40TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION CONCERT (HIGH VOLTAGE FESTIVAL 2010)

I was there, having flown over from the States for what I suspected was my last chance to see my teenage musical heroes on one stage. It was both deeply sad and deeply moving to see them reaching for past glory. There were a few transcendent moments; Emerson's piano soloing during Tarkus was unexpectedly fluid and melodic. The conclusion of Pictures at an Exhibition had the audience in a state of rapture. But the years were not kind, especially to the man who did more to establish prog as a genre than anyone else. The world's most dangerous synthesizer clearly got the best of him on this evening. Still, it turned me on. Just hearing those tones and textures and rhythms again was enough, even if the performance was nowhere near the standard they set at their peak.

By sheer coincidence I ran into Mr Emerson the next day walking around Soho. I told him that I had traveled all the way from Michigan to see them, and he could not have been more gracious or humble. He did not look well at all; in fact, he introduced the man he was with as his doctor. Avid followers will know that he had a serious health crisis not long after.

Not the coda to their remarkable career one would have hoped for, but if you were in attendance, i doubt you regretted it. Try to catch Carl Palmer if he comes to your area; his tribute to the legacy of ELP is quite an emotional experience.