An Evening With Haken
Set One:
Taurus (4:49)
Nightingale (7:24)
The Alphabet of Me (5:33)
Sempiternal Beings (8:23)
Beneath the White Rainbow (6:45)
Island in the Clouds (5:45)
Lovebite (3:49)
Elephants Never Forget (11:07)
Eyes of Ebony (8:32)
Crystallised (19:22)
Set Two:
Puzzle Box (7:42)
Earthrise (4:48)
Cockroach King (8:14)
Nil by Mouth (6:51)
1985 (9:08)
The Strain (5:23)
Canary Yellow (4:14)
Drowning in the Flood (9:28)
Encore:
Visions (22:27)
Ray Hearne is a god amongst mere mortals.
“I close my eyes and slip away, and long for change within the air. Hope fills my soul, I realise, I have the sky under my feet; sun up above, I am complete; joy fills my heart in paradise.”
Second-row seats. Ross Jennings in the foreground, and a glimpse of Connor Green on bass in the background.
On Wednesday, I had a chance to catch Haken on their final date of the “An Evening With Haken” tour. The show is just Haken, holding the stage for nearly three hours on their own. Before diving into the songs themselves, a little must be said about the stage production and atmosphere of the show itself. First things first, this is not your typical prog rock/metal show. This is a sit down and marvel at the technical brilliancy in front of you kind of show. You were expected to be seated it seems, which was a bit of a bummer. Once you got used to that aspect though, it was easy to enjoy the songs. I actually appreciate it in one sense, as the obnoxious moshing of some people was distracting and disappointing at the recent Caligula’s Horse concert. As for production, it seems the band brought a lot of their own light riggings and stage platforms. There were flat lights running across the whole back of the stage that moved and changed depending on the song. It added a nice touch to each song and was an upgrade from the last Haken show I saw. As for the instruments, the drums sounded fantastic, but the bass guitar seemed a little loud in the mix. Sometimes it was too fuzzy and drowned out the guitars a bit when they weren’t playing a lead break. It wasn’t too bad, but it was noticeable. The keyboards sounded fine, though it seemed Pete Jones was having some issues early on (he and Charlie were talking with puzzled faces but it seems they resolved it). Sound issues aside, the gents played everything masterfully. Haken are masters of precision, and whatever they lack in stage charisma and movement they make up for by never missing a note and playing in expert unison. Ross on vocals is the only one that moves throughout the show (the guitarists don’t even have wireless rigs, which is surprising) and will leave the stage all-together to let the instrumentalists shine. Overall, whilst not a dynamic romp like some metal concerts, the show proved to be a sonic symphony of expertly crafted music.
“If I could run away (run away) back to my innocent days: Someone’s calling (someone’s calling) me. Echoes of a childhood memory”
Set One
The first set was what the show advertised to be: Haken’s newest effort Fauna played in its entirety. I really wish more bands would do this, as it makes one appreciate each album as a piece of art. I have only seen this once before, which was Pain of Salvation’s The Perfect Element Part I. Yours truly showed up to Wednesday’s show a little late, catching the tail end of Taurus before the band launched right into Nightingale. The latter was exceptional, as it was the last time I saw the band. Then came The Alphabet of Me, my least favourite track on the record. I must say, whilst I still don’t love the track, seeing it live did make me appreciate it more. Indeed I can say that about a lot of the tracks at this show that I don’t particularly love, but more on that late. Sempiternal Beings was a banger as always, with Ray Hearne rally showing his drumming chops moving through all those sections. However, despite that track being my favourite from Fauna, Beneath the White Rainbow became the surprise star of the set. It just sounded so much heavier live, and the whole crowd was banging along. That energy continued into Island in the Clouds and Lovebite. I’m not really a fan of the latter, at least on the record, but one can’t help but crack a smile when its played live and you get to sing along: “OH-WAY-OH!”. Then, of course, the superb and quirky Elephants Never Forget. It was so quirky and funky and just kept the atmosphere light and fun. It took us all back to that carnival day of early Haken, and was again one of the jewels of the first set. Eyes of Ebony brings everything back down to earth a bit, and really completes what is a stellar album. This show has certainly made me appreciate Fauna more as a fine album, perhaps the 2023 rankings could be shuffled. After they finished the album, we gave a standing ovation before Ross asked us all: “Do you want some more?” And more we got.
Stoic guitarist #1: Richard Henshall
Stoic guitarist #2: Charlie Griffiths
BOOM: Crystallised. Oh man, what can I say? People that have talked to me at any length about music know that this is my favourite song ever written. I remember even trying to tell a girl I had barely met about a over 19-minute prog-jazz-rock-metal song that I can’t understand why people don’t have patience for it. It’s a masterpiece, and finally getting to see it played live was one of the great joys of my life. It’s 19 minutes of pure prog bliss. That light and fun beginning with that huge chorus that translates into the chugging passages of time is just perfect. Ray Hearne is all over the kit, just jamming away behind his cymbals with a s**t-eating grin on his face. And then when everything drops out at 9 minutes in and all six members take up different vocal lines…amazing. I was surprised how good it sounded live, as it is a very complicated overlapping line. They keep up this madrigal-esque style for a bit, as Pete Jones remembers to use the harpsichord patch on his keyboard. Then comes the brilliant extended instrumental section, where the guitarists managed to keep up the stilted 7/8 rhythm even when the drums drop out, and Connor Green shows his slap bass prowess. They bring it all together with the long-lost chorus from the beginning, and heading into the future. I could see the joy and respite on their faces as the just crushed every note of this song. I closed my eyes, and honestly teared up a little.
“Snow is falling all around. What once was lost has now been found. The life I had to leave behind is crystallising in my mind”
Set Two
Pete Jones on the Keys
The second set begins with one of my favourite tracks from Vector: Puzzle Box. A great song to bring everyone back with the high energy and eerie drum and keyboard section in the middle. Then they transition into Earthrise, a song that I don’t love, but was still a fun live. But everyone halts, everyone boys before the Cockroach King. This is a certified banger every time, and the crowd went wild for that opening riff before everything dropped out for the haunting four-part vocal sections that have become iconic for the band. Though I wish they had played more from The Mountain, Cockroach King . After the supreme vocals on that song, the band shifts to their best instrumental Nil by Mouth. Ross leaves the stage and lets the band do their work. No one missed a beat. We return to Affinity for what for me was the weakest section of the concert. The next three songs were 1985, The Strain, and Canary Yellow. The first is a fine song, but this time they didn’t insert Owner of a Lonely Heart into the middle, which made it a little less fun. The latter two are my least favourites from Virus, but they still manage to showcase the band’s ability to play different styles and do it well. Despite the less than perfect song selection, this part of the concert became one of the best, as in between The Strain and Canary Yellow there was an extended keyboard and drum section. Unlike other drum solos that are flurries of fills and 16th notes and double-bass, Ray Hearne just played some magical drum-work, slow and methodical, but intricate and moving. The band closed the second set by returning all the way to Aquarius with the magnificent Drowning in the Flood. Henshall took up a second set of keyboards to complete the atmospheric and bring the main show to a close.
“I have received affirmation of the spirit. Falling snow takes me home, and the man is whole again.”
Encore
The King of Prog: Ray Hearne on Drums
Then came the encore: Visions. What a magnificent track. Just 22-minutes of beautifully crafted prog metal. The crowd was on their feet for this one, which made me wish were standing the whole time. Everyone sang along with that chorus: No escaping deja-vu! As much as I would have loved to see Messiah Complex, I think reaching back for Visions was the perfect way to end this retrospective show. It had the perfect tenor and sound that made the night memorable.
Overall, this is one of the best shows I have ever been to. Everyone was firing on all cylinders. Henshall and Griffiths didn’t miss a note the whole night. I’m not just sayin that, I was paying attention! This is what I imagine it was like to see Yes or Genesis in their prime. Everyone was having fun, they played the Jurassic Park theme and My Heart Will Go On as short interludes between a couple songs to lighten the mood. But everything was minutely planned out. A look at the official setlist showed cues for every time Ross speaks to the crowd, and where all the interludes go. But the real star of the show, if you couldn’t tell by this point, was Ray Hearne on the drums. My goodness he is insane. Just listen to this, listen to this and tell me this isn’t some wild stuff: https://youtu.be/2S1hU6kbcoM?si=RCt2BzkAQZhBSZwe
The verdict: go see Haken live, you will be blown away. They are on top of the prog world, who shall come for their crown?
“The sun will shine (Escaping the past), the snow will thaw, all things must pass (By embracing the future) into the unknown (Into the unknown). Escaping the past by embracing the future...Escaping the past by embracing the future.””