In September 2023, Arjen Lucassen’s 01011001 – Live Beneath The Waves sold out five performances at Poppodium 013 in Tilburg, The Netherlands, and that Ayreon live event is now available on 3 LPs, a 2CD+DVD combination, Blu-ray, Earbook, and in digital formats through Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group.
Ayreon has just released a live video for ‘Fate Of Man‘ taken from the mega-release that features an enormous singing cast.
Talking about ‘Fate of Man’, Arjen Lucassen said, “And here’s the final preview video from Ayreon’s Live Beneath The Waves DVD/BluRay: ‘Fate of Man’. Maybe it’s weird to not pick a song from the 01011001 album, but this song really stood out for me… Such energy on stage! The band is just amazing as we all know, I’ll never know how they manage to play this complicated song with such unflappable ease. And what about these breath-taking vocals from Brittney Slayes? She’s unbelievable, right? Let me know if you agree… thanks and enjoy!”
You can check out the video of that performance here at RAMzine, as you other songs.
‘The Day The World Breaks Down’ was aired in April, and talking about the song, Lucassen said, “Here is the second video clip from the Ayreon Live Beneath The Waves DVD/BluRay! I picked the song ‘The Day That The World Breaks Down’ because firstly it’s one of my favourites and secondly it features many of the talented singers. We never thought we could pull this complicated song off in a live setting, but seems like we did it! Let me know if you agree… Enjoy.”
An Ayreon live event is not just any concert. It’s a monumental occasion where the highest-calibre musicians and an enormous production come together to forge a bombastic spectacle. The rarity of these shows only adds to their uniqueness.
This live production, based on the critically acclaimed 2008 concept album 01011001, was performed in its entirety, followed by a number of encore songs. The stage came alive with an imposing backdrop, LED screens showcasing fantastic visuals, lasers, pyrotechnics, special effects, and a unique live surround sound experience – a setup that would be at home on Broadway or London’s West End.
Reflecting on the show, Lucassen said: “When I wrote the 01011001 album back in 2007, it was never meant to be played live. So, I could make it as complicated as I wanted with countless instrumentalists and no less than 17 singers! When we considered playing this album live, I really didn’t think we could do it and find the right musicians to bring this album to life. But… it appears we did, the crowd seemed to really enjoy themselves! I’m so proud of everyone involved. ‘More is More’ was the credo of these shows. I think we kept our word!”
Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen, alongside keyboardist Joost van den Broek, assembled a remarkable line-up, featuring many original cast members from the 01011001 album and various special guests such as Simone Simons (Epica), Damian Wilson (Threshold), Anneke van Giersbergen, Jonas Renkse (Katatonia), Tom Englund (Evergrey), Daniel Gildenlow (Pain Of Salvation), Marcela Bovio (Mayan), Brittney Slayes (Unleash The Archers), Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian), John Jaycee Cuijpers (Praying Mantis), Maggy Luyten (Beautiful Sin), Michael Mills (Toehider) and Wudstik, among other noted musicians.
The band featured top instrumentalists including Ed Warby (Drums), Johan van Stratum (Bass), Timo Somers (Guitar), Marcel Coenen (Guitar) and Joost Van Den Broek (Keyboards). The enigmatic Lucassen himself made an appearance, marking this as the largest cast in Ayreon‘s live show history, which is no mean feat. Live Beneath the Waves vividly brings to life the water planet Y, immersing audiences in this technological underwater world.
“01011001 is one of my favourite Ayreon albums, and putting this show together was really exciting and rewarding,” said Lucassen. “When I first approached the cast and crew via email, messaging, etc., within minutes I got back the most heartwarming and enthusiastic reactions. Everyone was excited about helping me bring the album to life.” Head producer Joost van den Broek added, “This live production raised the bar even higher for us in all aspects and made the most impressive and epic show yet. The album 01011001 has a very specific sound and feeling that we had to translate to the stage as well as possible and as grandiose as possible.”
The opening song ‘The Age Of Shadows’ showcases eight incredible singers, perfectly introducing the show and setting the tone for the musical journey to come with a full track list that features the following: ‘March Of The Machines’, ‘Age Of Shadows’, ‘Comatose’, ‘Liquid Eternity’, ‘Connect The Dots’, ‘Beneath The Waves’, ‘Newborn Race’, ‘Ride The Comet’, ‘Web Of Lies’, ‘The Fifth Extinction’, ‘Waking Dreams’, ‘The Truth Is In Here’, ‘Unnatural Selection’, ‘River Of Time’, ‘E = MC2’, ‘The Sixth Extinction’, ‘Speech’, ‘This Human Equation’, ‘Fate Of Man’ and ‘The Day That The World Breaks Down’.
You can order 01011001 – Live Beneath The Waves here.
You can also check out the live video ‘The Sixth Extinction’ here at RAMzine.
