LIVE AT THE UNION CHAPEL

In the last days of the year 03, Procol did a very exclusive concert at the very private concert at the even more selective Union Chapel to promote their comeback album This Well's On Fire. The good news for fans is that Brooker is still in top form and his ever- present co-writer Keith Reid still on the sidelines, but also historic members Matthew Fisher is also there. As BJ Wilson (RIP) is gone for more than a decade, the drum stool is still held by Mark Brzezicki while Geoff Whitehorn does more than a creditable job filling Robin Trower's shoes. And on bass is the veteran Pegg.

The set starts out quite strongly with a bunch of classic tracks from their early days, but none of them are the proggier tracks that all progheads await so much. The second tier of the concert is mainly tracks from the last two album (and the ones from the awful 91 Prodigal stranger album are much better here due to the corrected drum playing) which of course hold lesser interest for long-time fans. Clearly this second part is less enthusuiasting and just when the public's interest seems to be lost, comes in the very shiny third part where Procol is playing all its trump cards one after the other. From A Salty Dog to the encore of Whiter Shade Of Pale, the fans go from one superb track to another including the delightful Conquistador and the electric Whiskey Train, where Whitehorn (he's with the band since the TPS tour of 91 when Trower declined to tour with the group) shines. on brightly (I know toooo easy!!!;-). Seldom played Captain Clack is just as weird as it was on the debut album.

The only remark I have is that Procol wins by playing safely but triumphs without much glory: two Harum monuments were unfortunately shunned: Whaling Stories and In Twas Held In I. Too bad for that fifth star.