By Anthony Leonard Dean 

Calling all the ageing prog rockers - you missed a phenomenal show last night at the BIC when ex-Yes band members Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman and Trevor Rabin left the nearly full theatre stamping their feet and whistling for more.

The combined age of the three front men may be over 200 years but they've not lost any of the charm or muscle in banging out the classic Yes songs.

It is the first time in 25 years since they played together and it seemed like yesterday.

Wakeman and Rabin walked on stage first in a a black denim safari jacket and a cape - guess who was wearing the cape?

After some extemporising with their respective instruments Jon Anderson arrived to cheers and each band member exchanged hugs.

This was a theme they would repeat throughout the gig and they appeared to be really enjoying being on stage together.

That said there were two other musicians adding to the extravaganza, the evening of past 'Yes' classics.

The rhythm section was rock solid, with drummer Louis Molino III and bassist Lee Pomeroy adding expert musicianship and voices that helped complete the thick wall of vocal harmonies.

The show opened with Hold On and Anderson, like a pixie, was clapping to the audience in celebration of the music and conducting his band members as they played.

He must have sustained some damage to his left hand which was bandaged although it didn't prevent him from playing his usual percussion instruments, bells, maracas and the tambourine at strategic moments.

We were also treated to his electric harp twice in the set. Anderson was wearing a dark jacket and jeans with a white T shirt with indecipherable letters on it and boots which had subtle green lights. Outre yes, but it all worked for the 72 year old Peter Pan of the rock business.

All Good People had the audience on it’s feet and clapping and a four minute drum solo by Molino was mesmerising.

A standing ovation was achieved in the rendition of You and I and the atmosphere started to build as the hits kept coming.

'Heart of the Sunrise' allowed each player to showcase their particular virtuosity with everyone holding their own.

The speed of Molino’s hands and Rabins fingers were a joy to behold and Wakeman is as bewitching in his Wizards outfit as at the height of the 70s.

A touching tribute to Chris Squire, a founding member who died last year, was made by Anderson who said that ‘not a day goes by when i don’t think of Chris’.

A masterclass in bass playing followed with Pomeroy showing what he could do within the spotlight.

Awaken and Long Distance runaround took the crew into the final stages and the voices singing the harmonies belied their age. This reviewer was having a great night.

Anderson changed the mood, saying ‘And now for something completely different’ and the harp appeared.

Cymbals crashed and there was a guitar, keyboard play off as Rabin and Wakeman left the stage to the delight of the audience and played to the crowd.

Their circuit took in the stalls level and then up into the middle of the galleries to another ovation and flashes from scores of mobile cameras.

Yes always managed to walk a path between the commercial, catchy and intellectual and the formula has stood the test of time. Yes concerts often feel like a spiritual journey, at once both humbling and rousing at the same time. Then it was into Owner of a Lonely Heart and Rabin stretched the neck of his guitar to produce perfectly distorted riffs and had the crown in applause again.

Their friendship was palpable and there were more hugs as the set came to an end… but the stamping and whistling brought them back for just one more song. Roundabout was a fitting finale with the crowd singing along and in the closing bows giant Rick Wakeman affectionately put his hands around the throat of his old friend Jon Anderson and encircled him in his cape.

Thank you everybody for making it possible for us to play our music Anderson said and as they left the stage i wondered if this might be their last tour and felt privileged to have been able to see it.

There’s still time if you want catch them before the tour moves off around the world and if you are a Yes fan I’d try and make it to one of the remaining shows.