Nearfest cancelled

NEARfest 2010
Steve Hackett, Eddie Jobson's Ultimate Zero Project, Three Friends, The Enid, Riverside, Pineapple Thief, Iona, Forgas Band Phenomena, Astra, and Moraine
NEARfest '09 (June 19, 20 & 21, 2009)
PFM, Gong, Van der Graaf Generator, Steve Hillage Band, Trettioåriga Kriget, Beardfish, DFA, Cabezas de Cera, Oblivion Sun, Quantum Fantay
NEARfest X (2008)
Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Liquid Tension Experiment, Fish, Peter Hammill, Synergy, echolyn, Discipline, Radio Massacre International, Mörglbl, and Koenji Hyakkei
NEARfest 2007
Magma, Hawkwind, Pure Reason Revolution, Magenta, La Maschera di Cera, NeBeLNeST, Indukti, IZZ, Robert Rich, and Bob Drake
(Progressive Arts Preshow: Allan Holdsworth, Secret Oyster and One Shot)
NEARfest 2006
Keith Emerson, Ozric Tentacles, Ange, FM, Michael Manring, Richard Leo Johnson, Niacin, Riverside, Guapo, and KBB
(Progressive Arts Preshow: Hatfield and the North and The Tony Levin Band)
NEARfest 2005
Le Orme, IQ, Present, Kenso, Steve Roach, Matthew Parmenter, The Muffins, Frogg Cafe, Wobbler, and Knight Area
(Progressive Arts Preshow: PFM and Proto-Kaw)
NEARfest 2004
Strawbs, Univers Zero, Mike Keneally Band, Planet X, Richard Pinhas, Sean Malone, Metamorfosi, Pallas, Yezda Urfa, and Hidria Spacefolk
(Progressive Arts Preshow: The Musical Box)
NEARfest 2003
Camel, Magma, The Flower Kings, Änglagård, Kraan, Tunnels, Glass Hammer, Alamaailman Vasarat, High Wheel, and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum
(The Laser's Edge/Cuneiform Records Preshow: Miriodor, Woodenhead, and IZZ)
NEARfest 2002
Steve Hackett, Nektar, echolyn, Caravan, Isildurs Bane, Enchant, Miriodor, Gerard, La Torre dell'Alchimista, and Spaced Out
(The Laser's Edge/Cuneiform Records Preshow: McGill/Manring/Stevens, Dr. Nerve, and Dysrythmia)
NEARfest 2001
Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Porcupine Tree, Deus Ex Machina, After Crying, White Willow, California Guitar Trio with Tony Levin, Djam Karet, Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, The Underground Railroad, and Under the Sun
(Independently organized preshow: Land of Chocolate, The Red Masque, Electric Sheepdog and Wine of Nails)
NEARfest 2000
Transatlantic, Happy the Man, Anekdoten, Pär Lindh Project, Iluvatar, Il Balletto di Bronzo, DFA, Thinking Plague, North Star, and Nexus
(Official Preshow: echolyn and Priam)
NEARfest 1999
Spock's Beard, IQ, Solaris, Mastermind, Larry Fast, Crucible, Scott McGill's Hand Farm, Ice Age, Alaska, and Nathan Mahl

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If you compare the roster for 2011 to those above there are serious questions need posing. Obviously I don't know how financially successful those previous years were but what happened here?

All this talk about UM made me turn to Mantis. At least this album sounds right up the alley of those favouring the 70s brand of prog (as opposed to the metal/experimental side) to me. So, some of the disdainful reactions are surprising but it's all a matter of taste, I guess.

In my humble opinion I think there is enough room for both the bands that want to expand their music on the style of the 70's groups and new groups who want to go into another direction. We as fans are the most closed minded of any genre as we don't like it unless it matches up to our vision of what we expect.  As someone who actually has seen UM play I think they are a very good band and cater to more than just a prog audience.  Maybe this is the real problem with prog fans especially those not willing expand beyond the 70's or those that think that regulated noise is the intellectual equivalent to musical nirvana.  I have never met more closed minded people than prog fans for the most part.  Very few are willing to step outside the comfort zone of what they feel is the real deal.  I have been guilty of that at times myself but I am making a supreme effort at my age to not be a stick in the mud fuddy duddy. . I read a comment of a guitar player of a band I really like that described UM as vanilla.  Okay his band styles themselves on the 70's fusion sounds and rarely steps out that style and he dares to call a band willing to step outside of it's comfort zone vanilla  It is this kind of comment I am starting to resent.  First of all what is wrong with vanilla? Just like any other flavor if you eat it too much it tastes the same.  I do not think UM falls into that.  They vary their style a lot. I also wonder about this guitar player and is he just jealous of the fact that his live appearances equal roughly once or twice a year?  I think we all need to open our minds and relax our sphincters a couple of notches.  I would have paid to see the Nearfest lineup if I did not have to get on an airplane to see it.  I do it all the time with Calprog however so I do put my money where my mouth is.  

Edited by Garion81 - April 03 2011 at 12:16

It would be interesting to hear the thoughts of the organisers, surely there is more to this than meets the eye.

Tony R wrote: It would be interesting to hear the thoughts of the organisers, surely there is more to this than meets the eye.

regarding the cancellation itself, they did over at PE's if you did not see it. 

CharAznable wrote: Truly, We'll never know exactly what happened until they speak up. Looking back at the historical lineups just confirms my thoughts: you can indeed please everyone in three days.

even then I doubt we will.. at least the whole story hahah.  There is a 3rd variable in addition to the audience and organizers that hasn't spoken and probably won't (publically at least  ).. and those that do, like UM, will obviously be extremely diplomatic and take the high road.  Does anyone really think they didn't read the threads regarding their announcement.  You'd have to be a saint to not take this cancellation personally. Then there are the undercards, the non-headliner for whom this was just not another gig...  nice to feel the love of the progressive community huh?

CharAznable wrote: I just read the whole thread and there's not a lot of info beyond what it's on the original announcement. But the lingering questions for me: "Transitional" lineup? Transition to what? What was the logic behind this year's lineup?

to my knowledge they have never spelled that out.  If I had an ego the size of Texas I'd say they read my Nearfest review from last year where I pointed out the future dilemna Nearfest was going to have with classic headliners becoming rarer and harder to book.   Since I don't and Micky...only  pawn in the game of prog, I could only think of one reason why they'd tamper with a winning formula, that the winning formula was a long term loser. Thus the need for transition.

I'd be guessing..  but I sure can't think of ONE good reason why it would be transitional unless they were thinking the same thing I had and decided to transition from a festival with classic prog headliners being the emphasis to more modern faire. One to be honest I agree strongly with, however to be a Monday morning QB  it could have been done a lot better. Starting with the obvious... explaining WHY it was a transition lineup and why they felt one was needed.  In it's own funny way though, that need got shown and explained.  The shame of it is it could have been done without the graphic example of losing a year of Nearfest.  My own private thoughts are that they misjudged their core audience and thought they'd buy tickets for the experience, friends and good times, and didn't understand what they really wanted (or what they DID NOT want). 


Edited by micky - April 03 2011 at 20:15

micky wrote: rogerthat wrote: All this talk about UM made me turn to Mantis. At least this album sounds right up the alley of those favouring the 70s brand of prog (as opposed to the metal/experimental side) to me. So, some of the disdainful reactions are surprising but it's all a matter of taste, I guess. Funny..  I grabbed that CD on the way out the door earlier today when we went out and listened to it again. It wasn't the greatest album I've ever heard by far, but you are exactly right, the group was not as much a WTF selection as some seemed to think.  They probably would have wow'd the crowd if they had had the chance. I'd be lying if I said that the announcement of UM excited me but it did make me curious to see what they'd do for the crowd.  The part of Nearfest that always got me jazzed were the other groups. Finding and seeing the lesser known, that is what we were going for and I figured that is what most people enjoyed most out of it.  The reactions?  Perhaps I'm too jaded from years spent on prog forums to be surprised by any negative reactions by prog fans. I do agree with Brian that 'prog fan' can be one of the most close-minded of all music fans.  Once I heard the dread 'jam band' accusation thrown out perhaps we should have all seen that this was going to end badly. Though like all, including the organizers I would have never thought that it would be enough for people to stay away.. the undercards are worth the price alone, the discoveries of new groups and all that,  along with all the other things like seeing old friends, meeting new ones etc etc.  Oh well. It's all really sad in a way.

CharAznable wrote: Listening to some UM... 100% appropriate for NEARFest. Significant 70's prog influence there. Funny how some music is defined by the audience who listens to it instead of the music itself.. I feel the same way about early Phish.. stuff like "Divided Sky" is a lot closer to Gentle Giant than Grateful Dead.

Edited by Harry Hood - April 04 2011 at 01:45

I WAS going to go. I have patron tickets. I was really excited to see Karmakanic, UM, Curved Air and New Trolls. I am incredibly depressed that it's not going to happen. However, I can see exactly why. Oh well, you can catch UM any time. New Trolls, not so much.