Rollercoaster Retaliation (Part Two)

Oh, sweet revenge will be mine for the summer of a thousand roller coasters!

The Past:

Now some of you may know about our past adventures under the Porcupine Tree. They have been extensive at times and always fruitful. Last fall for instance, our charted course looked like this:

Sep. 25, 2005: USA, New York City: Jewzapolooza (free Blackfield show)
Sep. 26, 2005: USA, Washington DC: 9:30 Club
Sep. 27, 2005: USA, Philadelphia: Keswick Theatre
Sep. 28, 2005: USA, Providence: Lupo's (Blackfield opened)
Sep. 30, 2005: USA, Boston: Berklee Performance Center
Oct. 01, 2005: USA, New York City: Town Hall



Then, as if we hadn't gotten enough of it, we decided spur of the moment to make the 11 hour drive West for these two shows:

Oct. 12, 2005: USA, Chicago: Park West
Oct. 11, 2005: USA, Chicago: Park West

The reason we went all the way to Chicago was because the band was filming a live DVD there, and we wanted to be there to be part of Porcupine Tree history. So, we booked a hotel close to the venue as did a lot of other PT fans from all over. Each night, we were the first ones in line and we were able to stand in the same place right up against the stage a little to right of Steven Wilson both nights. This is the same place I have stood/sat for almost all the PT shows I've been to so it's an ongoing tradition now.

So, for almost a year now, we have been wondering, "Hmmm... will we end up on the cutting room floor or will we make it into the concert DVD?" Then, just after we got back from visiting Tim and Donn at the beach, a message popped up on PorcupineTree.com stating that we could now pre-order the limited, numbered first edition copies of the new DVD "Arriving Somewhere..." So, of course, I immediately ordered it.

The Present:

On Monday, I got an e-mail saying that my DVD had shipped from the UK. On Wednesday, it was in my mailbox. I got #550 out of 2,000 first editions. The concert was filmed by a company called Studio M. They have done some great things documenting Porcupine Tree along the way. The footage was edited by Lasse Holie who has designed album covers and directed videos for the band before. The video footage was given the full Lasse makeover. The sound was mixed by Steven Wilson in 5.1 surround. It's quite a breathtaking combination. The abstract cinematography and the lush textured sound of PT.

So, did we make it on to the DVD? Actually, if you know where to look, we make cameo appearances in almost every song during the concert. Sometimes, it's an angular shot from the side, sometimes a frontal crowd shot. Sometimes, it's a full band shot and you can see the back of my bald head rocking out back and forth. One way or the other, we made our mark in Porcupine Tree history. So, when the DVD comes out on October 10th at a DVD merchant near your home, you will all have to run out and buy a copy just so you can rock out with Porcupine Tree and play that always popular and ever exciting game of "Can you spot Bubala and Mumi at the Porcupine Tree concert?"

The Future:


So, how is this retaliation? Well, I get to play the DVD over and over and say to Bubala, "Look! There we are!" Not enough you say? Yeah, I didn't think so either. So, I called up my good pal, Steven Wilson, and explained the situation to him. You know, all about the rollercoaster nightmare summer from Hell. And, in his usual British accent, speaking through a vocal effect that made him sound like he is on the phone while underwater he said, "I know what we can do. We will come over to the USA and play a few concerts to promote the new DVD. That way, you can drag Bubala to all of the shows on the East Coast, and we can debut a bunch of brand new songs and make him take a test when it's all over with." I like the way that man plays... I mean thinks.

So, here is where we will be on these dates:

Oct. 05, 2006: USA, Boston: Berklee Performance Center
Oct. 06, 2006: USA, New York City: Nokia Theatre
Oct. 07, 2006: USA, Philadelphia: Keswick Theatre
Oct. 08, 2006: USA, Falls Church: State Theatre

So, if you are not doing anything and you are close by, come join us on more of our adventures under the Porcupine Tree. We'll be easy to spot. I'll be the bald guy right up front standing next to the very bored looking Bubala. Ah, sweet revenge!