I've been a huge fan of Porcupine Tree since I was 14 years old, in that time I've seen them 12 times in that 'classic' long term live of format of Steve Wilson, Richard Barberi, Colin Edwin, Gavin Harrison and John Wesley but after they went on long term hiatus I thought that wasn't going to happen again.
However their revival four years ago brought new music and a new tour this time without bassist Colin Edwin and guitarist John Wesley, what the reasoning behind it was I don't know but of course I loved the show that I saw in London but there was a lot from their sizeable discography left out. The set was almost exclusively drawn from In Absentia onwards leaving off much of their Lava Record releases and all of the early Delirium offerings.
Fast forward to 2026, and bassist Colin Edwin and guitarist John Wesley have formed Voyage 35, their own band that focusses on those "lost" albums, similar to Nick Masons Saucerful Of Secrets. 'The next trip' features the Englishman and the American joined by two Italians; Edwin's O.R.k compatriot Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari on keyboards and Alessandro Vagnoni on drums to form a tight knit foursome, joined by the projectiond and original Fruit Salad Lights from those early days, even bringing Chris Maitland in on drums at the Shepherd's Bush show.
How any of it works with PT I don't know but it does seem like an amicable offshoot. So for a long time fan like me it was a real treat to be able to hear more than one cut from Lightbulb Sun and Stupid Dream. As well as plenty from Signify and early psychadelic moments like Up The Downstair, Sky Moves Sideways and On The Sunday Of Life, as I got in to the band at a time when music of these albums were phased out.
Voyage 35, rightly have chosen the songs that have the loudest live delivery, the ones with heaviest basslines and guitar parts so both Edwin and Wesley can stretch their virtuoso muscles. Hatesong proving to be particularly intense while Sky Moves Sideways evoking the dreamier psychscapes of the material and Fadeaway just brings guitar escapism.
Wes, LEF and Alessandro share the vocals, bringing those harmonies that are such a key part of the PT sound since the beginning, on Even Less and Shesmovedon. However quite a big chunk of the set was instrumental with Up The Downstair, Sky Moves Sideways and Voyage 34 the three epics that form the foundation of the set, but rather than just copying the songs, Voyage 35 play them in their own way, bringing these often 20+ year old songs into 2026.
They weren't alone though as setting the tone for an adventurous evening was Violeta Vicci an experimental classical artist based in London but inspired by her Catalan-Swiss heritage. She has done extensive field recordings of the natural world in Switzerland and builds the music around that on stage with looper/effects pedals, a violin, vocals and a laptop to bring it all together and sync it with the breathtaking visuals.
The sound engineer in me was very invested in the technical parts but as a listener it was a very evocative experience which may he been jarring for some of those that turned up early but was appreciated by anyone that loves experimental music.
So my annual trip to O2 Academy Bristol was for a show I deemed 'Can't Miss' a trip to The Nostalgia Factory but seen through the clarity of the present rather than Rose-Tinted or in this case Fruit Salad- Tinted spectacles. I hope there are plenty more shores to visit with Voyage 35! 10/10
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