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Prog on tv (or more accurately the lack thereof)
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Logan View Drop Down
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    Posted: February 20 2022 at 09:13
An issue with Prog on talk shows as well as on something like Saturday Night Live is that there might not be time for a 20 minute song. ;)

I have seen Canadian band Rush various times on Canadian TV.

Bjork I don't think of as Prog but she is in PA and I did see a couple of Saturday Night Live performances of hers on video yesterday (came up in suggestions as as I was watching a video of Portishead playing SNL just before that). I think they had so much good (good per my tastes) indie and alternative music on those shows in the 90s and up. I looked up that performance on youtube (I had seen it on vimeo) and this came up instead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaDiVx4SG6k

Edited by Logan - February 20 2022 at 09:14
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Just now one more example of prog live appearance on TV popped up in my head: Coheed and Cambria on Conan O'Brien show around 2013.

Edited by enigmatic - February 20 2022 at 09:00
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Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Just so there's no confusion the initial purpose of this blog was to talk about live performances on tv not the occasional dumb thing like a dunkin donuts commercial which features an animated alien wearing a King Crimson t shirt. 

Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

I realize there are a lot of music genres out there who aren't represented on late night tv but as a prog fan it just seems like being how many of them are out there at least one full blown modern band would show up on tv? However, not even Porcupine Tree, Haken,Opeth, or the Mars Volta have popped up on any of these shows. Not even Tool or Radiohead for that matter. 

 
Not exactly true about Radiohead. I've seen them live on TV couple times. I have to admit I am NOT a late night TV guy. When I hear that someone who interests me will appear on late night TV, I dvr it or in previous decades taped.
Radiohead appeared couple times on Late Show with David Letterman, once playing Karma Police, second time 2+2=5. Probably around 2003? Also they appeared on Tonight show with Jay Leno in late 90s.

There is plenty of prog-rock on AXS cable channel, but not live performances. I've seen different band documentaries (Kansas, Genesis, Rush), concerts (ELP, Rush, Black Sabbath, Yes). They also have few TV series ("Classic Albums", "Rock Legends", "The Big Interview with Dan Rather") that covered prog-rock bands, prog-rock albums.

It seems that Scott Pelley, TV anchor from CBS is a prog-rock fan (or maybe one of his producers?). 
He was a host of CBS Evening News (channel 2, 6:30 PM here in NYC) between 2011-17. On the day of Keith's Emerson death (R.I.P.), Scott Pelley paid tribute to him, short segment with pictures, video clips and commentary. When Yes' induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was announced (Dec 20, 2016), he also had short segment about it.
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Yes played the David Letterman show in support of Talk. The first time I saw Yes as a six piece and was like: "Who's that other guitar player?" It was Billy Sherwood.

Apparently, Letterman had heard "The Calling" on the radio and thought it was a new band and told a producer to book that band right away!!!

King Crimson appears on the ABC late night show, Fridays, right after Discipline was released.

SNL has never had a Prog band play.
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From last week's Young Sheldon episode.
Thank you for supporting independently produced music
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I was going to mention Whispering Bob Harris & The Old Grey Whistle Test, until I noticed the show's been mentioned here several times already. The premise of the show's title was that if an old man in a grey suit could whistle along to a song featured on the show, then it must be a good tune as it's deemed to have passed the whistle test. There was also a documentary series titled Prog-Rock Britannia, subtitled Prog at the BBC, which gave me an idea for a blog and channel title. Smile
 
Prog-Rock Britannia - Prog at the BBC:- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA911C12EC45DCF4A


Edited by Psychedelic Paul - March 15 2021 at 16:37
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Here is a Sky Arts documentary from a few years back. I hadn't seen this. It may have been one of the docs referred to here, not sure.

Sky Arts - Trailblazers of prog rock

The guy presenting is very annoying.

Edited by Blacksword - March 11 2021 at 01:15
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Originally posted by Blacksword Blacksword wrote:

 

There was a prog documentary on Sky Arts a few weeks back (which I missed) Maybe that's what he's referring to. One of my non prog FB friends was moaning about it, but sat through it all nevertheless. He said it was music for 'university beard scratchers' I had to take issue with this, having never been to university and having never had a beard.

LMAO right on mate! 
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Originally posted by chopper chopper wrote:

Originally posted by Gentle and Giant Gentle and Giant wrote:

In the UK we had The Old Grey Whistle Test, which had prog bands on. E.g.



OGWT was about the only place you could see a prog band on UK TV. There was a compilation of prog bands from 1970s TV shown the other night, I taped it but haven't watched it yet. 

So I watched it last night - there were some good clips of Yes, Focus, SAHB and then they spoiled it all by ending with Dr Feelgood Confused (who are a brilliant band but about as far from prog as you can get). 
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Originally posted by Gentle and Giant Gentle and Giant wrote:

Originally posted by chopper chopper wrote:

Originally posted by Gentle and Giant Gentle and Giant wrote:

In the UK we had The Old Grey Whistle Test, which had prog bands on. E.g.




OGWT was about the only place you could see a prog band on UK TV. There was a compilation of prog bands from 1970s TV shown the other night, I taped it but haven't watched it yet. 


Can you remember what channel it was and what it was called. I'd be interested to see it. Thanks


There was a prog documentary on Sky Arts a few weeks back (which I missed) Maybe that's what he's referring to. One of my non prog FB friends was moaning about it, but sat through it all nevertheless. He said it was music for 'university beard scratchers' I had to take issue with this, having never been to university and having never had a beard.
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Originally posted by chopper chopper wrote:

Originally posted by Gentle and Giant Gentle and Giant wrote:

In the UK we had The Old Grey Whistle Test, which had prog bands on. E.g.



OGWT was about the only place you could see a prog band on UK TV. There was a compilation of prog bands from 1970s TV shown the other night, I taped it but haven't watched it yet. 

Can you remember what channel it was and what it was called. I'd be interested to see it. Thanks
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Even if there are progressive acts that can put together an entertaining and engaging late night performance, the moment the producers see the "prog" label, their heuristically wired mind automatically automatically disqualifies it. 


More times than not I believe that is the case. Once or twice Seth Meyers had a drummer or guitarist or someone who played in a progressive metal band. I believe Brann Dailor from Mastodon was one of them. I think there was another musician from another band also but I don't remember who or what band. Both were described as progressive metal though. Also, Carson Daly(before his show was cancelled)had a musical guest called Strawberry Girls who he described as progressive rock(they are listed on this site as post rock/math rock). That's really about it though and even those few times it surprised me to hear progressive (even if it was usually progressive metal). In the case of Carson Daly he was also the show's producer(or one of them anyway)and so he probably had more say in things like that. Unfortunately though I think there's still a preconceived idea about what prog is and a stereotype about it that prevents it from having more mainstream exposure(especially on late night tv). If more prog fans were in charge things might be different but they would have to be careful that they don't lose their jobs by having a band play a 20 minute song taking up too much time and bumping off the scheduled guests. ;) :P I'm joking about that last part of course but I think that's one of the things that scares people in the first place. They think prog they think a forty minute epic. Not all modern bands do that but a band like Transatlatic doesn't do much to dispell that myth. So there's one modern band you'll never see on tv. ;)

I do remember a few years ago on some cable channel seeing part of a music festival in the UK on tv. It was a pretty big deal over there. I think it was called the high voltage festival and I remember they had a prog stage. I saw some of the prog stage bands on tv but I don't remember for sure but I think Transatlantic(speaking of them and also standing corrected from my earlier comment about them) and Marillion both played. ELP played at that festival too(one of their last shows I think)but I don't remember if I saw them on tv and I don't remember who else I saw. It was interesting nonetheless to catch that on tv. I think it was VH1 or some other music related cabel channel. 




Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - March 01 2021 at 09:25
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Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

This is something that has bothered me for a long time and to some degree still does. Over the years I have watched a lot of late night tv (it's still one of my worst habits). Most of this consist of late night talk shows. I have seen countless bands and artists on talk shows. About 99 percent of these artists are some form of pop or pop rock with the very rare jazz or classical pianist or musician. However, just as rare is anything resembling progressive rock.

Even SLAYER and other heavy metal greats have made their way onto late night. 

In all seriousness though, your mock conversation is basically how it goes down. The producers responsible for booking these shows and building programming are not musicians and they're not rewarded for giving a platform for artists (even actors and films) that will be challenging to viewers looking for easy watching before bed or on Youtube while taking a crap. Even if there are progressive acts that can put together an entertaining and engaging late night performance, the moment the producers see the "prog" label, their heuristically wired mind automatically automatically disqualifies it. 
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Considering very few people like or even know what prog rock is, I'm surprised by the amount of prog I DO see on TV in the UK, to be honest.

Genesis have been interviewed on Breakfast TV and The One show in recent years. Hackett appeared separately on his own on the former, and so did Steve Wilson. The One Show for those who don't know is an awful prime time show, dripping with syrupy optimism and for a very main stream audience.

In recent years there have been several prog rock documentaries on the BBC, and on Sky Arts, just the other night they showed a Rush concert, and a few weeks before that another prog documentary.

You can't expect much more than that, for a type of music which has essentially had it's glory days. It's for the same reason, you don't see punks or glam rockers all over mainstream TV shows.

Edited by Blacksword - March 01 2021 at 04:30
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There's a fair amount on Sky Arts (UK) worth a watch. Recently I've recorded a three hour Moody Blues documentary, a two-part Laurel Canyon documentary and Roger Waters 'Us and Them' show.
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Originally posted by Gentle and Giant Gentle and Giant wrote:

In the UK we had The Old Grey Whistle Test, which had prog bands on. E.g.



OGWT was about the only place you could see a prog band on UK TV. There was a compilation of prog bands from 1970s TV shown the other night, I taped it but haven't watched it yet. 
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Saw Rush on Dennis Miller Show ...they played Tom Sawyer ...of course.
Colbert mentioned above but again i thought they were on Miller's show.
Crimson on David Letterman show and Conan Obrien....don't recall what they played....I see now that Mike mentioned it in the first post and they played Dinosaur. I could have sworn that KC was also on Letterman..?



Edited by dr wu23 - February 28 2021 at 13:29
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In the UK we had The Old Grey Whistle Test, which had prog bands on. E.g.
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Just so there's no confusion the initial purpose of this blog was to talk about live performances on tv not the occasional dumb thing like a dunkin donuts commercial which features an animated alien wearing a King Crimson t shirt. Tongue
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Yeah, I saw that not too long ago.They just aren't that good. Bands these days just don't get it. They try to be different but fail at it most of the time.
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