ICC Darling Harbour Theatre, Sydney, Australia
Sunday 16th of November 2025
★★★★★
Musical leaders these days are few and far between but based English songwriter and producer Steven Wilson’s prolific contribution to the musical landscape is not just noteworthy, it is a rare example of artistic integrity. The formulaic compartmentalising of music as a commodity holds little interest to him, except as a target for his withering critiques, usually reserved for the emptiness of mass consumption and blind consumerism.
His latest studio venture as a solo artist, The Overview, is unique, and offers a wealth of sonic experiences for the dedicated listener. It is an album to experience with headphones and the themes explored here are presented as two multi-part progressive rock suites, that neatly fit onto either side of the vinyl format. So, Wilson is open to musical interpretations of his works by other artists, and this is the eighth solo album release that Porcupine Tree fans and progressive music enthusiasts will enjoy immensely given the depth of sonics on offer, alongside an ever-growing maturity in lyricism that enhances the musical prowess.
A previous album, The Future Bites, was indicative of an intent to explore electronica arrangements and on this latest outing, Wilson has gone to in-depth levels whereby it sometimes constitutes the rhythm figure itself. Adding to that a raft of vocal harmonies that reveal themselves in layers across various tracks of the album, it’s an intense album to absorb in one sitting but also infinitely rewarding. So, to hear this live, as presented in the first of two sets this evening was unmissable for those familiar with his exceptional concert presentations.
The exquisite venue’s live rig included an immersive surround sound system that enhanced music performed with backing vocals, atmospherics and dialogue. Given the incredibly well done cosmologically themed animation visuals on offer to accompany the music, in a very real sense, this was a cinematic experience with some of the most notable session musicians available today. On bass guitar and Chapman stick, and backing vocals, long serving Nick Beggs was locked in with unflappable drummer Craig Blundell, who effortlessly made the most astounding jumps in time signatures, whilst adding a variety of fills, rolls, and flams without any sense of stress.
The aforementioned rhythm section were at stage right, whereas stage left located lead guitarist and backing vocalist Randy McStine coaxed surreal tones from his PRS and Strandberg guitars with minimal fanfare but a certain degree of understated virtuosity, as did centre stage frontman Steven Wilson, who took to his PRS guitars, a Telecaster, and an acoustic with flawless technical skill, when he wasn’t singing vocals, or adding synthesiser and keyboard parts from his central rig embedded into the middle of the stage. To round out the band, superb keyboard skills were displayed from Adam Holzman who also sat, angled at stage left, whose keyboards interplay with Wilson’s work was something to behold.
The first set kicked off with the various movements of the Wilson and Andy Partridge of XTC composed “Objects Outlive Us”, from the undeniably prog release The Overview, starting, naturally, with the masterful “No Monkey’s Paw”. Full instrumentation alongside expressions of existential quandaries in a vast universe with planetarium like visuals feed into the keyboard based “The Buddha of the Modern Age”, followed by “Objects: Meanwhile” which contained all the hallmarks of progressive music from intricate guitar parts, including acoustic guitar, to heavier rhythm section parts behind lyrics observing menial tasks whilst contemplating extraterrestrial life.
“The Cicerones / Ark” took the first suite towards dreamy guitar arpeggios with keyboard sounding lead guitar lines, and vocals climbing or descending in chromatic fashion within a melody line as the drumming intensity increased. “Cosmic Sons of Toil” offered a segue way into heavier rhythm figures with scalar guitar soloing, before “No Ghost on the Moor / Heat Death of the Universe” reprised the opening track dialogue providing mood shifts, swift chord changes, and abundant technique without overshadowing a sense of taste.
After a quick burst of applause from a spellbound audience, the second, electronica based title track suite, with opening movement “Perspective” proceeded to offer up a staggering visual accompaniment to a slew of cosmological chart mappings with measurements of the vast breadth of galactic bodies in space, those of which we have thus far discovered, as Wilson worked his Moog magic, with the pre-recorded narrator voice of his wife Rotem Wilson. Pushing the concepts and themes of an album without the use of vocals is not uncommon in his prior works. Nebulas, celestial bodies, retrospective galaxy views, and trying to grasp the ever-expanding universe mind bending.
“A Beautiful Infinity I”/”Borrowed Atoms” contained slide lead guitar, cascading descending guitar lines, plus keyboard works, with harmonised backing vocals. “A Beautiful Infinity II”/”Infinity Measured in Moments” took the prior movement to a more intense delivery, with ample drum fills, guitar tones offering a very 70’s fusion vibe. The drumming prowess was enhanced with accents hitting strobe pulses, into keyboard runs that led to a powerful rhythm section figure. To complete the second suite, “Permanence” had fluid, howling trills, lap steel guitar tones, and expressive keyboard soundscapes. A standing ovation for this remarkable first set ensued, as Wilson, ever understated, thanked the audience and gave them permission to express their energy towards the music, before stating there would be a short interval after playing such an intense piece of music.
As audience member, and Wilson collaborator, Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt graciously chatted to the numerous fans that had noticed his presence before and during the show, the second set soon commenced, with one of the most generally well-behaved audiences quickly returning to their allotted seats. The electronica of “King Ghost” from The Future Bites provided some unique falsetto vocals and synth figures, swiftly followed by the time signature and pace varying musical gift of “Home Invasion – Regret #9” from Hand. Cannot. Erase. The slow building track, and the expressive ebbs and flows, with incredible musicianship including an extensive keyboard solo from Holzman led to huge applause.
Fewer animation segments applied to parts of the second set, allowing the varying colours of the light show to embellish the stunning musical performances of one of the tightest bands going around currently. Two tracks from The Harmony Codex allowed the shorter piano and vocal driven track, “What Life Brings,” the chance for Wilson to crack a few personable jokes about progressive music boundaries versus commercial radio coverage, which was followed by excellent, stinging guitar tones within “Staircase”.
Porcupine Tree fans were rewarded with the drum introduced “Dislocated Day” that combined harmonised guitar lines and Wilson soloing with a wah pedal that culminated in controlled feedback notes that were in key, before Wilson and Beggs proceeded to peer into Blundell’s kit for some comical stage interactions and industry in-jokes, with Wilson using his creative hand expressions to indicate subdued drumming, with Blundell’s little bursts of rebellion. Reprise the riff and the atonal feel then fed nicely into the powerful To the Bone track “Pariah” which included a pre-recorded visual of Ninet Tayeb’s fantastic raspy, guest vocals.
A little more comical banter, this time with jibes at America’s economic policy, offered some light relief to the musical intensity, which resumed with the expansive “Luminol” track from the masterwork The Raven That Refused to Sing (and Other Stories). The song has everything from a 70’s vibe keyboards solo, drum accents and guitar linked phrases, chorus filled guitar strums, wailing lead parts, vocal harmonies, percussion and an instrumental interlude reprising the song’s theme into soloing with, wider vibrato parts. The interaction between McStine and Wilson was fascinating to watch as they either faced each other or traversed opposite ends of the stage, staring into the audience, evoking reactions, but never missing a note.
Band member introductions, and a faithful rendition of “Harmony Korine” had Wilson down picking riffs with intent, reinforcing the constant rhythmic approach within the song. The main set conclude with 4 ½ instrumental track “Vermillioncore” followed with something of a masterclass in progressive music. McStine got stuck into his whammy bar and Digitech pedal, as Wilson led the band in a tight rock groove, with fast zooming visuals into facial features suiting the hypnotic riffing.
Another standing ovation, and the encore, had Wilson offering more truth in humour, regarding the fleeting inanity of penetrating mainstream culture, when in reality, not having a big hit signature tune, outside of the audience favourites of “Lazarus” or “Trains”, is, in his words, “a liberating thing, that means I can play whatever the hell I want.” The untouchable musical power of “Ancestral” from Hand. Cannot. Erase. was then aired, offering up a variety of grooves, solos, and time signatures.
As the song’s mood shifts with Wilson’s circular arpeggiated chordal figure, he stepped away from the front centre stage microphone, as he launched into the intense feel of the piece, working in with McStine and Holzman’s musicianship, whilst the engine room of the rhythm section kept the song on track. Wilson eventually crouching on stage, with guitar to his side, pointing to the floor for the rhythm section to bringing pace and intensity down, before getting back up and continue climbing rhythm guitar lines, which was somewhat cinematic in execution, to the song’s end climax, as piano slowed it all down along with cymbal fills.
The encore was concluded with captivating and enthralling track “The Raven That Refused to Sing” accompanied by Jessica Cope’s stark, artistically incredible animation. The song echoes the film’s feel, as piano lines, and subtle vocals weave alongside, tremolo guitar parts and hypnotic rhythm figures, with the yearning vocals building pace.
Remarkable, astounding, superb, sublime, captivating, utterly compelling and just about any superlatives should justifiably be used to describe Wilson’s first set. To then include a second set that was a trip through some of his best selections, likely curated to fit within the feel of his most recent material was nothing short of incredible. Steven Wilson is a musical genius. This concert reinforced this to all in attendance. It was without doubt the best Steven Wilson tour we’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy.
Set List:
Set One:
Objects Outlive Us
The Overview
Set Two:
King Ghost
Home Invasion – Regret #9
What Life Brings
Staircase
Dislocated Day [Porcupine Tree]
Pariah
Luminol
Harmony Korine
Vermillioncore
Encore:
Ancestral
The Raven That Refused to Sing.