2008 News

24th June

The German magazine 'Empire' features 'The Agent (live)' on the front cover CD of the current issue.

The track is taken from the live CD which comes with the swing case edition of the 'Coming to Town' DVD. The Magazine is issue 85 and if you require further details about the magazine please visit www.empire-music.de

10th June

Oliver's statement on the current Yes situation....

"I can't pretend that the cancellation of the Yes tour hasn't been a huge disappointment for me, however Jon's health must take priority and I hope that he gets well soon. I totally understand the need for him to rest and recuperate. Having gone through similar health scares with my father I can imagine how his family is feeling and it is absolutely the right decision for Jon not to tour.

I was really looking forward to playing to all the Yes fans and would like to thank all the people who sent kind words of welcome when I joined, and commiserations when the tour was cancelled. I knew it was a big role to step into Dad's shoes but every ones words of encouragement made it all seem less daunting!

As to the future, I hope that I can be involved with the band but the guys have a lot to sort out and decisions to be made and so I guess it's a wait and see scenario! I was very proud to have been asked to do the tour and becoming part of the ongoing Yesstory!"

5th June

The updated official European release date for the new Oliver Wakeman Band DVD 'Coming to Town' is the 9th of June. The DVD will be available in the US on the 8th of July.

The DVD includes an interview with Oliver Wakeman, photo gallery, biography, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and more!

The DVD is also available in a limited swing case edition, including a bonus audio CD with songs recorded during the gig at the theater.

4th June

YES Cancels 40th Anniversary Tour

NEW YORK, NY, JUNE 4, 2008 - Legendary rock band Yes announced today that the group will unfortunately be canceling their 2008 40th Anniversary Tour. The 26-city tour was scheduled to kick off in Quebec next month and run through the summer.

Said Jon Anderson, 'In the wake of my recent respiratory attack, doctors have advised me to spend the coming months resting and recovering. Unfortunately, this means I won't be able to tour with Yes this summer as originally planned. I'd like everyone know how deeply disappointed I am by this turn of events. I was looking forward to celebrating our music with the amazing family of Yes fans once again; but as we all know, health must come before anything else. Wishing you all the very best...'

Said Chris Squire, 'We were all looking forward to performing for our fans after a prolonged leave of absence from touring. I am especially regretful of the fact that I know many of our fans and friends have probably laid out non-refundable airfares and hotels, etc. in order to enjoy the Yes shows this summer. Please join me in wishing Jon a speedy return to health, which at this point in time is our main concern.'

Yes frontman and founding member Jon Anderson was admitted to the hospital last month after suffering a severe asthma attack. He has now been diagnosed with acute respiratory failure and was told by doctors this weekend that he needs to rest and not work for a period of at least six months or suffer further health complications. Upon receiving this news the band has determined that their tour plans need to be put on hold.

Ticket refunds will be available at the point of purchase. - Source - Yesworld.com

23rd May

The track 'Mother's Ruin' from the new DVD 'Coming to Town' is available to watch on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frve4DOSUsI. More details on the release date to follow.

5th April

The Oliver Wakeman Band DVD to be released through Metal Mind Productions.

Metal Mind Productions presents the first live DVD release of Oliver Wakeman, the oldest son of Rick Wakeman (Yes), one of the best keyboard players in the history of progressive rock.

Oliver Wakeman is a great prog-rock musician known for his many artistic collaborations, including the one with Clive Nolan (Pendragon, Arena, Neo, Caamora), which resulted in the creation of two genuine masterpieces of the genre: 'Jabberwocky' and 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'. Oliver Wakeman already has a cult status in the progressive rock community.

He was acclaimed both as a solo artist and as part of various musical projects by fans and by critics (in January 2008 Oliver was presented with the Classic Rock Societies Keyboard Player of the the Year award!).

His latest studio project - album entitled 'Mother's Ruin' from 2005 - marks a progression in Wakeman's musical career. The album sees a change in direction from Oliver's recent instrumental releases and draws heavily both from his progressive roots and also the experience performing live with his band. It's a collection of hard-edged yet melodic songs, showcasing Wakeman's writing skills. The album also allows room for the dynamic instrumentation which has become a trademark of his work.

In mid March Yes confirmed their world-wide tour with Oliver Wakeman taking the position of the keyboardist.

'Coming To Town - Live in Katowice' DVD is an extraordinary mixture of progressive and symphonic rock, spiced up with intriguing sounds, performed live with both charisma and perfection! This wonderful show was filmed at an atmospheric venue of Wyspianski Theater in Poland. The band performed in the following line-up: Oliver Wakeman (keyboards, piano), Paul Manzi (vocals), David Mark Pearce (guitar), Paul Brown (bass) and Dave Wagstaffe (drums). The DVD includes an interview with Oliver Wakeman, photo gallery, biography, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and more!

DVD is also available in a limited swing case edition, including a bonus audio CD with songs recorded during the gig at the theater.

'Coming To Town - Live in Katowice' DVD will be available on 5th May 2008 in Europe and 10th June 2008 in USA (via MVD)

4th April

New website goes live. Please see the 'What's New?' link in the footer to get a quick summary of the content changes.

31st March

Yes Tour Planned for 2008

It's official - Yes is back! Jon, Steve, Chris, and Alan are planning a world tour, with Oliver Wakeman on keyboards.

For more details read the press release.

The tour dates for the North American leg are now available!

13th January

Happy New Year to all our visitors!

The first bit of news we can report this year is that Oliver was presented with the Classic Rock Societies Keyboard Player of the the Year award at last nights CRS BOTY Awards night. Oliver was delighted with the award and it currently has pride of place on his piano next to the one he won last year!

Oliver would like to thank all those who voted for him and really enjoyed chatting and meeting so many new people last night.

Whilst at the awards night, Oliver also recorded to interviews for the radio stations ARFM and Rock 24 7 online. Hopefully we'll be able to let you know when these interviews are likely to be broadcast.