Zoetermeer. They had already astounded the Marillion audience in Stockholm and now, with their new album Firmament being released,  they were quite the appetizer for Big Big Train fans.

The set list proved to be the same as in Stockholm, but boy, they did rise to the occassion! Yes, it may not even have been more than a handful of shows between Stockholm and Zoetermeer, but there already was a huge difference in the band’s approach to responsive audiences. Stockholm’s Cirkus watched Dim Gray being stunned by the audience’s responses, and here they were, playing with great enthusiasm and clearly being far more self-assured. No, no such thing as misplaced 

arrogance, on the contrary, Dim Gray knew their strenghts and put them to work. Again performing as a five piece band rather than the three that record the albums. In addition to the regular line-up of Tom, Håkon and Oskar, they again reinforced their live ranks with multi-instrumentalist Milad Amouzegar and bassist Kristian Kvaksrud. So Zoetermeer saw Dim Gray perform as a tight dynamic whole. Oskar took on his frontman role with more ease, or so it seemed and the band were extremely tight on stage. You could see how they were doing by the eagerness with which they played and by visible understanding appearing from mutual glances. As if the band were way, way beyond their formative years.

Their new album Firmament, released during the tour, already got rave reviews and there were plenty of people who knew both the debut and their brand new release. With songs from both the albums featured in the setlist, Zoetermeer got a pretty good idea of the band’s music. Flown’s songs may just be a bit heavier, Firmament’s songs make the most of the cinematographic skills of the composers in the band. And, yes, Dim Gray’s appeal, it must be said, lies not just within the prog or art rock community. Do you consider yourself open minded? Then head over to their site, get to know their music and find out what you think is great about them. And while you’re at it, introduce your friends and family to their sound as well. You will be surprised at how many different people may actually love Dim Gray’s music.

That not being limited to genre confines in my opinion also applies to the main act of the evening. With a varied structure of songs and the necessary interaction between instrumentalists and a mutual excitement in the game, it is easy to say that you were in for a vast night of prog. But what if you approach this differently and don’t seek to limit yourself or the band’s music? Then you will most certainly hear wonderful songs with beautiful lyrics and fine vocal lines that have instrumental parts deviating from what you at first might have expected, riffing and the likes and, definitely, the musicians will give the songs an adventurous twist. And what did that mean being there in front of the stage in the hall? You heard the fun, you saw the interaction, you experienced the diversity in structures, you were there, watching the pumping and beating heart of the train, stoked for raising steam and it was just great to see the band enjoying themselves, having a blast.

Just like with their friends from Lifesigns earlier in De Boerderij, live recordings took place: cameras and cameramen all over the place.  So no photos or videos other than by photographers who were there for that occasion.

Opener Master James Of St. George is one of those songs that makes you wonder how many people would like it if only they got to know it. Sure, it requires more attention than the average streaming listener can muster, but how incredibly beautiful is this track? Alberto could immediately show his qualities and he did so perfectly. No exaggerated pathos, far from it, but clearly manifesting himself as a frontman and perfectly in his place on stage between Rikard Sjöblom and Oskar Holldorff. From the extremely subtle start, the varied passages in the song and through the wonderful vocal eruption to the end. Once kicked off, the hall at first rather in anticipation, now was out there to be energized by the Train rolling  in.

Made From Sunshine again featured Alberto on lead vocals as well as Clare. My, how wonderful it was to hear this in a live setting. The contrast with the opening song apparent, yes, but that variation in sound, variety in experience, is also part of Big Big Train’s treasure chest of songs. And sure enough, just like in the studio version, the band was joined by the Big Big Train Brass Ensemble. Certainly, the brass ensemble joining the band’s sound is equally elemental to BBT’s sound as well. Very, very beautifully performed and, another essential aspect of the sound of Big Big Train: with several vocalists in the band, harmony singing is of great importance. And the band did it, nothing short of leaving the audience breathless.

Then De Boerderij was in for another treat, The First Rebreather, the epic opening track of English Electric Part One, which was performed wonderfully. All the variation of the song, all the tempo changes, the subtlety of the vocals and harmony vocals, the beautiful keyboard parts: yes, once again we witnessed Big Big Train make their music come to life. Alberto as the helmsman among the various voices, passionately singing his lyrics, the other voices in perfect accompaniment of Alberto’s vocal lines and the instrumental qualities of the band carefully and beautifully balanced. Not that far into the show and and if your heart had not already beforehand been won by the band, there was no escaping the feeling that Big Big Train’s music could have on you. Flying on the basis of merely the keyboard parts? Yes, they sure proved that that was possible.

An epic song rarely comes alone, certainly not in Big Big Train territories and so it was time for Atlantic Cable from Common Ground. The band in this line-up can really play anything and they made that very clear on September 5 as well. A very nice choice in the set list and an example of how Big Big Train can make beautiful songs and at the same time appeal to the hardcore prog lover. The subject of the song, laying a cable across the ocean floor for telegram communication around the world, is just as fascinating as how the song was made. And when you take into account all that happens in the song, what the audience got to experience on Monday evening, you also get a lot of appreciation for how the song is written. Silent force, founder of the band and songwriter of many of the tracks, Gregory Spawton put a lot into it and here he was, the bassist, in the background, a clearly chosen spot and at the same time enjoying being on stage again.

Could the set even be more beautiful? Yes, The Florentine brought Nick D’Virgilio and Alberto Bravin together on vocals and yes, what can you say, the two voices complemented each other seamlessly. And here again, enjoying the song, that is always what is part of the band’s approach to music. The Florentine isn’t the band’s longest song, but the variation in it has no limits and this really is a song to draw you in: totally incredible. The audience really knew that the song wasn’t finished yet while it was performed, but both the instrumental enjoyment and the vocals already brought the audience to an outburst of applause before the end of it, but that was mainly because of the enthusiasm about what the band was doing.

Most of the band then left the stage, leaving Nick and Rikard behind. Nick took a moment to reflect on David, who wrote the song that followed. Telling The Bees, in which a mother tells her son about his deceased father with the message to tell the bees too, which is based on an old tradition. This was the song that brought the two men together: Nick on guitar and vocals, Rikard on keys and vocals. Extremely atmospheric and the applause that the announcement of the song brought with it a warm greeting from the audience in the hall to David Longdon. Beautiful, moving and very appropriate how the band chose this moment to reflect on his passing, who he was and on his music.

We weren’t quite there yet and a beautiful set of songs followed. Sure, there are stories to tell about each of them. They would all be glowing interpretations of what was heard in De Boerderij. About even more beautiful vocals, about the great interaction between Oskar and Rikard, about Nick’s exuberant instrumentals, about his drumming skills, about how tight the Big Big Train Brass Ensemble sounded. Ah, and how great the dynamics of Bats In The Belfry were, how cool the new Last Eleven sounded and how incredibly beautiful The Transit Of Venus Across The Sun was and hey, let’s not forget A Mead Hall In Winter. And as the ultimate track, the grandiose East Coast Racer, what a great closing! Simply more and more praise would be needed about a band that brought their music into the here and now, with newfound energy, passion, an unprecedented amount of fun and a hall full of punters, clearly enjoying what Big Big Train shared with them.

Go ahead and go for it, would you, could you? As an internationally dispersed band prepare your tour, each one of the band practice his/her own parts, and then rehearse together with limited time, both as a band and with the brass and then play as tight as band and brass, hitting the right notes, the emotion of the songs, showing that you are there as a band and that all the new members of the entire Big Big Train ensemble simply fit into the band as if they had never done anything else. Quite a challenging question already for bands that don’t have a turbulent recent history. Yes, of course, there was undoubtedly a lot going through the minds of the band members before the shows and yes, of course the first time with a new line-up and without David had its impact on the shows. At the same time, this was very respectfully doing justice to David’s musical legacy, especially showing  that you are very much a vital band, with a future waiting to kick in and you are there to embrace that. The way Big Big Train undertook this journey, respectfully paying hommage and moving on at the same time, that is nothing but pure class.

Big Big Train’s baptism of fire in its new line-up is now behind us. Not only with Zoetermeer, but also with the other concerts in mind. And to think that live recordings of this will follow. Greg Spawton said it in an interview: “I am convinced that we have found the right man.” and that certainly turned out to be the case. Alberto with a fine balance between humor, finesse and eagerness, both in his announcements and in his singing and playing multiple instruments, proved himself as a frontman in his own way. With a strong and varied voice, which he used convincingly with subtlety and power, he seamlessly blended in with the already existing team. Dave Foster was a great successor to Dave Gregory, who showed his playing both within the boundaries of the songs and at the same time putting down his own accents. Clare Lindley with her vocals and qualities on several instruments was already a welcome addition to the performance of Dim Gray with her violin and she fitted very naturally and with great enthusiasm in the band.

The concert started after the notes of Randy Rhoads’ riff to Crazy Train, a wonderful evening was ultimately sealed with beautiful music and that one sentence that Alberto emitted like an elongated plume of smoke: “She flies!” at the end of the East Coast Racer encore. And did that hit home with the audience!  No doubt some of those present at the time may have thought of that one song by Marillion and certainly not because of similarities in the music: This Train Is My Life. We have something to look forward, new music somewhere, more live shows and of course the recordings of this wonderful show in Zoetermeer. And then cherish these recordings, cherish them. What a night, what a great concert!

Photo’s: Willem Klopper