Search - The Syn: Syndestructible Tour 2006 on DVD

A raw, no-frills concert DVD from Chris Squire and THE SYN

Jeffery K. Matheus | Indianapolis, IN United States | 04/27/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"On January 19th, 2006, The Syn performed at the Summerville Theater in Boston. Hot on the heels of their popular reunion CD, "Syndestructible", this would be, in fact, the bands first tour ever outside their native England, and also their first tour in about, say, 30 years! This DVD captures the whole event, from the unedited 90 minute concert, to the onstage banter, to some interviews backstage. However, don't expect the grand production values of "Songs From Tsongas" or other recent Yes DVDs. What we get here is more like an intimate club gig. There is no light show to speak of, and definitely no Roger Dean-designed set pieces - just a band, standing close together on a cramped stage, playing their music for a small but appreciative audience (maybe a few hundred or so.) Fans are probably already aware that the line-up has changed slighty since the release of the CD. Group founders Chris Squire & Stephen Nardelli are still present, of course, as if keyboardist Gerard Johnson. But gone are the Stacey brothers, replaced here by Yes drum legend Alan White, and American guitarist Shane Theriot (who looks considerably younger than the others.) This concert reveals more of a raw, rock-n-roll side to the band than was evident on "Syndestructible". There is a slightly crunchier edge to the guitars, and some slammin', dynamic drumming from White that helps kick things up a notch. The set-list gives us a taste of The Syn's past, present, and future. From the past we get a 3 song medley of the band's 60s-era singles, "Grounded-Flowerman-14th Hour Technicolor Dream" (with a brief Who-inspired jam during "14th Hour"!) From the present we get the "Syndestructible" CD played in its entirety (although the acapella "Breaking Down Walls" is used as taped introduction music, not actually performed live.) And from the future we have "Silent Revolution", a somewhat bluesy piece that is slated to be on the band's next album. For me, the real highlights of the show come from the current material - "The Promise" is quite stunning in a live setting (with some added dynamics from the Squire/White rhythm section), "City of Dreams" far surpases the studio version, and "Golden Age" makes for a fun, upbeat encore. I also really enjoyed "21st Century", a catchy folk-rock flavored piece that I had not heard before (although it is apparently re-worked from an earlier Syn song.) The song's stinging anti-war lyrics definitly make it one of the bands most poignant and relevant tracks yet...As for the indivdual performances? Squire, as would be expected, displays some amazing bass chops throughout the show, and is armed here with two familar instuments; his classic yellow Rickenbacker 4001, and the pointy white Elektra bass he played on Yes' "Tempus Fugit" video. It's nice to see Chris obviously having a blast on stage, seeming looser and less intense than he has on recent Yes tours. Lead vocalist Stephen Nardelli may not be the most charismatic or dynamic of frontmen, but I certainly wouldn't go so far as the previous reviewer who said he can't sing. Nardelli has a sort of subdued British blues style that was popular back when the Syn first started, and he's pretty good within that style. Granted, Nardelli does seem a little tentative during the first couple of songs here, but he grows in confidence as the show progresses (It's also obvious that he and Squire share a good personal raport.) Keyboardist Gerard Johnson makes a good showing for himself, sounding at different points like Tony Kaye and Tony Banks - although in a few places I felt his keys should have been louder in the mix (especially on "Cathedral of Love", where the gentle Melloton sound is all but lost). Theriot, formerly with The Neville Brothers, does a good job of covering the guitar parts - although I was mildly dissapointed that the electric sitar was not used on "Cathedral of Love". And as for Alan White? He's still one of rock's greatest drummers! No doubt about it!...On the negative side, Squire tells a rambling story (on stage) about the day he met Jimi Hendrix. This is something that I will likely skip over on future viewings, as it's longer than some of the band's epic songs and, in my opinion, slows the momentum of the show. It's also obvious that the band is using pre-recorded backing vocal enhancement in a few places (Squire may be a fine singer, but even he can't sing 3 part harmonies by himself!) And be warned, there are a few rough-edges (AKA 'clunkers') during the performance, but these are easily forgiveable when you consider that this particular line-up had only played together for 19 days before this DVD was shot!...All in all, If you liked "Syndestructible", this DVD is well worth the time and money spent...UPDATE: Sadly, on May 21st, 2006, it was announced on the Yesworld website that Chris Squire has officially left The Syn to persue other projects. I guess this makes this DVD a bit more of a rarity now, as it is the only professionally recorded Syn show (with Squire) that we will likely ever see."

Great dvd

tripstar | Texas, USA | 05/22/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Great dvd, I didn't see them live but this is the next best thing. It rocks from start to finish with the great Hendrix story from Squire as a kind of intermission.
Small theatre gives a very good feel to whole show, Squire and White really close up and in the groove and I really liked Nardelli, good voice and feel.
Very nice lead guitar from Theriot and back-up from Johnson on keyboards, plus the backstage interviews are terrific.
Yeah, this is a great dvd from a great band."