The band's longest break in touring came from late 2004 through late 2008. Touring has tended to focus on the UK and the rest of Europe, North America and Japan, but the band have also played other parts of the world, notably Australia.
A Yes consisting of Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Alan White, Trevor Rabin and Geoff Downes (with Trevor Horn on backing vocals) appeared as one of several acts at the November 2004 "Produced By Trevor Horn: A Concert For The Prince's Trust" at Wembley Arena in London. They performed "Cinema" and "Owner of a Lonely Heart".[5]
Close to the Edge and Back (40th Anniversary) Tour (cancelled)
In 2007, the band planned summer 2008 dates as the Close to the Edge and Back tour, with Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe and Alan White being joined by Oliver Wakeman on keyboards, as a replacement for (as suggested by) his father, Rick Wakeman. However, Anderson suffered acute respiratory failure before the tour, which had to be cancelled. With Anderson out of action recuperating, Squire, Howe and White went on tour with Oliver Wakeman and replacement vocalist Benoît David (from Canadian band Mystery). The tour resumed under the name "In the Present Tour" on 4 November 2008 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada with the two new musicians (see below).
Date
City
Country
Venue
Close to the Edge and Back (40th Anniversary) Tour – North America leg (cancelled)
An initial North America leg #2 started on 12 February 2009 was cut short when Squire suffered a medical emergency.
Usually performed songs:
"Roundabout"
"And You and I"
"Tempus Fugit"
"Owner of a Lonely Heart"
"I've Seen All Good People"
"Starship Trooper"
"Siberian Khatru"
"Astral Traveller"
"Machine Messiah"
"Heart of the Sunrise"
Sometimes performed songs:
"Onward"
"Yours Is No Disgrace"
"Close the Edge"
"South Side of the Sky"
"Clap
"Perpetual Change"
"Mood for a Day"
"Long Distance Runaround"
"The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)"
"Aliens (Are Only Us From the Future)"
Occasionally performed songs:
"Second Initial" (played on 16 November 2008, 6 December 2008, 5 February 2009, 15, 16, 20 July 2009, 4, 6, 29 November 2009, 12 December 2009, 2, 14 February 2010, 9, 11 June 2010, 3 December 2010)
"Parallels" (dropped after 25 November 2008)
"Soon" (dropped after 26 November 2008, omitted on 19 November 2008)
"Masquerade" (played on 12 November 2008, 6 December 2008, 2 August 2009, 2, 14 February 2010, 5 April 2010, 3 December 2010)
"Leaves of Green" (played on 26, 29 June 2010)
"To Be Over" (played on 23 November 2008, 9 December 2008)
"Turn of the Century" (played on 20 June 2010)
Covers:
"Intersection Blues" (played on 15, 18 November 2008, 7 December 2008, 2 August 2009, 4, 5 February 2010, 25 June 2010, 19, 23, 27 November 2010)
"Classical Gas" (played on 16 November 2008, 14 December 2008, 4, 6, 26 November 2009, 30 June 2010, 3 July 2010)
"Corkscrew" (played on 9 November 2008, 3 December 2008, 2, 17, 29 November 2009, 1 December 2009)
"In the Course of the Day" (played on 14 November 2008, 3 December 2008, 30 October 2009, 5 December 2009, 16, 18 June 2010)
"The Little Galliard" (played on 25 November 2008, 11 November 2009, 4, 5 February 2010, 25, 28 November 2010)
"Concerto in D (2nd Movement)" (played on 19 November 2008, 9 December 2008, 8 July 2009, 4 December 2009, 27 June 2010)
"Ram" (played on 22 November 2008, 14 December 2008, 7 November 2009, 12 June 2010, 4 December 2010)
"Sketches in the Sun" (played on 9 November 2008, 1 August 2009, 2, 17 November 2009, 4 December 2010)
"Cactus Boogie" (played on 12, 18 November 2008, 26 November 2009, 9 February 2010)
"Winter, 2nd movement" (played on 22 November 2008, 22 July 2009, 16, 18 June 2010)
"J's Theme" (played on 15 November 2008, 7 December 2008, 7 November 2009)
"Surface Tension" (played on 10 December 2008, 10 November 2009, 1 November 2009)
"The Valley of Rocks" (played on 26, 29 November 2008, 8 November 2009)
"Australia" (played on 11 November 2008, 5 December 2008)
"Bareback" (played on 5 December 2008, 13 February 2010)
"Cat Napping" (played on 26 December 2008, 21 February 2010)
"Country Mix" (played on 25 November 2008, 31 July 2009)
"Diary of a Man Who Vanished" (played on 19 November 2008, 11 November 2009)
"Golden Mean" (played on 11 November 2008, 8 February 2010)
"Laughing With Larry" (played on 10 November 2008, 30 November 2009)
"Pyramidology" (played on 23 November 2008, 21 November 2010)
"Solar Winds" (played on 29 November 2008, 12 December 2009)
"All's A Chord" (played on 30 November 2008)
"Arada" (played on 25 November 2008)
"Aria (Cantinela) (played on 28 November 2010)
"Beginnings" (played on 19 November 2009)
"Georgia's Theme" (played on 31 July 2009)
"Heritage" (played on 28 November 2008)
"Hint Hint" (played on 19 November 2009)
"Meadow Rag" (played on 28 November 2008)
"Mint Julep" (played on 21 February 2010)
"Provence" (played on 8 February 2010)
"Smile" (played on 11 November 2009)
"The Glory of Love" (played on 2 December 2008)
"Trambone" (played on 10 December 2008)
"Wayward Course" (played on 9 February 2010)
Date
City
Country
Venue
North America leg #1 (as "Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Alan White of Yes")
Asia-Pacific Spring 2012 Tour Due to respiratory failure, lead singer Benoît David left Yes in early February 2012 and was immediately replaced by Jon Davison.[7] Jon Davison made his live debut on stage two months later, starting from 1 April 2012.
During the Three Album Tour, Yes were playing three classic albums a night: The Yes Album, Close to the Edge and Going for the One in full.[13][14] Only five shows performed in casinos (*) featured only two albums, The Yes Album and Close to the Edge (followed by "Roundabout" as the encore track), due to venue time restrictions.[15] The two shows performed during the "Cruise to the Edge" festival also featured only two albums but not the same couple of albums and not the same encore track. It was announced on Billy Sherwood's Facebook page that a DVD of the Three Album Tour was being made and that Sherwood was mixing it. The resulting album, entitled Like It Is: Yes at the Bristol Hippodrome, included The Yes Album and Going for the One and excluded the Close to the Edge album.
Every night of their Heaven & Earth U.S. Summer tour 2014, Yes are playing live material from the new studio album Heaven & Earth and performing in their entirety the two classic albums 1971's Fragile and 1972's Close to the Edge followed by an encore of their greatest hits.[16]
Typical Set List from 5 July (in Nichols, New York) to 13 July 2014 (in Newport, Rhode Island) and from 18 July 2014 (in Salamanca, New York) to 24 August 2014 (in Los Angeles, California)
"Close to the Edge" (Anderson, Howe) (not played at the show on 5 July in Nichols, New York)
Songs from the Heaven & Earth album:
"Believe Again" (Jon Davison, Howe) (not played at the show on 5 July in Nichols, New York) (only performed from 8 July in Boston, Massachusetts [first ever live performance] to 13 July and starting from 22 July in Rochester Hills, Michigan)
"To Ascend" (Davison, White) (not played at the show on 5 July in Nichols, New York) (only performed on 6 July in Albany, New York [first ever live performance], from 18 to 20 July)
"The Game" (Squire, Davison, Gerard Johnson) (not played at the show on 5 July in Nichols, New York) (only performed on 6 July in Albany, New York [first ever live performance], from 18 to 20 July and starting from 23 July in Northfield, Ohio)
"Heart of the Sunrise" (Anderson, Squire, Bruford)
The Yes Album Encore:
"I've Seen All Good People" (Anderson, Squire) (exceptionally not played on 28 July in Nashville, Tennessee and on 23 August in Lincoln, California)
Greatest Hits Encore:
"Owner of a Lonely Heart" (Rabin, Anderson, Squire, Horn) (only performed on 13 July in Newport, Rhode Island, on 18 July in Salamanca, New York, on 20 July in Munhall, Pennsylvania, on 23 July in Northfield, Ohio, on 25 July in Madison, Wisconsin, on 28 July in Nashville, Tennessee, on 30 July in Atlanta, Georgia, on 1 August in Hollywood, Florida, on 3 August in Orlando, Florida, on 6 August in Grand Prairie, Texas, on 9 August in Denver, Colorado, on 11 August in Tucson, Arizona, on 12 August in Mesa, Arizona, on 13 August in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on 15 August in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 16 August in Anaheim, California, on 19 August in San Jose, California, on 22 August in Grand Ronde, Oregon, on 24 August in Los Angeles, California)
"Starship Trooper" (Anderson, Howe, Squire) (only performed on 19 July in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 22 July in Rochester Hills, Michigan, on 26 July in Chicago, Illinois, on 28 July in Nashville, Tennessee, on 29 July in Louisville, Kentucky, on 2 August in St. Petersburg, Florida, on 5 August in Houston, Texas, on 7 August in Kansas City, Missouri, on 12 August in Mesa, Arizona, on 18 August in San Diego, California, on 21 August in Tulalip Bay, Washington)
Typical Set List on 15 July (in Washington, D.C.) and 16 July 2014 (in Hampton, New Hampshire)
Intro (Benjamin Britten's "Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra")
Fragile album:
"Roundabout" (Anderson, Howe)
"Cans and Brahms" (Brahms, arr. by Wakeman)
"We Have Heaven" (Anderson)
"South Side of the Sky" (Anderson, Squire)
"Five Per Cent for Nothing" (Bruford)
"Long Distance Runaround" (Anderson)
"The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)" (Squire)
"Mood for a Day" (Howe)
"Heart of the Sunrise" (Anderson, Squire, Bruford)
Songs from the Heaven & Earth album:
"To Ascend" (Davison, White)
"The Game" (Squire, Davison, Johnson)
Close to the Edge album(played in reverse except on 16 July in Hampton, New Hampshire where it was played in order):
Every night of their Heaven & Earth Australia & New Zealand Fall tour 2014, Yes will perform in their entirety the two classic albums 1971's Fragile and 1972's Close to the Edge and will play excerpts from the new studio album Heaven & Earth plus some of their Greatest Hits.
Typical Set List[17] starting from 10 November 2014 (in Auckland, New Zealand)
Intro (Benjamin Britten's "Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra")
After the Australia & New Zealand tour, Yes had embarked in November 2014 on a tour of Japan, still playing the Fragile and Close To The Edge albums in their entirety plus some greatest hits and songs from their new album Heaven & Earth. The show on 29 November 2014 in Tokyo would become the band's final performance with Chris Squire before his passing the following summer on 27 June 2015.
On 6 April 2015, Yes and Toto announced that they would embark in Summer 2015 on a joint tour of North America.[20][21][22]
On 19 May 2015, Yes announced that Chris Squire was suffering from acute erythroid leukemia and that, due to this, former member Billy Sherwood would be covering Squire's role in the band on (previously announced) live dates in 2015, i.e. their North American Summer 2015 joint tour with Toto from August to September 2015, as well as their performances on the latest "Cruise to the Edge" festival in November 2015.[23] Squire subsequently died on 27 June 2015. Their Mashantucket, Connecticut, show on 7 August 2015 was the first time in the history of Yes that the band would perform without Squire, 47 years since the band's creation.
Typical Set List
"Onward" (Squire) (studio track from the Tormato album played through the PA system and projected onto a video screen as a video tribute to late Chris Squire)
"Firebird Suite" (Excerpt) (Stravinsky) (tape played through the PA system)
"Onward" (Squire) (studio track from the Tormato album played through the PA system and projected onto a video screen as a video tribute to late Chris Squire)
"Firebird Suite" (excerpt) (Stravinsky) (tape played through the PA system)
Yes headlining the 3rd "Cruise To The Edge" Prog Rock Festival (aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Pearl cruise ship): Miami → Key West → "a pristine Private Island in the Bahamas"[24]
Albums Tour 2016–2017
UK & European Spring Tour 2016
Yes have advertised this leg of the tour as featuring their albums Fragile (1971) & Drama (1980) played in their entirety. A selection of their greatest hits complete these two albums. Trevor Horn joined the band on stage to sing lead vocal on the 'Drama' song "Tempus Fugit" for their Oxford and London dates.[25]
Typical Set List
Set #1:
Intro ("Onward" studio version played through the PA system)
Yes have advertised this leg of the tour as featuring their albums Drama (1980) and sides 1 & 4 ("The Revealing Science of God" and "Ritual") of Tales From Topographic Oceans (1973) played in their entirety along with a selection of their greatest hits.
Having undergone surgery to repair his back, Yes drummer Alan White was not able to rejoin Yes's US Summer Tour 2016. As a result, his «good friend» United States drummer Jay Schellen (from Hurricane, Asia and GPS) started performing with the band, replacing him on drums during the Summer tour.[26]
Typical Set List
Set #1:
Intro (Benjamin Britten's "Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra" played through the PA system)
In September 2016, Yes announced a 6-date Japanese Tour for November 2016, playing Yessongs (1973) and sides 1 & 4 of Tales From Topographic Oceans (1973).[27] On 14 October 2016, Yes announced that Alan White would rejoin the band for the November 2016 Japan Tour & the February 2017 "Cruise To The Edge" Prog Rock Festival.[28]
Setlist:
Set 1a (Selections from "Drama"):
"Machine Messiah"
"White Car"
"Tempus Fugit"
Set 1b (Selections from "Yessongs"):
"I've Seen All Good People"
"Perpetual Change"
"And You and I"
"Heart of the Sunrise"
Set 2 (Selections from "Tales From Topographic Oceans"):
"The Revealing Science of God (Dance of the Dawn)"
Yes's North American "Yestival" (Summer) Tour 2017
The tour featured Steve Howe's son Dylan as second drummer; On 11 September 2017, the band announced that due to the unexpected death of Virgil Howe, Steve's son and Dylan's brother, the rest of the tour, including their concert at Moorhead the same day, were cancelled.[30]
The tour overlapped with a simultaneous 50th anniversary tour by Howe and White's ongoing line-up of Yes. [40] This was the final time, to date, that Anderson, Rabin or Wakeman toured under the "Yes" name, though Anderson continues to tour under his own name, heavily promoting the inclusion of Yes material.[41]
Personnel
Yes featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman
^Yes performed two shows at the "Cruise To The Edge" Festival: on Tuesday 26 February 2013, they played Close to the Edge and Going for the One in their entirety plus "Starship Trooper" as the encore track; on Wednesday 27 February 2013, they played Close To The Edge and The Yes Album in their entirety plus "Roundabout" as the encore track. On Friday 29 February 2013 (the day before the last day of the cruise), Yes did a "Storytellers" Q&A session in which the band members were supposed to answer questions from the audience and play several songs unplugged. At the conclusion of the discussion, Alan White, Chris Squire and Geoff Downes left the stage leaving only Steve Howe and Jon Davison playing a short acoustic set made of "The Ancient"/"Leaves of Green" and "Mood For A Day".
^Yes performed two shows at the "Cruise To The Edge" Festival on Tuesday, 8 April 2014 & Wednesday, 9 April 2014. After the excerpt from the "Firebird Suite" played through the PA system, they played the same setlist both nights: "America", "Tempus Fugit", the entire Close to the Edge album, "Heart of the Sunrise", the entire The Yes Album plus "Roundabout" as the encore track.
^Concert on 2 June 2016 in Bari, Italy no longer announced.
^On 11 September 2017, the band announced that due to the unexpected death of Virgil Howe, son of Steve Howe and brother of Dylan Howe (who acted as second drummer for the tour), the rest of the "Yestival" tour had been cancelled.[32]
^"Aotea Centre". Auckland Live / Aotea Centre. 15 November 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
^"ASB Theatre seat map (pdf)". Auckland Live / Aotea Centre > ASB Theatre seat map (pdf). 15 November 2014. Archived from the original on 14 December 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
^ ab"YES FEATURING JON ANDERSON, TREVOR RABIN, RICK WAKEMAN: 100 SHOW WORLD TOUR". Retrieved 13 April 2018. The 100 show World Tour will commence on June 3rd 2018 in Warsaw, Poland, and feature shows in Scandinavia, Germany, UK (including headlining the Stone Free Festival at the O2 Arena in London) and North America in 2018, going on to South America, Central and Southern Europe, ending in Japan and the Far East in 2019.
