Herewith, a new thread in which we can provide reviews of recent live shows by prog bands.  Although there are no "rules" per se, try to keep reviews to reasonable lengths.

Have fun!

Band: The Musical Box (Genesis tribute)

Date: 3/4/04

Location: NYC

Based in Canada, The Musical Box is the only Genesis tribute band officially sanctioned by Genesis.  TMB performs three different "tours" (Foxtrot, Selling England, The Lamb) exactly as Genesis performed them; i.e., using the same set list, musical equipment, lighting, costumes, slides, and even Gabriel's original pre-song "stories."  In TMB's case, the members even look like the original members of Genesis (except for the keyboardist).

Last year, I saw TMB perform the 30th anniversary tour of "Foxtrot."  Although I had heard of them, I had never seen them, so nothing prepared me for the jaw-droppingly perfect show they did.  This year marking the 30th anniversary of Selling England, TMB is performing the SE tour throughout Europe and parts of the U.S.

The band opened with a note-perfect rendition of "Watcher of the Skies" which set the bar pretty high for the rest of the show.  And they delivered.  They immediately went into fabulous renditions of "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight," followed by "Cinema Show," "I Know What I Like," "Firth of Fifth" (which earned the band its first standing ovation of the evening) and "Battle of Epping Forest."  At one point, the drummer (a dead ringer for Phil, both physically and vocally) delivered a marvelous version of "More Fool Me."  All of these were played with precision, with not a note out of place.  The band then played a great rendition of their "signature" song, "The Musical Box" (earning them their second standing ovation), and finished up the evening with a truly amazing rendition of the entire "Supper's Ready" suite (their third standing ovation).  For an encore, the band performed an exciting version of "The Knife" (from "Trespass").

The Musical Box is one of the all-time great tribute bands.  If they are performing anywhere in your area - even a couple of hundred miles away - they are very much worth taking the time to see.

Band: The Church

Date: 3/8/04

Location: NYC

Based in Australia, The Church - Steve Kilbey (bass/lead vocals), Peter Koppes (guitar/vocals), Marty Willson-Piper (guitar/vocals) and Tim Powles (drums/vocals) - came to the progressive genre somewhat late in their career.  However, they not only "made up for lost time" by putting out five or six highly creative, compelling progressive albums in the past decade or so, but they are now considered an unarguable standard-bearer of the genre.

Prior to taking the stage, I noticed that among the songs that played over the P.A. was Gentle Giant's "Pantagruel's Nativity" (from "Acquiring the Taste").  Leave it to The Church to include the magnificent GG on their pre-show tape!

As the lights went down, the audience heard (over the P.A. system) the audio of the scene from "Blade Runner" in which Deckard (Harrison Ford) is manipulating a photograph on his high-tech TV.  This scene leads into the spooky, quasi-paranoid "Blade Runner" theme by Vangelis.  It was at this point that the band took the stage.  Very dramatic, and beautifully executed.

The band opened with a powerful rendition of "Sealine" (the opening track of their new, highly acclaimed album, "Forget Yourself"), moving immediately into an equally excellent version of "Telepath" (from the same album).  Folllowing this they did an amazing version of the poignant "Radiance" (from "After Everything Now This").  Then Willson-Piper sang lead on the hypnotic "Chromium" (from the same album).  After this it was back to the new album for "Nothing Seeker" and a beautiful rendition of "The Theater and Its Double," including masterful acoustic guitar work from Willson-Piper.  The band then took a "slither" (Kilbey's word) through the past with the driving "Reptile" (from "Starfish").  Then back to the new album for the gorgeous "Maya," followed by a beautiful rendition of "Appalatia," with Koppes giving a sensitive lead vocal.  Then it was back to "Starfish" for two songs: the propulsive "Destination" and the hit song, "Under the Milky Way."  The band then played the hypnotic "Numbers" (from AENT), followed by two from the new album: the driving "See Your Lights" - with a great lead vocal from Willson-Piper - and the absolutely amazing "Song in Space."  The band closed the set with an extended, super-rocking version of "Tantalized" (from "Heyday").  After a five-minute standing ovation (well, actually, there were no seats, so everyone was standing...), the band returned and played a slightly truncated version of "Cantilever" (a 10-minute song from the new album), followed by an amazing version of "Myrrh" (from "Heyday").  They then closed the show with an extended version of "You Took" (from "The Blurred Crusade").

Overall, the show was extraordinary, and ranks very high on my list (and if you've seen the "favorite live progressive show" thread, you'll know that my list is full of great shows!).  Kilbey's voice was in fine form - at various times powerful, breathy, hypnotic, understated, reflective - and his bass playing was top-notch.  Powles' drumming was equally exceptional: solid, propulsive, compelling.  Willson-Piper's guitar playing was nothing short of amazing: whether playing electric or acoustic, driving or sweet, "written" or improvised, not a note was uninspired or out of place.  Koppes' guitar playing was also top-notch, and he had the added job - done with exceptional proficiency - of providing the "keyboards" via a pedalboard that allowed him to play the guitar, but sound like a very real synthesizer.

The band seemed to be having a great deal of fun, in spite of an incessant buzz that never went away, and a couple of technical glitches that caused them to ad lib for a few minutes.

Opening for The Church (for the second tour in a row) was Sea-Ray, a Church-influenced sextet including two guitars, keys, bass, drums and cello.  These guys (and gal) are quite good (the drummer is amazing), and I wouldn't be surprised if they end up listed on the progarchives site sometime in the near future.

Overall, a thoroughly amazing evening, one that I will not soon forget (myself).

Band: DreamTheater

Date: March 30th

Venue: The Career-Builder.com Oakdale in Wallingford, CT

They were on fire that night. the solo in under a lass moon was flawless. one of the highlights for me was the double necked guitar on solitary shell

they ended the set w/ finally free, then did in the name of god as an encore

great show

21st Century Schizoid Band

Variety Playhouse  Atlanta GA 4/23/2004

To say this Owl had his plumage blown off last night (4/23/2004) would be an understatement!

The venue was perfect ( http://www.variety-playhouse.com/ - www.variety-playhouse.com ), crisp sound, good line of sight, perfect volume and NO OPENING ACT!!

As the lights dimmed and the "Schizoid Intro" song played on the PA, our five musicians unassumingly walked onstage and proceeded to tear into "A Man, A City" (aka Pictures of a City)with a ferocity that defied their years. The twin saxes of Ian McDonald (alto) and Mel Collins (a growly, cavernous baritone) added a gritty menace as Jakko Jakszyk not only channeled 1970-era Fripp but really made it his own to boot. Drummer Ian Wallace was a powerhouse throughout the night putting forth the right mix of ferocity and intricacy with a great ear for detail. The rapid fire unison passages were no match for their passionate musicianship and obvious love for the long-neglected '69 to '72 Crimson songbook.

The hilariously demented "Cat Food" was next, with Ian McDonald doing his darndest to get those "laughing piano" figures across that were so essential to the original. Jakko had the unenviable task of not only reinterpreting Fripp's turn on a dime parts but also SINGING the fiendish melody lines. I dare say he rose to the challenge quite beautifully. Everyone looked like they wer really enjoying themselves attacking this "Beatles meets Cecil Taylor"-like bit of musical black comedy. A dissonant Ian McDonald ballad "Let There be Light (from his "Driver's Eyes" CD) followed, not bad actually, kind of begged for Paul McCartney to sing on it the more I think about it. Next up, the chilling "Cirkus" (from Lizard) had my jaw dropping in amazement with its mix of fragile beauty and horrific menace. Jakko's vocals here easily blew Gordon Haskell's away and the song really did come to life, one of the evening's best moments for me. Jakko, Ian Mac and Mel picked up flutes and played a cleverly arranged intro piece that led into "Cadence and Cascade". "In The Court of The Crimson King" was delivered with a majesty and ferocity easily matching the original studio version or even surpassing it. "Ladies OF The Road" that ever ribald black sheep of the Crimso catalog got a good thrashing. If it weren't for the obnoxiously sexist lyrics this would be an even more enjoyable Crimso piece for me. But even as I did my best to tune out the words (which ain't easy), the music revealed a rather mutated take on the blues filtered through Stravinsky. "Catley's Ashes" was a pleasantly soaring instrumental piece by Jakko which the band obviously enjoyed playing. Bassist Peter Giles, providing solid and tasty bass work stepped out front briefly and did a beautiful chordal piece on his Fender Jazz bass which led into "Formentera Lady". What surprised me was how much I liked this piece! To be honest, I actually did NOT like the original "Islands" version as it rather lazily wafted along with Boz's inept singing and lack of momentum. Here, it really came to life, as the song was given TEETH, far superior vocals and edited to just the right length, towards the end, Jakko did some very tasty wordless vocal flourishes as Mel Collins spun melodic gems from his tenor sax that really drew you in. This led into my other highlight of the night, "Sailor's Tale", retaining all the violence, menace and ferocity that made the original so cool. Peter Giles and Ian Wallace really kicked it into high gear as Ian Mac and Mel provided the eerie string and ominous brass backdrops, plus Mel investing the tune with some great Ornette Coleman-inspired alto sax early on. Jakko was having a blast with this one for sure as he attacked his guitar as though he had five minutes to live.

The last 3 numbers, "I Talk To The Wind", Epitaph" and "21st Century Schizoid Man" enjoyed renewed life with passionate, committed playing from everyone.

They encored with a heart-wrenching version of "Starless" and concluded with the McDonald & Giles piece "Birdman" which had a vaguely lullabye-like quality to it, sort of like tucking in their audience to bed after it had been terrified half-out of its wits at times.

If you love 70's vintage Crimson, you MUST see this band! They're way better than a cover or tribute band, they OWNED these songs! As the band signed my poster after the show, I made it a point to thank all of them for bringing this great music back to life and messing me up for life at age 15 in the best possible way!

YES - MSG 5/13/04.

Awesome show, they surely don't show their age, working through a three hour set, with a 15 minute intermission. Opening with Going For The One, they balanced the selection nicely, including several 90's pieces which, while I wasn't really too familiar with them personally, were excellent and recalled the complexity and joy of their earlier classic material. South Side of the Sky was, arguably, the highlight of the first half of the show, and they just played everything so beautifully, following the precision of the studio recordings while embellishing a little hear and there to bring a little something extra to them as well.

After intermission they performed a few pieces acoustically, including Roundabout, which while being a good version, with a bit of a laid back blues feel, I'd have preferred an electrified version, given the presence of Wakeman who played with great skill throughout the night, and that catchy little bass line in the original ;) In another piece, not really sure what they were playing at the moment, Howe and Wakeman exchanged licks back and forth, which was pretty cool, and which everyone seemed to enjoy; definately a satisfied crowd.

They broke out Ritual off of Topographic Oceans, really awesome, just a sprawling piece of music, and did And You and I as well, a crowd pleaser for sure. Yours Is No Disgrace was magnificant too, and they finished with Starship Trooper, just so great to hear Chris explode into it with that bass line.

The stage set was designed by Roger Dean, which was basically a few large inflatable amorphous, Deanesque objets, and which were made great use of with imaginative and evocative lighting, really enhanced the performance beautifully.

I think was my favorite concert ever, already picked up a ticket for another show. If you like Yes at all, you want to see this tour.

Saw Yes in Glasgow on Sunday, a truly awesome experience. Can anyone fail to be moved by the opening notes of "Firebird suite"? The set list was the standard one for the tour, with a superb unplugged section to start the second half. It seemd after "And you and I" the audience were never going to stop applauding and cheering, it's astonishing how the band can make a song they music have played thousands of times still sound better than it ever did.

I suspect this will be their last tour for some time, and possibly the last ever for the "classic" line up. I hope I'm wrong, but "high the memory" anyway.

Easy Livin wrote: Saw Yes in Glasgow on Sunday, a truly awesome experience. Can anyone fail to be moved by the opening notes of "Firebird suite"? The set list was the standard one for the tour, with a superb unplugged section to start the second half. It seemd after "And you and I" the audience were never going to stop applauding and cheering, it's astonishing how the band can make a song they music have played thousands of times still sound better than it ever did. I suspect this will be their last tour for some time, and possibly the last ever for the "classic" line up. I hope I'm wrong, but "high the memory" anyway.

Hey, just returned from the YES show this evening in Frankfurt. AWESOME . Even better than expected. It was all seated and I was sitting in row 3 right in the middle of the stage, I think there's no better place to sit, it was very close to the stage and very full. But hey, these guys look old...wait, they ARE old  but you didn't notice that with exception of their look  Chris Squire was wearing trousers that schoiuld have been a few numbers larger, was it S or maybe XS...but of course, the show was awesome. After the acoustic set noone was sitting anymore and Anderson walked down the stage and walked around in the whole venue, grabed a chair and was singing while standing on it in the middle of the hall. Squire was laughing his ass off while Wakeman just shaked his head...best thing for sure were the whole "duels" Wakeman vs. Howe and Wakeman vs. Squire. It seemd as if they had their fun...they were joking all the time, trying to speak german, very funny. And yes, even "Owner of a lonely Heart" was bearable in the acoustic version...

sorry for the bad english, it's late and I'm too lazy to worry about the grammar

The Magic Band - Paradiso, Amsterdam, June twentieth, 2004

I was a little disappointed... without the Captain himself, there was less Magic , but still, I can't deny they are fantastic musicians! It was a good concert, but a bit too 'normal' for my taste. They played a few pretty straight-forward blues songs (I guess from Safe As Milk, I don't have that one). The songs from Trout Mask were great! Hair Pie live!!! Odd time changes! Perfect! But I didn't like the vocals of 'Drumbo' French. But what a great drummer he is! And Rockette Morton was also very good! And Mantis did a fantastic guitar-solo!

Overall: Good show, I don't regret having bought the tickets, but the music was not as fantastic as on the records (I guess mainly because Van Vliet himself was not present).

I can't get to many gigs these days, because of my young daughter.

However, I am planning to go to Reading Festival on the Saturday, if I can blag a ticket, and I saw some excerpts of Glastonbury on the TV.

I only saw Muse perform "Hysteria" (I taped the set but only had time to watch one track this morning!), but that was enough for me to realise that this was probably the best set of this year's festival, going by the other sets I saw over the weekend.

Every other act I saw was professional, but lacklustre - including James Brown, Belle and Sebastian, Morrissey and Orbital. They all wear those little earpieces,  play precisely in time, and every note is clinically in place.

It ain't rock n roll and it ain't Glastonbury, IMO. I might just as well have listened to a CD.

Muse, however, came on with their amps turned up to 11, insane levels of overdrive on the vox and guitar effects up to their eyeballs, and between the 3 of them seemed to set the place alight - the atmosphere was tangible even on the TV. The last time I saw a set with such power (on telly) was Radiohead in 1997. From the word go, the crowd could be heard singing along - OK, Matt Bellamy's lyrics don't improve for that, but as part of the overall gig texture and experience, it was cosmic, man! Listening to the way Muse presented "Hysteria", I appreciate more why some would put them forward as a prog band. The lyrics could have been "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", and the music would still have gushed from my TV like the frenetic, incendiary burst of ectoplasm it was.

I am looking forward to getting home tonight to see the rest of the set

Sterling stuff - if they repeat it, WATCH IT and cower in awe!

http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001">

The Owl wrote: 21st Century Schizoid Band Variety Playhouse  Atlanta GA 4/23/2004 To say this Owl had his plumage blown off last night (4/23/2004) would be an understatement!

Owl.. I think you did a great job reviewing this show.. I saw them here at BB Kings in April.. and I thought they did a marvelous job. Ian is still the master of instruments.. and he's still got that look of pain in his face when he plays that makes you want to cry for him.

However, my only disagreement with you is Jakko's voice.  Although, I think he did an okay job on Catfood.. and some of the later Crimson  stuff like Starless.. I thought his ITCOTKC songs were going to kill me. Besides the fact I don't think anyone other than Greg Lake should be singing those songs..  He didn't even come close to replacing Wetton.. much less Greg.  Thank god he didn't do Moonchild.. or i would have just slit my wrists right there. I had a conversation with Ian later.. and he joked with me and said.."Ahh you know Jakko is Michael Giles son-in-law...".. I'm like so that gives him the right to slaughter Greg's songs...

Well I'm not good with reviews but..

I recently spent a week in the NYC area with Keith Emerson and his band. I hadn't spoken to Keith in about 16 years.. so it was a little bit of heaven and let me relive my childhood for a few days.

It started with a Moog clinic at Mannys Music Store.. where Keith came with his band and Bob Moog to give some background on his usage of the first moog.  He also had his guitarist play Lucky Man.. so he could re-create that moog solo.. but even tho I love Dave Kilminster.. he really shouldn't be singing that song! Keith also must of recreated the moog solo he had wanted to do.. and not the one Greg used...Besides Lucky Man, Keith did some pieces of Tarkus and Pictures... into a improvisational 5 minutes which was fun to watch, but the mini moog set up was in dire need of attention. Even Keith had some problems with it so his keyboard tech, Will Alexander, was buzzing around trying to solve the problems as usual. Renewing my friendship with Will actually was one of the highlights of the evening.

The next night at Moogfest at BB Kings.. soundcheck started at 3pm.. There were quite a few acts for this show, so it was pretty crowded. I got to hang a bit with Rick Wakeman, who tried to convince me that he remembers trying to buy my rawhide coat off me back in 1974 at Max's Kansas City. I said that was pretty much impossible since he wasn't even lucid for most of 1974... but since I still have the coat... if I ever decide to sell it, he can bid for it on ebay....just like everyone else.  The show was incredible tho, Rick was great, Keith was absolutely marvelous.. almost back to his old self... and there were so many interesting characters like.. Jordan Rudess, Pamela Kurstin on Theramin..  neo-jazz fusion guitarist, Stanley Jordan, and Joe Gallivan.. don't ask me what that instrument was he was playing.. but it was like a theramin you play with drum sticks..

Keith played an additional two nights in concert just with his band.  Both shows were excellent and we all felt priviledged to just be there.  At one point during the Jersey show.. I was sitting on an equipment box next to the backstage during intermission talking to Will.. and Keith came out to go back on stage.. and he stopped by me for a second.. didn't really look at me.. he just patted me on the knee...and he continued on to the stage... I just looked at Will and said.. Was he just showing me affection... Will just chuckled..  I tell you, for a minute I felt 17 again and sitting backstage on the BSS tour. 

Some pics;

http://img6.photobucket.com/albums/v20/Pebble/ELP/Keith%20Emerson/NJ-Show-Keith2.jpg - http://img6.photobucket.com/albums/v20/Pebble/ELP/Keith%20Em erson/NJ-Show-Keith2.jpg

http://img6.photobucket.com/albums/v20/Pebble/ELP/Keith%20Emerson/NJ-Show-Keith23.jpg - http://img6.photobucket.com/albums/v20/Pebble/ELP/Keith%20Em erson/NJ-Show-Keith23.jpg

http://img6.photobucket.com/albums/v20/Pebble/ELP/Keith%20Emerson/BBKings-Show-Keith.jpg - http://img6.photobucket.com/albums/v20/Pebble/ELP/Keith%20Em erson/BBKings-Show-Keith.jpg

http://img6.photobucket.com/albums/v20/Pebble/ELP/Keith%20Emerson/FRI-SHOW-_Keith1.jpg - http://img6.photobucket.com/albums/v20/Pebble/ELP/Keith%20Em erson/FRI-SHOW-_Keith1.jpg

http://img6.photobucket.com/albums/v20/Pebble/ELP/BBK-Keith2.jpg - http://img6.photobucket.com/albums/v20/Pebble/ELP/BBK-Keith2 .jpg

http://img6.photobucket.com/albums/v20/Pebble/ELP/P1010047.jpg - http://img6.photobucket.com/albums/v20/Pebble/ELP/P1010047.j pg

What a great event!!!! It was my wife, Marty's first prog experience and she loved it. I gave her some IZZ to listen to a few days before we left and she said, "It reminds me of..." and started singing Roundabout. I thought, wow, she's hooked. On the way down Hwy 99 we listened to Ampersand, Asia (Not really prog, but close enough) and Spock's Beard (prep for Neal Morse, of course). 


Cal-Prog day!!!!! On to the venue: small, not too crowded.... wow, look at all the hippies and prog-nerds.... Was that Marijuana we smelled walking in? Memories, back in '76 I .......

Erik Norlander..... what talent.... no band..... cool Wall of Doom.... the singer looks like a cross between Arlo Guthrie and Kirk Hammett.... strong hair metal vocals. Lana Lane has power. Court of the Crimson King.... interesting take.... The Cello guy was cool.... gotta talk to him.

Bottled water and ..... look at all the CD's!!!! Bought Michael Shrieve "Two Doors" (anything with the late great Shawn Lane) and FM "Black Noise." Wandered over to the IZZ table and snatched up "Wombsong" from Brems. Found the Cello guy, Mike, claims he's a fan from San Diego.... talented fan, wot?

Show Call: back inside and meet Shawn Bishop.... nice guy. Introduction and a truly uplifting set from the East Coast Proggers. I kept laughing at the ease with which the boys pull off some tough changes. They played a tune I wasn't familiar with, "Crossfire" was played in a very inspired fashion.... powerful. Annmarie and Laura were stunning and sang with passion.
I kept checking the wife and she was enthralled. Cool.... Why does Tom keep meditating in the middle of Brem's solos? Planning his dethroning of Yes as the pathenon of Progressive Rock, no doubt.
John proves he's not JUST a bass player as he strangles a Strat, borrows some of Greg's kit to play percs and joins Tom on the keys... quite impressive, not to mention my wife checking him out and referring to him as the "hot one." Gag me already... bah!!!!

The interplay between Brian and Greg was exciting. Unfortunately, my fourth row, center stage view was not avantageous to watch the stick work. Greg sticks looked more like mallets from what I could see, and all but the well coifed head of Brian was hidden behind Tom's monitor. My ears told me what they were doing, almost an Alan White/Bill Bruford combo, without all the hoopla. Complimentary mayhem. Complexity with a groove? 

Brems "live" work is really stellar. I was very impressed. Where has this guy been all these years? It's hard to pin down his influences, he doesn't really sound like anyone else, Howe, Gilmour, Hackett, Hendrix, Holdsworth.... a taste of many styles. I wish he would have played some acoustic.... 

Mists of Dalriada, Double Bass and Star Gnoma Su were fun and chops heavy... but what struck the chord for my wife were the strong and well executed vocals, sweet harmonies and memorable melodies.... tunes that get stuck in your head. Magic. 

The Genesis medley capped a great set. I was sad to see it end. I guess they set was about an hour and a half, but it felt like 15 minutes to me.

I had a great time talking to the band, about music, beer and lyrics. Greg was very warm and funny, a proud dad and a real person. Brems was likable and engaging, but my West Coast ears are more attuned to Mexican Spanish than a Scottish brogue. "Baileys on the rooks" sounds good to me. Brian, hiding behind the beard, was very intelligent, articulate and above all, fond of Guinness. MAybe next time we'll get a chance to raise a glass. John was interesting and has a star quality, magnetic, which made it hard to talk to him, IMO - starstruck? Tom and Annmarie were charming and genuine. I would guess that Tom is a  classic type A individual, he didn't look comfortable sitting, mind constantly whirling like an over-charged hard-drive.

Next up: Enchant. A very professional band. They had done the lead guitar stomp.... stage stalking front man.... good drummer, funky bassist (I haven't seen anyone play a Factor Bass in 15 years) and a young Geoff Downes looking keyboardist. My only problem? Not my cup o' tea. I think I have an aversion to metal distortion tones. The band handle a few technical problem with some lively banter about the lack of beer and the cause of Jon Anderson's high vocal range.  Once Mr. Ott switched to the Tele and a softer, more natural guitar tone, my impression of the band rose. The worst part is that the best song they played was not theirs. A cover of Yes' Tempus Fugit was great!!! They nailed the bass and guitar parts to a "T." I didn't buy anything and felt like I had nothing to say to them, they played great, but ....... A shame, really. They rocked hard and put on a good show. My wife said she would have liked their set better had they preceeded IZZ. I agree.

Neal Morse took the stage with panache and even handled the technical problems in a fun and entertaining way. The auditorium was transformed into a jam seesion in my livingroom. Incredibly uplifting and nearly a religious experience (I guess that's Neal plan?). We were singing along to many great Spock's tunes, watching on the spot production with his Jam Band unit. Fun, inspiring, even self-depreciating.... call it what you will, but Neal's a true entertainer.  The encore with Ryo and Nick was plagued with techincal problems and Neal forgot the words to "the Doorway." He redeemed himself with a rousing rendition of "June."

Mike Keneally. Totally freaking crazed. He should have played earlier simply because that wild frenetic, complex type of music, which I love (Zappa fan, duh!!) takes a load of concentration. By the time they hit the stage, 10:30 or so, my wife was toast and I was running on empty... no beer, must have beer.... and I was feeling battered... like the last 4 miles of a marathon... too much, too much. I left at the beginning of "the Epic" so I don't know how it finished up. Burnt and yawning, we left. I did spy Greg in the back row with his eyes wide.... he looked intrigued.

On the way out we ran into Neal Morse giving directions to the woman running his table. I had a million questions I wanted to ask, but could only manage to say "thank you" and hold out my copy of "V" for an autograph. I felt like a dink for being too clouded to ask some pertinent questions, but, the bed beckoned like a siren in a storm. Fatigue enveloped me and, like a zombie, I staggered back to the Radisson and grabbed a well deserved Samuel Adams and crawled to the well worn mattress. ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Breakfast at Sophie's. The Enchant guys were eating, we waved, smiled, nodded.... Saw a couple other prog-neards eating, too.... waved, smiled, nodded.
As we headed back to the heat and dust of the San Joaquin Valley, I put Wombsong in the CD player. Beautiful.... a very personal and poignant recording. Marty sang Loch Lommand along with Brems guitar and I couldn't help but shed a tear... Great work Brems!!!!!   We listened to Sliver, I Move and Ampersand. As the last notes of "Star Gnoma Su" ended, we pulled into the parking lot of the Raley's store two blocks from home. Picked up some Cocktail sauce for the shrimp we provided for a 4th of July party. We were home, but our minds were on the terrific bands we had just left.... I guess I can now refer to my wife as my prog-spouse, eh? 

Molly Bloom Live at Brookbottom 13/8/04

I  feel I just want to share my enjoyment of  the progressive folk band Molly Bloom and this forum seems receptive to hearing about good music.

Molly Bloom is a band which has a great deal of talent. If this was the 70s, these guys would have a major record deal.  Its not and they don’t !  I have long admired their debut CD. (Reviewed by DPRP  & Progressive Rock some months ago.)

http://www.dprp.net/reviews/200408.html#mollybloom - http://www.dprp.net/reviews/200408.html#mollybloom

http://www.progressiveworld.net/mollybloom.html - http://www.progressiveworld.net/mollybloom.html

I hope this band can be added to the band list at prog archives.  I submitted their details some time ago.  The band has an eclectic mixture of styles.  It is difficult to describe Molly’s music. Their music includes much flute played in a style similar to Ian Anderson  (S. Dundon once toured with M. Abrahams in the This Was band).  Other points of reference include even a hint of Leonard Cohen and Madness.  However, Molly are no Tull rip-off band.  They have created their own unique style of  flute-tinged rock.  Their compositions are varied, involving inspiring moments of flute, rock, and tongue-in-cheek lyrics, such as:

"She took the house and took the car, I swear this woman’s ruthless -

If I wore dentures, she'd travel far to leave my mouth all toothless"

(From "If," a track on Molly’s debut CD.)

I, for one, am grateful that I have had the chance to discover their wonderful music.

I was finally able to get to one of their shows. By the end of the night, the band had gained many more admirers, and more than a few CD sales.  The current Molly line-up is a three-piece which includes S. Dundon on flute and vocals, Tyrion Moses on acoustic guitar, and Derek Smith on mandolin and bass.

I was initially perplexed at how the rhythmic nature of many of their compositions might sound without a drummer.  After their opening number, "Mistress Winter," all fears were put aside as I was treated to an hour and fifteen minutes of some of the best live music I have heard in recent years. (To put that statement into some type of perspective, I enjoyed this gig more than  the recent Tull UK tour, which I attended three times.)  The band played compositions from their self titled debut CD, and their "Green Fence" EP/CD.

It was an awesome night of wonderfully constructed and performed music. The intimate venue created a perfect atmosphere for S. Dundon's stories with music.  S. Dundon’s Anderson-type flute forays were to the fore and gave the performance of the band great depth and diversity.  I particularly liked the selective use of a wah-wah type effect pedal, through which Dundon was able to produce sounds not usually associated with the flute.  He used this technique particularly on the song "Blood."  His most impressive and lengthy solo was reserved for the middle section of "Bullets."  In this puffing and rasping flute interlude, the melody of the song was emphasised and improvised.  It was very good and very effective!

Tyrion Moses was also superb.  He played at break-neck speed when required, beating out melodies and complex rhythms.  At other times, he played some of the most beautiful and melodic guitar passages I have ever heard.  I have seen many virtuoso guitar players over the years, including John Etheridge and GaryBoyle.  On this night, Tyrion’s playing was as memorable as theirs.  A mention should also be made of Derek Smith, a fantastic bass and mandolin player.

Steve's  vocals were excellent and wide-ranging.  He has the ability to sing both high and low.  His overall performance was very intense: eyes closed one moment, staring manically the next.  His virtuoso screams and grunts - used to illustrate some of the songs - were amazing, adding to, not detracting from, the performance.

The highlight of the night was a superb version of "Sprite Night."  In this song Stevie Dundon’s theatrical approach to his music was memorable.  Singing the words "I am insane," his face contorted and appeared to spin on its axis.  It was a wonderful effect, created in part by strobe lighting and dry ice, which  fit this son'gs study of insanity.

The band also played a number of unreleased tracks (‘unfinished business’) and the Tull-inspired ditty, "Naughty Boys."  A number of unreleased instrumental tunes, which featured great flute solos, were also played.  These allowed the band to show their individual talents.  One track in particular reminded me of Blackmore's night "Play Minstrel Play" and had the audience moving in appreciation.

The set list, in no particular order:

Mistress Winter

Green Fence

Unfinished Business

Sprite Night (The highlight with effects-laden flute, played with a kind of wah-wah pedal was cool)

Stevie Winwood Haircut

Bullets With My Name On It (complete with amazing flute sounds)

Naughty Boys

unreleased instrumentals

Waxworks

Leave Me Alone

50,000 Camels

Unfortunately, the wonderful 'If' was not played.

I hope that this snippet of the Molly live experience might make you curious to check out their music:

http://mollybloom.uk.com/home.htm - http://mollybloom.uk.com/home.htm

There are various samples on this site under the music and album information bars.  Bands with this much talent certainly deserve much wider exposure. You won't be disappointed if you manage to see or hear their compositions played.  I wasn’t.

Regards

Preston

Marillion

October 6, 2004

Irving Plaza, New York City

Until this concert, Marillion had not played in New York for about seven years (which is undoubtedly why this show sold out in a matter of days…)  Since I did not even know about Marillion until three or four years ago (at which time I bought their entire oeuvre and became their #1 fan in a matter of months!), I had never seen them live, and never expected to.  Thus, I was pretty “pumped” for this show.

Marillion not only did not “let down,” but performed what was unarguably the best, most polished and exciting show I have seen in many, many years.  And it had less to do with their staging or light show (though both were good; more in a moment) than with the power of their music, and the tightness and “urgency” of their performance.

The first half of the concert was devoted to their new album, “Marbles,” from which they played all but four songs.  They opened with the first cut, “Invisible Man,” an extended composition with multiple dynamic changes and moods.  The band, and especially Steve Hogarth – dressed in black pants, button-down white shirt, tight-fitting four-button black blazer, and spectacles – delivered what can only be described as a tour-de-force performance.  Hogarth’s energy was incredible, his approach powerfully dramatic, and his vocal control and delivery nothing short of spine-tingling.  (Indeed, given the screaming required in some sections, I felt certain his voice would never make it all the way through a two-hour concert - it did, and then some…)  So awesome was the band’s rendition of “Invisible Man” that, had they left the stage after it, I would have gone home satisfied.  Indeed, if the audience had not been standing (there were no seats), Marillion would have gotten an extended standing ovation after their very first number.

The band, with Hogarth on piano, followed this with “Marbles I,” the first section of the four-section “mini-drama” on the album.  This was followed by “You’re Gone,” a plaintive yet powerful song with an infectious beat and arrangement reminiscent of U2.  Marillion then played the lounge-tinged “Angelina,” a beautiful softjazzy song.  This was followed by “Marbles II” and then the happy-go-lucky sing-along “Don’t Hurt Yourself.”  Hogarth then took the piano again for “Fantastic Place,” a slightly melancholy and very mesmerizing number.  After “Marbles III,” the band launched into “Drilling Holes,” an aggressive rocker with a decidedly Beatles-psychedelic tinge.  After the fourth and final section of “Marbles,” Marillion did an absolutely astounding rendition of “Neverland,” which builds to an incredibly powerful, goose-pimply climax in which Hogarth provides his own echo, screaming and gesticulating wildly.  Again, the effect on the audience was amazing: they simply would not stop applauding.

After a five-minute break, the band came back to perform what amounted to another whole concert – a full 75 minutes of older material.  They opened with “The Bridge” and “The Big Lie” (from “Brave”).  After Hogarth’s piano intro to “The Bridge,” it was amazing to hear the entire audience start singing the song – even Hogarth was visibly surprised.  After this, the band did a fantastic, exciting rendition of “Quartz” (from “Anoraknophobia”), followed by a mellow, plaintive version of “Estonia” (from “This Strange Engine”).  Hogarth then sat at the piano and - to the audience’s complete shock, amusement and delight - began to play “Hey Jude.”  However, this was only a sly prelude to a nicely handled version of “Three Minute Boy” (from “Radiation”).  Then it was back to “Anoraknophobia” for a smoking rendition of “Between You and Me.”  The band then left the stage.

After wild applause and stomping, the band returned to play the title track of “Afraid of Sunlight,” and a fun, audience-pleasing-and-participating version of “The Uninvited Guest” (from “Season’s End”).  They then left the stage again.  After more applause and stomping, they returned to play the perfectly-titled “Beautiful” (imho, their best ballad), and ended the show with another audience-pleasing number, “Cover My Eyes (Pain and Heaven)” (from “Holidays in Eden”).

Throughout the show, each member of the band displayed prodigious proficiency, approach, and taste.  Mark Kelly provided only a few short solos, but his keyboard work – chords, textures, etc. – were critical to the band’s overall sound.  Ian Mosley’s drumming was tight, tasteful and dynamic.  Steve Rothery’s guitar work was nothing short of amazing.  Every solo, every guitar fill, fit perfectly.  And though there seems to be a growing Gilmour influence in his playing, he has his own style and approach.  Pete Trewavas’ bass-playing was, in a word, awesome.  As you watch and listen, you realize that Pete is the true “backbone” of Marillion.  He more than anyone drives the band, propelling it forward when necessary.  Steve Hogarth was, as noted, simply mesmerizing: it was hard to keep your eyes off him.  His dramatic approach is his own, but there are definite influences from Gabriel, Anderson (Jon), and even (as one person noted) Charlie Chaplin.  He draws you in to the stories and the music in a way that is inviting and compelling.  And, as noted, his vocal control is as good as any rock singer in the business – and better than most.  It was also clear that the entire band was having a great deal of fun, and very happy to be back in the States after such a long hiatus.

The sound in the venue was remarkably good; although Hogarth’s voice was sometimes “muddy” (some of which was due to his occasional penchant for dramatic mumbling), all the instruments were crisp and clear, and the balance was perfect.  As for their stage show, they clearly brought a minimum of equipment.  However, they used everything to maximum effect – there were no “lulls” in the show, either musical or dramatic.

My new concert buddy, threefates, and I also got a chance to speak briefly with four of the five members of Marillion after the show.  First, we spent a few minutes with Pete Trewavas, who was about as approachable and pleasant as anyone could be.  He stopped for photographs and autographs, and spent almost 45 minutes speaking with the dozen or so die-hards who waited.  We then got a few moments with Ian Mosley, whom I asked about influences (I’m a drummer as well).  He indicated that most of his influences were “jazz-oriented”: Rich, Bellson, Jones, Cobham, White.  Next, Steve Rothery spend a few minutes with us, and told us how thrilled he and the band were at the reception Marillion was getting in the States (Trewavas also noted this).  Finally, Hogarth appeared, and spent almost half an hour posing for photographs (he’s a real ham!), hugging everyone, and speaking with all of us.  Like Pete Trewavas, Hogarth is surprisingly approachable and patient, and joked with us, as well as thanking us profusely for our support.

All in all, it was one of the most enjoyable concerts and evenings I have spent in a very, very long time.

Finally, threefates noted that the band had a two-camera shoot going during the concert.  One can only hope that this means that there will eventually be a video from this tour.  If so, and you don’t get to see them live, that video will be a must-have.

DRAGONFORCE

EXETER CAVERN

  DragonForce are a speed/melodic/power metal band who might not fall under the genre of prog but are a brilliant band worth mentioning anyway. They've been doing a world tour promoting their new album; Sonic Firestorm (which is a great piece of work IMO). I saw them on the 11th october which was part of the second part of thier tour which started in january this year. The cavern is a very small club mostly used as a venue for smaller bands. This probably turned out to be a plus in the end because the size meant it was packed which added atmosphere. The supporting band was a heavier version of a spandex aerosmith and were quite good, but nothing in comparison with DragonForce. When DragonForce came on we all went wild it was amazing. Talk about sweat fest, and they say sex is the best type of exercise!

    I ended up buying two DragonForce t-shirts which i now wear with pride. If anyone gets the chance to watch DragonForce live i reccomend you do, but be prepared to be blown away and get very tired. That must be the most ive ever written without emoticons (maybe not).

In reply to sonic assassin:

I live in Exeter and was planning on going to the Hawkwind gig (by the sounds of it it was lucky i didnt). I decided not to go in the end because on sunday i went to see Edguy in Birminham (long trip up).

Here follows my review of the show.

  Edguy are a german power/spandex/prog metal band, headed by their lead singer Tobbias Sammet. This was the only gig they played in the UK, it was the last gig of their world wide Hellfire tour. They played mostly songs form their new album "Hellfire Club" but also played many from their previous albums.

  The band members are all exceptional peformers, esspecially tobbias who kept the crowd wanting more. They did many novelty pieces including jingle bells and the drumer did a solo to the StarWars "imperial march". Most of the gig involved crowd participation. The only negative thing i can say about it was the fact that the sound wasn't all that good. It was improved by the time Edguy came on stage  but it made the supprts sound terrible.

   Edguy played many brilliant songs including , The piper never dies, Mysteria and King of fools. The set went on for about 2 hours and i relished every second. I did think that a majority of the crowd did suck though, bunch of wimps.

   What im trying to say is if you have the chance go see Edguy!!!

Note: i wrote this just as i returned from the gig so it is not the best quality review due to lack of sleep.

                          G3 with Robert Fripp

i am not going to review this gig 'cause i got so pissed. Mr. Fripp made a flawless concert but some idiot at the concert started booing him, like he was just an opening act for Vai and Satriani. dont get me wrong they are good players and all but i was there to see some real great masterworks from Fripp, not a bunch of 14 year old kids having orgasm avery time vai or satriani did one of those crazy faces they have to make every time they are doing somthing difficult 

I saw Yes this last summer for the 35th anniversary tour in Paris.

Great great show even if there were only 3000 peeps in the crowd (frenches suck for prog I must admit).

Marillion – Aylesbury (UK) Thursday 9^th March 2005.

I arrived early in the afternoon which afforded me a few hours exploration time of the band’s spiritual home. Market Square (does that name sound familiar?) sits in the centre of the ubiquitous shopping mall complex that is populated with the usual suspects (teenagers in hooded jackets, old age pensioners, screaming children, etc) who go about their daily business unaware of this town’s small part in progressive rock’s history.

This gig is ostensibly a warm up show for Marillion's three day weekender in Minehead between Friday the 11^th and Sunday the 13^th of March. The party faithful (i.e. the Web fanclub) have rolled up to see band blow the cobwebs out and have a bit of fun while they do it. The civic centre is a concrete and stone space with ageing pine floors and fittings. The auditorium is similarly neutral, spacious but without character and holds host to a crowd who get on like an extended family, all handshakes, back slaps and hugs.

With a set split into two halves, the band have warned everyone in advance that the show has to be over at 10.30pm or trouble with a capital ‘T’ will be visited upon them by the local authorities. Pete Trewavas appears unperturbed however as he wanders through the crowd acknowledging calls of his name with waves and cheery greetings.

Finally, the hall darkens and the stage lights slowly smoulder into life revealing a slightly sheepish Pete who grins at the faithful while he dons his bass. The crowd react with a cheer as the rest of the band appear at their various stations, checking equipment and sightlines. There are a few moments of silence before the first notes of ‘Invisible Man’ begin to throb from the PA, much to the delight of the crowd and the guys settle back into the beat. A couple of bars later Hogarth (‘H’), dressed in the now famous (infamous?) grey suit and half moon glasses, with hands clasped behind his back, stalks onto the stage and utters the song’s open line ‘The world’s gone mad…’

Third song in (ironically; You’re Gone) and the technical gremlins make their presence felt as Mark Kelly’s keyboard rig splutters and dies, leaving the band temporarily as a four piece to fill in as best they can. Better poker faces you could not wish to find as they boogie on despite the gaping holes in the sound. I for one was impressed at Ian Mosley’s metronomic timekeeping as he played without any backing for nearly half a minute before Mark’s rig was restored to health and slipped back in seamlessly.

The band were presenting a cut down version of the Marbles album with warmth and humour (Marbles pts 1-4, Fantastic Place, Don’t Hurt Yourself, Angelina). This was never meant to be anything more than a run through for the weekend but forgotten chords, fluffed lines and technical problems aside, it was obvious that the band were finding their feet with frightening ease. The highlight of the evening’s first set however, was Neverland, A slow burning hymn to lost memories and past glories which ignited beautifully with a superb, soaring solo by Steve Rothery (who really has filled out a bit since I saw this band play last – ten years ago). A song very reminiscent of the Clutching At Straws line-up and a fine way to go into the set break.

My favourite song of the second set isn’t one I know but ‘An Accidental Man’ (from This Strange Engine) and certainly a crowd favourite judging from the reaction it gets as band strike up the first few chords, held me spellbound, clapping along with the four hundred other souls in the room and and for five minutes I let its power and splendour wash over me.

The evening was rounded off with ‘Between You And Me’ from Anaraknophobia and although I was largely indifferent to the album version of this track, live and in the flesh, it’s a different matter entirely. The band and crowd lock together and during the closing minute ‘H’ just leans on his mic stand and smiles quietly to himself.

Even at this stage in the band’s career, I feel a tremendous sense of having witnessed the passing of something unique. I will say that although this gig could never be classed as a vintage performance, the Marbles album and tour has been the band’s most successful foray into public life since Season’s End (featuring actual hit singles no less) and it’s immediately apparent that this past year has been a special time for both fans and band alike. With a few last shows/festivals to play before this particular cycle of the group's life comes to an end, I get the feeling that it’s going to be a worryingly tough act to follow.

Muse - Earls Court, December 20th 2004

9.5/10

Fantastic performance, by one of the best recent bands around. Muse have always been known to deliver live, as its their live performances that really set them apart from other rock acts of now. But this show goes down in the "Muse hall of fame" if you could say so. Perhaps their best show to date, with every song epic and overblown.

The energy and emotion they put behind their music was icnredible, and the showmanship displayed by their frontman Matt Bellamy was incredible.

Only thing dissapointing thing, was the setlist. Many of the hardcore Muse fans would've preferred the playing of some older tracks instead of newer ones........However, everything was peformed so well that night. XFM recorded it, and to get a bootleg of it, go here: http://www.muselive.com - www.muselive.com  (media downloads section)

overall one of the best live shows this reviewer has witnessed. get the bootleg, of it, you'll enjoy it. and hopefull they'll release it as a live album in the near future.

Man Erg wrote: 'Genesis Reunion Concert - Royal Albert Hall London 01/04/05' Show Cancelled Stood in line for tickets for ages. More Fool Me

There was a line??! See Sean for your train fare refund.

No time to post a comprehensive review of the Porcupine Tree concert in London on 2 April as I'm off away again today, but just wanted to say that it was a great concert. No doubt some of the other forum members will post their report here too.

The playing was really tight. Wilson's a star - some great guitar playing - but I also want to mention Harrison's drumming, which I thought was excellent. The Astoria was nicely packed and everyone seemed to be enjoying the show. My only minor quibble (well, got to find something wrong!) was that the singing on the first encore 'shesmovedon' sounded a little flat to me and that's a song I particularly like. Other than that, excellent. Good lighting and back projection - nothing too fancy. Understated.

Quite liked the Astoria too. It's a bit of a dump but the layout is comfortable - better than a lot of the newer all-seating halls. And plenty of bars within easy access! I first went to the mosh pit but ended up upstairs because I got a great view of the stage. What was the roped-off area on the right hand side upstairs? It was labelled "Warners". Presumably they meant Warner Bros.? Corporate entertainment? There were a lot of them!

The band deserve a wider audience.

Saw PT myself on Friday in Wolverhampton.This was the first time I'd seen them live and I thought they were excellent(maybe longer standing PT fans will disagree).

         To echo earlier reveiwers comments musically I could not fault them.I am a great admirer of Gavin Harrison going back to the days when he wrote tutorials for 'Rhythm' magazine in the eighties.He certainly did not disappoint.The whole band played(as I knew they would) with great virtuousity.

       If I could find any fault in the performance it would be that the sound mix was less than perfect.The drums did seem at times to lack crispness this of course could, in part, be a problem with the venues acoustics. However, it did not distract the quality of the performance which was ,I repeat, excellent.

          The Wulfrun Hall does have a really nice vibe about it and is a perfect  place to see a band like PT, nice and up close and personal. Facilities good with a decent sized bar area running the length of one side of the main hall.

          All in all a fabulous night out(dispite the fact that I'm suffering with a dreadful cold) in the company of good people and a phenomanally good band of A1 muscians.

I too saw Porcupine Tree at the Astoria on Saturday and they were brilliant! And as Frizs has said they were very together and the sound was amazing but Steve's vocals could have been a bit clearer especially on the quieter songs. They played for almost 2 hours and performed to near perfection a selection of past favourites like 'Even Less' and 'The Sound of Muzak' and just about every track from their new album 'Deadwing' including a really thundering version of 'Shallow' with its fantastic grinding riff.

One of the highlights for me of the set was when they did a couple of spacey psychedelic tracks from 'Up the Downstair' where Steve's guitar playing was awesome. Steve announced that they have or are about to re-released 'Up the downstair' using Gavin Harrison's superb drumming replacing (in Steve's words) 'the cheesy drum machine' that he was never happy with on the original album.

The Astoria was busy and I too stood upstairs where the view was great but it was VERY hot up there and those handy bars were very much appreciated!

PT really seemed take hold of the crowd especially when they ended with a brilliant sequence of songs mainly from In Absentia and I almost had kittens when I thought they were going to leave without playing my all time favourite song 'Trains' but of course they were saving the best until very last, it was a perfect end to great evening.

I've noticed Deadwing has had had heaps of excellent reviews from a wide variety of music sites and publications this last couple of weeks maybe this will the album that finally gets PT the recognition they deserve outside of the progressive community.
 

Porcupine Tree played the Garage in Glasgow (Scotland) last night. The gig was pretty much a sell out with a good cross section age wise (I went with my sons!). There can't be too many bands who attract such a wide range of fans, albeit predominantly male.

The set list was dominated by their current album, "Deadwing", and the previous "In absentia", although they did also play a couple of tracks from "Up the downstair", to promote its forthcoming release. "Even less" ("Stupid dream") closed the main part of the show, to the delight of the assembled masses. The set list differed slightly from London with a couple of "Deadwing" tracks being omitted, pehaps due to time constraints.

The new tracks all sounded really good live. "Deadwing" had arrived on my doorstep a few days before, so I'd had the chance to become slightly acquainted with them before the show. I was surprised to see 5 people on stage, but apparently John Wesley now tours (but does not record), with the band as a second guitarist and vocalist. Steve Wilson generously gave him a fair bit of room to sing and play lead guitar, enthusisatically leading the appreciation of his efforts.

The sound mix was good, although the bass was too dominant, especially given the apparent preference for the lower strings. The volume overall was too loud, (no it's no just an age thing). I sometimes wonder whether bands consider the size of the venue when setting the sound level. The everything louder than everything else approach is not necessary for music as good as this.

I, along with many in the audience would have liked to have heard some more of the older material, but I accept that the band has to move on. The Garage has a 10pm curfew, as it becomes a nightclub later on. It was therefore amusing with five minutes to go till 10pm, when the band was going into their second and last encore number ("Trains"), to hear all the cries for "Radioactive toy" and "Voyage 34"! I think the band were genuinely surpised by the enthusiasm of the Glasgow audience, and indeed by the turnout. Their previous Glasgow gig had been cancelled at short notice, for which Wilson apologised. Early comments of the band's own forum indicate this was probably the best gig of the UK tour.

The curfew also impacted on support act Anathema, who only played for half an hour, to allow PT time to play their full set. I had concerns about hearing Anethema as my experience of them to date has been their death metal offerings. I was therefore pleasantly surprised by their performance, which had proper vocals, and highly melodic songs. For one number, they were joined on stage by a female vocalist of credible talent. Their final song caught many of us by surprise, being a cover of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably numb"! Their ending to that track reminded me of the "Uriah Heep live" version of "Circle of hands", high praise indeed!

Highlight of the evening though? Undoubtably meeting forum members FRAGILE, SHRINKING VIOLET, and METROPOLIS, the first time I've met anyone from the forum!

I saw them,(d21) last year and I was pleasantly surprised.It was excellent.

They are here on Monday,but unfortunately i am out of town.

But if you like Doors,by all means ,check them out.

BAND: WASTEFALL

DATE: JUNE 25,2005

PLACE: ATHENS,GREECE

Wastefall is an upcoming greek prog band that opened the 2nd day of Rockwave Festival. Wastefall played as a support band for BLACK SABBATH who were the headliners of that day. The whole day was amazing since nearly 30,000 people turned up for the event!

Enough for the general and let's be specific!

Wastefall played for 35 incredible minutes as the crowd gave them their warmest applause! Some of them got really enthousiastic and started calling the band's name rhythmically!!Wastefall played a set that consisted of songs from their 2nd album ( ''SOULRAIN 21'' ) and a brand new song (''E.Y.E.'') dedicated to their fans!  To say the truth,Wastefall made many new friends that day! Just listen to their albums and you 'll find out why! ( the most sold metal magazine in Greece gave them 9/10 for the album ''Soulrain 21'' and it was voted album of the month,too)

If you want to find out more,just go to http://www.wastefall.com - www.wastefall.com

Jean and I were at the VdGG gig in Leverkusen yesterday, and it was great as usual. Here the track list:

The Undercover Man
Scorched Earth
Every Bloody Emperor
Lemmings
Darkness (11/11)
Childlike Faith in Childhood's End
The Sleepwalkers
Nutter Alert
Man-Erg
Killer
Wondering

"Killer and "Wondering" were the encores.

Three tracks missing from the Royal Festival Hall gig from June ("Refugees", "Masks" and "(In the) Black Room"). Ah well, that one was a very special gig; the first one after almost 28 years. And I can hardly await the live album from it (which will hopefully include the whole concert; no problem to put it all on a double CD).