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Gavin Harrison on juggling King Crimson, Porcupine Tree and The Pineapple Thief, and the hardest songs to play
Gavin Harrison says that playing with Porcupine Tree, King Crimson and The Pineapple Thief required careful scheduling and time to recover between tours. His account shows how advance planning and flexibility helped him move between bands while managing the physical and mental demands of touring.
Harrison joined Porcupine Tree in 2002, King Crimson in 2008 and The Pineapple Thief in 2016. King Crimson is now inactive, and Porcupine Tree’s return in 2021 followed an 11-year hiatus. He names Porcupine Tree’s 17-minute “Anesthetize” as especially demanding: its opening five or six minutes on the toms can tire his arms before the heavy middle section. He also cites “Our Mire”, “White Mist” and “In Exile” among his favoured Pineapple Thief songs.
In short
- Harrison used advance tour planning to juggle three bands.
- King Crimson is currently inactive.
- Porcupine Tree’s “Anesthetize” is a 17-minute physical challenge.
Explained simply
Gavin Harrison is a drummer who has played with several progressive rock bands, including Porcupine Tree, King Crimson and The Pineapple Thief. He joined them at different points, so fitting rehearsals and tours around each band’s plans required coordination.
Touring can place sustained physical and mental demands on musicians, and drumming styles vary between songs and bands. Harrison’s experience offers a glimpse of how musicians manage those demands while moving between long-running musical projects.