NEARFEST 2005 RISING TO THE SURFACE

In 2005 the annual USA progfest festival Nearfest delivered a stunning serie of progrock bands during the two days, now you can enjoy it on DVD with a running time of three hours!

WOBBLER: This DVD starts with the acclaimed Swedish band Wobbler, their sound is similar to Anglagard but more varied. The play their demo-song Imperial Winter White Dwarf, a very alternating composition: from dreamy with flute and swinging with clavinet to bombastic with heavy choir-Mellotron eruptions and experimental with xylophone and wah-wah guitar. It's great to witness the keyboard player who is surrounded by vintage keyboards, like Rick Wakeman in The Seventies! The vocals sound a bit mediocre but in general Wobbler delivers 20 minutes of wonderful Mellotron drenched and Seventies inspired prog.

FROGG CAFE: The stage is crowded with musicians on a wide range of instruments, from violin and guitar to keyboards and lot of woodwind and brass. The music (three tracks, half an hour) is a blend of several styles, from jazzrock to experimental, and it sounds swinging and melodic, a fien musical experience it it's your cup of tea.

PRESENT: This is a belgian avant-garde formation with a cult status (according to the cover information), it's not my music but I ahve to admot that they sound dynamic and adventurous during the 25 minutes on the song Promenade Au Fond D'Un Canal.

IQ: Neo prog legend IQ has released the 2-DVD On Stage that contains the Nearfest 2005 concert. On the Nearfest 2005 DVD you can find two tracks from that concert: Born Brilliant (intense vocals, sensitive electric guitar and lush violin-Mellotron) and the epic The Seventh House (alternating with lots of changing climates), it prooves that IQ is one of th eleading prog bands at this moment, what a great sound and inspired musicians!

KNIGHT AREA: In the mid-Nineties I witnessed a concert by Dutch progrock band Cliffhanger featuring bass player Gijs Koopman and guitarplayer Rinie Huigen, nowadays members of Knight Area: it was in the middle of nowhere and the attendance was 10 progheads.. great to see that more than 10 years later these two musicians are playing for many hundreds of progheads on this acclaimed USA progrock festival! And both musicians are also the driving forces on stage, Gijs with his enthousiastic walks and Rinie with his emotional performance, especially during the final song Mortal Drew (closing section) when he freaks out with a very moving solo, loaded with howling runs. The other two tracks Conspiracy (the singer looks like Steve Perry from Journey) and The Run Also Rises alternate between a bit polished neo-prog and mainly symphonic prog with a lush keyboard sound (lots of bombastic Mellotron eruptions), the crowd hailes Knight Area with an enthousiastic applause, I am very glad about that for my fellow Dutchmen!

THE MUFFINS: This band offers an adventurous and alternating musical experience but it's not my cup of tea, too complex and experimental but if you like this music, you will be delighted, it sounds strong and elaborate.

MATTHEW PARMENTER: This man is the maverick of the festival with his white painted face and black eye mascara but he convinces me, what a beautiful, a bit dark music, I love the acoustic rhythm guitar, his fragile lyrics and emotional singing, the crowd loves it too.

KENSO: What a virtuosic, dynamic and exciting jazzrock, loaded with excellent runs on the synthesizer and great interplay in the opener Shining In The Sky. Funny to see the guitarplayer in his white doctors coat. Then we see lots of percussive keyboard sounds in Tjandi Bentar with mindblowing psychedelic screen projections, I amcarried away by those typical Sixties elements! Finally the track Echi Dal Foro Romano featuring sparkling piano, Kenso has delivered an outstanding performance!

LE ORME: The final gig on this DVD is by Italian progrock legend Le Orme who recently toured in Italy, mandrakeroot and Andrea Cortese has told their enthousiastic stories! This 20 minutes version of the 'ultimate' Le Orme composition Felona E Sorona caused mixed feelings. On one hand I am impressed by the new Le Orme line-up with two excellent keyboard players (one on Hammond organ) and 'veteran' Aldo Tagliapietra on his spectacular looking twin-neck guitar but on the other hand I am not pleased with the drum solo after 8 minutes and the fact that the compelling grand finale has been deleted. Perhaps Le Orme will release it on a possible DVD of their recent tour ...?

Anyway, enjoy this great DVD that contains varied and inspired prog, highly recommended!