In its 115 years of existence, the venerable London Palladium has seen its share of fantastic musical performances. Steven Wilson and his band easily made that list in the first of four concerts of The Overview Tour.
Steve Wilson
The London Palladium – 12 May 2025
Words: Bogdan Bele
Photography: Ash Nash
As this was no usual gig, this might, at least in parts, be no usual review. The mood of what is to come begins as I start my London Palladium-bound trip. I get on the train and I’m happy I took my sunglasses; I daydream looking at my phone and, as I get off it, I realise it’s raining.
Furthermore, I look up and the rainy skyline reminds me of the inside of Steven Wilson’s The Harmony Codex vinyl gatefold. I get on the underground, casually look in the direction of a phone screen nearby – the gentleman has Hand.Cannot.Erase playing on Spotify.
As I wonder how much of Steven Wilson’s solo discography my trip will allude to by the time I get to the London Palladium, I see some circles that remind me of the cover of The Overview, the album that is the main reason for this tour. I guess we’re getting close, aren’t we? 
Clinton Baptiste
To show that he’s “not as humourless as my music”, Steven Wilson has decided that each of the four shows in London would have one of his favourite stand-up comedians opening it. The first night is no exception – Clinton Baptiste is given this honour. The mullet-and-shiny-suit-sporting “medium, clairvoyant and psychic” does a great job at working those present and his short set is a good laugh. 
But everyone’s ready for the main event at this point. Before it starts, though, a warning appears on the screen on stage, asking everyone to refrain from filming or taking photos. There are no pouches preventing anyone from doing so, like there were in Ghost’s case. But everyone is very well-behaved, and no enforcement of the rule is necessary throughout tonight’s show.
Steven Wilson
As the starting time approaches, the lights in the Palladium switch off and, without any other introduction, Steven Wilson and the band take the stage. The barefooted Wilson kicks things off with the starting high note of Objects Outlive Us, from The Overview.
Throughout the 23-minute suite, he switches from keyboard to acoustic and then electric guitar. We are witnessing prog mastery at its finest, completed by exceptional visuals.
The whole band truly shines throughout, and to follow that, we have the title track of the new album, clocking in at 18 minutes. The synthesised sounds and electronic beats that start it are joined eventually by the entire band, with bass player Nick Beggs playing Chapman Stick to great effect.
This time, the video content and the light show that is added to it emphasise the idea of the overview effect that astronauts feel when viewing Earth from space, putting things truly into a different perspective.
It’s truly mesmerising stuff, but not as mesmerising as the musical performances, supported by absolutely exceptional sound – the sound mix is almost perfect throughout. 
The reason I mentioned the length of the two pieces is that not many performers would attempt starting a show by playing their whole new record, especially when said new record consists of two progressive epics, totalling over 40 minutes (you can read MetalTalk’s review for more about the album).
This is an experience that puts the audience straight in the middle of these two suites and, with the help of an incredible band, it truly shines in a live setting.
After that strong dose of new music, the band and audience take a short break, after which we’re back for the second part. Wilson does promise that tonight will be fun. He then asks if anyone was brought to the show by somebody else, and now wonders if they play anything under 20 minutes. 
The second part starts with the title track of the previous record, The Harmony Codex. It is a keyboard-driven track that prolongs the dreamy state. It even features a guest appearance from the female voice on the album version, none other than Wilson’s wife, Rotem.
The album is well-represented in the set, with What Life Brings and Economies Of Scale, another representative of the latter-day, more electronic era of Wilson’s career.
However, first after Harmony Codex, in a very well-balanced second act, comes a completely classic prog moment, in Luminol, on which the rhythm section of drummer Craig Blundell and bass player Nick Beggs is simply on fire.
Later on, when Steven introduces those on stage, also including two other excellent players, guitarist Randy McStine and keyboard player Adam Holzman, he admits to being the worst musician in his band.
MetalTalk is present for what is, as mentioned, the first of four concerts at The London Palladium. The promise is that the set will vary. Tonight, the surprise is the presence of Theo Travis on saxophone, and later flute, for two tracks from Grace Of Drowning, No Part Of Me and Remainder The Black Dog.
Other highlights are Porcupine Tree track Dislocated Day, showing that there is still a lot of love for the frontman’s recently reunited old band, and Vermillioncore, closing the regular set. 
A standing ovation brings the musicians back on stage. Before the encore, Wilson says that, unlike bass player Nick Beggs, who does have one hit [with Kajagoogoo], he has none, so he can choose whatever he likes for an encore.
And it’s Ancestral, off the excellent Hand.Cannot. Erase, followed by The Raven That Refused To Sing. An emotional, beautiful end to what was a night of great musicianship.
It is a special night that only goes to show how incredibly diverse Steven Wilson’s music is. Whether it’s technical prog, dreamy soundscapes, or progressive pop, it is unpredictable in the best possible way. 
