As I truly loved the debut album of super group Flying Colors I was really looking forward to this gig in 013 in Tilburg, one of the best venues in The Netherlands. Sadly I missed the Swedish band Beardfish as I entered the venue too late due to car problems! However, the concert of Flying Colors was really one of the best gigs I've seen and heard in a long time. In the near future we can also enjoy this concert on DVD as this night's performance was recorded on tape. The band consisting of Neal Morse (vocals, keyboards), Steve Morse (lead guitar), Casey McPherson (vocals, guitars), Mike Portnoy

Flying Colors on stage

(drums, backing vocals) and Dave LaRue (bass guitar), have only made one album so far, so they also played songs from bands that each member has played in before. This meant, that many pieces were performed from distinguished bands like Dream Theater, Spock's Beard, Endochin and Dixie Dregs.

Flying Colors kicked off with Blue Ocean, the first song from their debut album, followed by Shoulda Coulda Woulda and Love Is What I'm Waiting For. These three pieces immediately showed that the musicians were in great shape; they sounded even better on stage than on the album! All the eleven tracks from the debut were played and my favourites this evening were Kayla, The Storm and Infinite Fire, the latter being the first encore of the evening. From the unexpected songs Can't Find a Way (Endochin), Odyssey (Dixie Dregs), June (Spock's Beard), Repentance (Dream Theater), Hallelujah (Jeff Buckley) and Space Truckin' (Deep Purple), which was the second encore, I liked Repentance and Odyssey the best. This was mainly due to the brilliant guitar playing of Steve Morse. Then after the amazing Deep Purple cover it was over and it seemed to me that this concert has gone by very quickly, too quickly if you ask me... I'm really looking forward to their next gig and to the second album of this outstanding group.

Martien Koolen (edited by Peter Willemsen)