FAQ
GENERAL
Q: What does the name Porcupine Tree mean?
Q: What is Porcupine Tree's policy on fans taping gigs and the trading and selling of live recordings?
Q: Where can I buy some of the more obscure PT releases, and Transmission releases?
MUSIC
Q: What is the meaning of the counting at the end of Even Less?
Q: Who is the person talking on "Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth Before It is Recycled" ?
LYRICS
Q: Who is Christine Keeler as mentioned in "Piano Lessons" ?
Q: In the lyric to "Pure Nacotic" what is SW referring to when he mentions "The Bends"?
DISCOGRAPHY
Q: What are the various PT other projects and what do they sound like?
TOURING
Q: Why don't the band come and play in [insert town name here]?
Q: Why has [insert song name here] never been played live?
Q: What is the music that was played before and after Porcupine Tree performances?
EQUIPMENT
Q: What equipment does Steven use?
Q: What equipment does Richard Barbieri use?
GENERAL:What does the name Porcupine Tree mean?Don't ask!GENERAL:What is Porcupine Tree's policy on fans taping gigs and the trading and selling of live recordings?
The band do not allow concerts to be recorded as audio or video, and anyone seen doing so at a show will be asked to stop and the recording confiscated. The band have started to make available high quality live recordings on their own Transmission label, and these are all mixed from properly recorded multitrack tapes. While the band are aware that private tape trading does go on, they will be extremely pissed off to find anyone selling (or auctioning on Ebay) live recordings on CDR or other media for personal profit!!GENERAL:Where can I buy some of the more obscure PT releases, and Transmission releases?
Nearly all currently available PT catalogue is available to buy online from their own web store at Burning Shed.MUSIC:Why is the version of Even Less on Stupid Dream much shorter than the one Porcupine Tree played on tour in 1998?
The version of "Even Less" that appears on the album clocks in at 7m11s. A much longer version (about 15 minutes), similar to the one played by the band at some of their concerts was also recorded during the sessions for Stupid Dream. The missing section is available on the "Stranger By the Minute" CD single. The full length unedited version of Even Less is available on the "Recordings" CD.MUSIC:What is the meaning of the counting at the end of Even Less?
The counting is taken from a recording of a shortwave numbers station. It is understood that these stations are used by intelligence agencies to transmit coded messages to overseas operatives, although no government agency has ever acknowledged the existence of these stations or what their actual purpose might be.MUSIC:Who is the person talking on "Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth Before It is Recycled" ?
It is the leader of the Heaven's Gate religious cult Doe. This U.S. cult believed that they were from another planet and only visiting earth. In order to return to their own "dimension: before the earth was recycled they all committed mass suicide. The words are taken from the video they made before killing themselves to explain to the rest of the world why they had done it.LYRICS:Who is Christine Keeler as mentioned in "Piano Lessons" ?
Christine Keeler was a prostitute who was involved in a notorious scandal in Britain in the sixties that resulted in the downfall of a leading politician John Profumo. As the song "Piano Lessons" is partly about the nature of celebrity, SW used Keeler as a symbol of someone who acheived their fame without having any conventional talent.LYRICS:In the lyric to "Pure Nacotic" what is SW referring to when he mentions "The Bends"?
He is referring to the Radiohead album.LYRICS:I have heard that the Deadwing album is based on a film script that SW wrote - what is the film about and will it be made?
The script was written by SW and film maker Mike Bennion (who also did most of the collage and design work for the album). The film has been described by SW as "surreal ghost story". Some pages of the script are available to view on the www.deadwing.com site. SW and Mike hope to realise the film one day, although as they point out getting a deal for a film project is about 100 times harder than getting a record deal!DISCOGRAPHY:What is the status of the various deleted singles and limited edition PT releases, and will they be reissued?
Most singles are not repressed once they are sold out. However many PT non album tracks have subsequently been compiled onto albums. Examples of CDs where previously rare single tracks have been included are Voyage 34 : the Complete Trip, which includes all 4 phases of the Voyage 34 track originally issued on 2 EPs in 1992-93, the Stars Die box set which includes all Delerium era single tracks, and Recordings which includes nearly all Stupid Dream / Lightbulb Sun era single tracks. Alas Recordings itself was limited to 20,000 copies and is now sold out! This following PT single tracks have yet to be reissued anywhere : Oceans Have No Memory (demo version), Hallogallo (remix), Orchidia (demo), Novak, Even Less (demo), Russia On Ice (demo), Futile, Orchidia (2003 version), Hatesong (live). Spiral Circus was a cassette that was later reissued on vinyl in a limited edition of 500 copies - it comprised tracks taken from the band's very first live performances and a BBC session. There are no plans to reissue the album in any form. Yellow Hedgerow Dreamscape contained the remainder of the music from the early cassette releases that was not included on the first official PT album On thh Sunday of Life... It was limited to 2,500 copies when it was released as a CD in 1994. The only way to get it now is to look for a second hand copy. However, a deluxe gatefold sleeve vinyl edition with improved sound and extensive sleeve notes was issued by Gates of Dawn Records in February 2000. There are no plans for another CD edition.DISCOGRAPHY:What are the various PT other projects and what do they sound like?
Please refer to the "Other Projects" page in the Background section of the site, for a list of other projects that PT members are involved in, and links to resources to find out more and hear samples. Most of the currently available releases by PT related projects can be purchased at the Porcupine Tree online store.TOURING:Why don't the band come and play in [insert town name here]?
The band rely on offers from promoters to play concerts. These offers have to take into account who will promote the show most enthusiastically and a fee that will cover as much of the financial loss as possible (PT nearly always loose money doing a concert). The band are not always able to choose exactly where they play.TOURING:Why has [insert song name here] never been played live?
Sometimes tracks that work well in the studio do not translate to live performance. This can often be because something that was achievable in the studio is not possible live. A good example of this is the studio track "Stars Die" which superimposes an almost whispered lead vocal over a band playing at full volume ! In the past the band have come up with different arrangements in order to play tracks live, but this is not always possible.TOURING:What is the music that was played before and after Porcupine Tree performances?
On the 2001-02 tour pre-show music was by Canadian techno artist Plastikman called "Consumed", released by Novamute in 1998 (Nomu65CD). Also used frequently have been Jliat's "16:05:94", Boards of Canada's "Music Has the Right to Children", and Massive Attack's "Mezzanine". On the In Absentia tour the band used a 10 minute drone introduction piece specially created of elements from many PT tracks.EQUIPMENT:What equipment does Steven use?
RECORDING STUDIO:EQUIPMENT:What equipment does Richard Barbieri use?
Apple G4 running Logic 6.4 Digidesign Mix TDM system EXS24 virtual sampler Apogee Trak2 Mic Pre Amp / A-D convertor Neumann U87 microphone Mackie 32-8-2 mixing desk
ON STAGE:
Paul Reed Smith Custom 22 guitars, Gibson Les Paul, wah-wah pedal, volume pedal, Plosive Electronics May Treble Booster Pedal, Bad Cat Two Tone Distortion, Boss distortion, Karl Martin compressor, TC G Major effects processor, Line 6 Echo Pro. All run from a Custom Audio Electronics switching system. Amplifier : BAD CAT Hot Cat combo.
STUDIO
Keyboards/Synths - hardware
Sequential circuits Prophet 5 x 2 Sequential circuits Pro 1 Sequential Circuits Max Roland System 700 Lab series Roland V Synth Roland V Synth XT Rack Roland JV 2080 Roland D50 + PG 1000 Roland D550 Yamaha CS01 Yamaha CS5 Korg Synthi Preset Moog Micromoog Access Virus Indigo 2 Ensoniq VFX x 2 Emulator Emax HD Alesis Nano Piano
Software
Native Instruments - Pro 53, Absynth, Kontakt, Electrik Piano, B4, Reaktor, G Media - M Tron, Imposcar, Oddity, Reason 2.5
Computer / Sequencing
G4 Power Book running Digital Performer 4.12 with Motu 828mk2 .
LIVE
Prophet 5 and/or Pro 53 Access Virus Indigo 2 Roland V synth Ensoniq VFX Roland JV 2080 Alesis Nano Piano M-Audio Radium 49 midi keyboard
Boss VF1 multi FX Yamaha SPX90 mk 2 Furman Power Conditioner Line 6 Distortion Modeller Line 6 Delay Modeller
Mackie 12 channel mixer Behringer 6 channel sub mixer G4 Power Book
