One of the more interesting bands that were unfortunate to have its coming of age in those eighties is 'Light' that I've been following almost from the beginning in 1982, when I was in the same class as their first bass player, Derek Howard. He told me there would be a drummer coming the next week, who I met while on the bicycle: I helped him and his then girlfriend Marion to find the youth center where they rehearsed. I was pretty much mesmerized at the fact that my own little home town had such a quality symfonic rockband. From that point on I was asked to be their manager although I had no idea what that would mean. Together with Marion I called all bars and stages in the phone book, asking if they had live music, what kind, how much they paid the bands. Armed with that info, we settled around a price of 600 guilders to book the band. 

This involved a big double bassdrum kit, the Peavey amp of the guitar player and singer Mario Driessen, and Derek's bass amp. After Derek threw his bottle of Coke over his amp, causing the thing to blow, including all of the fuses, he was quickly replaced with Mario's nephew Orlando van Swaay, who was more versed in the genre.

I had a band, years later, in which Derek was the drummer, but we never made it out of the rehearsal room. After Orlando joined, a keyboard player was found in the person of Jeroen Kregting, who was interested in the latest techniques, and brought 'samples' into the sound, totally new at that time.

Line up was now: 

Mario Driessen-guitar, vocals, and compositions;

Jeroen Kregting-keyboards, background vocals;

Orlando van Swaay-bass, bass pedals, background vocals;

Mari Wagemans-drums. 

I helped with the Lightshow (sic) and merchandise; I think I've painted the band's logo a hundred times or more on the denim jackets that were the 80's fashion. Concerts opening for Pendragon and IQ as well as a Pink Floyd tribute, formed the pinnacle of success. Unfortunately, there was infighting in the band, and Orlando and Mari were replaced around 1992 with Randy (bass) and Jack (drums) van Dijk. In this lineup the only international tour of the band happened, somewhere around May, 1993 when with the big bus of the 'eigengereid' foundation a trip was made to Prague and a little town north of Prague called 'Ozniya' or something. All the major stages in the city were booked, and about twenty fans of the band joined to show support. 

After a long period of silence, in which the band actually had disbanded, a Dutch symphonic magazine, Sym-Info, was interested in helping with the production of a CD. I was happy to be the instigator of this move, that I started when I gave Mario the address and phone number of that magazine I was subscribed to for years.

1995 was the year the first and only cd of this band saw the Light. Production was so expensive -a complete orchestra was booked for the magnus opus 'Dreams'- that Sym-Info went broke. Unfortunately nobody was really happy with that CD although it's one of the highlights of Dutch progressive rock. Management (Wil van Cleef's Mams) focused on heavier acts in its roster, and band members couldn't get along much so again, the band disbanded, now for good. 

The composer, singer and guitar player Mario told me he doesn't have that CD himself. I hope someone here can help me get it to him (by way of a link, DropBox or WeTransfer). On Facebook is a fan-page about Light. Anyone who can add information about Light, please do so! thx

http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=34508" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=34508  is a link to the album cover and song list. 

Almost forgot to mention my own band: http://www.thefreewheelers.nl" rel="nofollow - http://www.thefreewheelers.nl  world's first and only Cello Blues/Rock band, as progressive as possible!