Following the hugely successful Piano Portraits tour last year, in support of the album of the same name, Rick Wakeman will return in Autumn 2018 with a new show based on the follow up release, entitled Piano Odyssey. The fourteen-date tour will feature even more classic tracks given Rick’s unique piano treatment, and will travel to towns and cities not previously visited in 2017.
Rick says, “In the footsteps of Piano Portraits, the new album Piano Odyssey features a collection of music old and new that includes some particular favourites of mine. I’m looking forward to performing tracks from it live on my own odyssey around the UK in the autumn!”
Upon the release of his Piano Portraits album in January 2017, the YES keyboardist made chart history, becoming the first solo piano album to enter the UK’s Top 10, eventually reaching number 6. Inspired by the unprecedented public reaction to his cover of Bowie’s Life On Mars on BBC Radio 2 a year earlier, the album features instrumental versions of hits that Rick was originally involved with, such as Space Oddity and Morning Has Broken, as well as others which he chose for their melodies, including Stairway To Heaven and Help!.
The 2018 concerts will be based on a selection of tracks from both Piano Odyssey and Piano Portraits, showcasing music that has a special connection with Rick’s own personal musical journey, all accompanied by his hilarious memories and anecdotes about the tunes, plus a few musical surprises.
In December, an additional special Christmas tour will follow, in which the setlist will be given a distinctly seasonal twist. Expect a night of beautiful piano arrangements, interspersed with Wakeman’s renowned comedy interludes.
Tickets for both runs of the tour are available at myticket.co.uk, and prices will begin at £29.50.
Rick Wakeman Piano Odyssey Tour – Dates
September 2018
Thursday 27th Salisbury City Hall
Friday 28th Yeovil Westlands
Saturday 29th Aylesbury Waterside
Sunday 30th York Barbican
October 2018
Thursday 04th Reading Hexagon
Friday 05th Kings Lynn Corn Exchange
Thursday 11th Ipswich Corn Exchange
Friday 12th Northampton Royal & Derngate
Saturday 13th Scunthorpe Baths Hall
Friday 19th Bath Forum
Saturday 20th High Wycombe The Swan
Sunday 21st Oxford Sheldonian Theatre
November 2018
Friday 09th Halifax Victoria Theatre
Saturday 17th Dorking, Dorking Halls
Christmas Piano Odyssey Tour – Dates
December 2018
Sunday 16th Bristol St George’s
Monday 17th London Union Chapel
Tuesday 18th Cambridge Corn Exchange
Wednesday 19th Manchester Royal Northern College of Music
