YES (Credit: Gottlieb Bros)
The YES nine-date UK tour is fast approaching where they will be performing their 1971 album Fragile in its entirety. They arrives fresh from a successful 31-date American leg, with critics praising the band’s ability to breathe new life into their intricate, ambitious material.
The UK dates begin on 22 April at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall and conclude with two nights at London’s Palladium on 3-4 May, taking in venues from Liverpool Philharmonic Hall to Bristol Beacon along the way.
Fragile represents a pivotal moment in YES’s evolution. The LP marked keyboardist Rick Wakeman’s debut with the band and featured the hit single ‘Roundabout,’ which cracked the US top 20. It was also the first YES record to showcase Roger Dean’s distinctive fantasy artwork, which would become synonymous with the band’s visual identity. Dean’s work will be displayed at each show.
“After The Yes Album, everything seemed to align,” guitarist Steve Howe reflects. “With Eddie Offord co-producing, and each of us contributing solo pieces, Fragile became a bold statement of creativity.”
The album’s structure was unusual for its time, interweaving full-band tracks like ‘Heart of the Sunrise.’ Howe credits drummer Bill Bruford with the idea: “It was a bit oddball, but it captured the spirit of the time.”
The current YES lineup features founding guitarist Howe, whose tenure with the band stretches back to 1970, alongside Geoff Downes on keyboards, Jon Davison on vocals, Billy Sherwood on bass (hand-picked by original bassist Chris Squire), and Jay Schellen on drums. It’s a configuration that bridges multiple eras of the band’s history, with Downes having first joined for the 1980 Drama album.
Formed in 1968, YES became one of progressive rock’s most influential acts through a string of groundbreaking 1970s albums that pushed the boundaries of rock composition and virtuosity. With over 50 million records sold and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2017, they remain one of the genre’s enduring institutions.
The band released their 23rd studio album, Mirror to the Sky, in 2023, and a new record is in development. Meanwhile, Howe promises that the upcoming shows will feature “an intriguing first set then all of Fragile, in its entirety then a slight diversion before our usual final encore.”
YES UK tour dates:
- 22 April: Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall
- 24 April: Sheffield, City Hall
- 25 April: Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall
- 27 April: Birmingham, Symphony Hall
- 28 April: Bournemouth, Pavilion
- 30 April: Bristol, Bristol Beacon
- 1 May: Manchester, Bridgewater Hall
- 3-4 May: London, Palladium
