DPRP Gig Review - Camel in London Oct 2013

Camel - Barbican Hall, London, U.K. - 28th October 2013

[Click here to read the full review at DPRP.net]

[Photo by Menno von Brucken Foch]

...The Barbican is the perfect venue for a show like tonight, excellent sound quality from where I was sitting and fantastic views from just about wherever you are in the hall. The setting also made it a memorable event, the only downside being the strict curfew which resulted in a slightly shorter set than anticipated. As such the sole encore was the evergreen Lady Fantasy, a perfect way to finish, a classic from the heyday of the band and always a fitting memorial to the band as it started out. With final thanks to the crowd from Andy, the whole band came to the front of the stage to soak up the applause before departing to a storm of calls for another encore which sadly did not happen. A cliché but they could have played all night; absolutely marvellous.

DPRP Gig Review - Summer's End Festival 2013

Summer's End Festival - Town Hall, Lydney, U.K. - 4th to 6th October 2013

[Click here to read the full article at DPRP.net]

Unto Us ...Some of the songs were familiar but the band have a whole swathe of excellent new material and speaking to Huw later he confirmed that their debut album is (finally) almost finished and should be out in the near future. Based on the quality of the songs played tonight it promises to be a great release and I hope that we don't have to wait too much longer to hear it. Drawing plenty of appreciation from the enthusiastic crowd, this was a great start to what would become a great weekend.

Haze ...The songs certainly benefit from the live interpretations, The Barrister And The Bargast being a case in point, Chris and Paul swapping lead vocals in the tale of the two titular characters. The band's mix of folk and classic rock is very engaging and the enthusiasm with which it is delivered was infectious. An unexpectedly great, upbeat performance from a band I'd very much like to see again.

Sylvan ...A shame but it seems that Sylvan are just not for me and with the evening now running very late - past midnight and with a long trip home imminent - the decision was taken to call it a night during the last number of the main set. Whilst most of the crowd were clearly enjoying Sylvan I found them anthemic but lacking exhilaration.

Silhouette ...Despite the issues with the sound the band performed well as a unit with additional guitarist Daniel van der Weijde making an impact and keyboardist Erik Laan very impressive. Brian swapped from electric to 12-string guitar, varying things up to good effect, and performed well in the frontman role, doing well to get the audience on side, particularly with his heartfelt "don't forget to buy our cds and t-shirts or we can't get home!". The band received a good reception for their brand of melodic prog with the familiar influences of Genesis mixed with Pendragon and the like making for an enjoyable set. A shame about the sound but Silhouette deserved the applause.

Jump ...With time getting on and the draft running times now completely out of the window, Jump were graciously allowed a well deserved encore and returned with The Sniper, a song that they had intended to play earlier in the set but dropped due to the overrun. A fine set of entertaining and enjoyable songs from a worthy band delivered with humour and style: a fine way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Overhead ...When Overhead returned for a particularly well deserved encore they brought the house down with a rampaging chase through King Crimson's classic 21st Century Schizoid Man, complete with some of the vocals edging into Death Metal territory, all played at breakneck speed - I'm sure there were some sore fingers after that! A wonderful way to finish a great set by a band that I for one certainly need to hear more of.

Ravens and Lullabies with Gordon Giltrap and Oliver Wakeman ...Oliver Wakeman has a wonderful keyboard touch but I sometimes find that his compositions, like some of his Dad's solo work, can be a little 'chocolate boxy' and unashamedly romantic for my taste. This however did not detract from a very enjoyable couple of hours in the company of seasoned professionals and a truly legendary instrumentalist who is still a master of his craft. It was an absolute pleasure to finally see Gordon Giltrap play. The encore, again more than well deserved, was the classic Heartsong from Gordon's 1977 Perilous Journey album, apparently last played live by a full electric band at Glastonbury in 1981, and a fine way to close.

Lazuli ...It's one o'clock when they finish and thankfully Lambsie agrees that they can play a quick encore. There would no doubt have been a riot if they hadn't so at the end of a slightly truncated set the band quickly drag the marimba to the centre of the stage and perform their party piece - 9 Hands Around the Marimba with all five members playing it at once. The tune is complex yet mellifluous and they even include a few phrases from Peter Gabriel's Solsbury Hill whilst smacking each other with their marimba mallets. The perfect way to end really! DO NOT miss this band if you ever get the chance to experience them live as they are jaw-droppingly good at what they do. It is difficult not to fall in love with Lazuli, they really do have it all.

Sean Filkins ...The band performed admirably with a particular mention going to guitarist Daniel Maher. Due to ill health Sean's regular keyboardist was forced to withdraw, his place taken gamely at short notice by Dan Parratt who did a good job despite struggling a bit with some of the parts. He seemed to be apologising a lot to his band mates but no matter as just about everyone in the hall understood the situation, the band getting enthusiastic support throughout. A fine set, culminating with the mighty Epitaph For A Mariner, from a very impressive band. I look forward to Sean's next release with anticipation.

Thumpermonkey ...The quartet performed their quirky stop/start songs with wit and intelligence, at times sounding like Guapo with a cheeky sense of humour. The three man frontline were animated and fun to watch, the whole set being a bundle of energy, with fine lead vocals from Michael Woodman. A-Levels have always had a place in prog but at times you'd need a degree to get the gist of what Thumpermonkey do and their music is all the more interesting for that. The set contained a couple of as yet unreleased tracks which bode well for the next album and I know there'll be plenty of people who had never heard of the band who'll now be looking forward to that.

Landmarq ...As for the music, the lengthy pieces were all very well played, the rest of the band generally happy to stay in the shadows behind Tracy and professionally deliver their parts but unfortunately the music just didn't grab me. Their brand of melodic rock with a hard edge remained a little one dimensional. The band are certainly no slouches concentrating on an ensemble approach which suits the music and Tracy makes for a fine focal point but, like Sylvan, Landmarq are another example of a band with real quality that fail to ignite that necessary spark of enthusiasm in me.

Focus ...Guitarist Menno Gootjes was mightily impressive, filling in the Jan Ackerman role with style, but not overshadowed by his reverred predecesesor and proving himself to be a truly great player. Drummer Pierre van der Linden, a member from the heyday of the band, was a ball of energy, his jazz influences coming through as he drove the band along. His solo section could have been a little shorter, as is often the case with these things, but it was indeed a fine performance. Despite all this the stage belonged to Thijs, his fantastic keyboard touch and deft flute marking the music apart. His solo piece was simply breathtaking, bringing real classical beauty into the set and he also successfully got the crowd going with call and response vocalisations. A great man and a true legend, Focus may be all about him but as a unit they can certainly deliver and deserved the headliner/Legend slot.

Fragile featuring Claire Hamill ...It seemed that a little more rehearsal may be required as Claire missed a couple of cues and elsewhere the band were not quite as sharp as I've seen them in the past but no matter, brilliant songs well played leaving the tired but still enthusiastic audience to leave happy for the journey home to start a new working week.

DPRP Yes Christmas Special

My bits from the two-part DPRP.net Christmas Special feature on Yes:-

Yes - Close to the Edge

DPRP Review update 79 of 2013

...Close To the Edge established Yes as a major act and opened up the possibilities for the band itself which were taken to the next level on Tales From Topographic Oceans, an album that ironically would have no doubt benefited from being recorded for CD as the necessity to fill each vinyl side would not have been an issue and self-editing would have naturally taken place. Close To The Edge also paved the way for Relayer, the 'give anything a go and see what happens' mentality paying huge dividends there, and Going For The One where Awaken is, to me, the final appearance of the Close To The Edge spirit. Success and a mellowing over time undeniably diminished the experimental creativity of the band and anyone hoping for Yes to again produce music to compare with their early to mid-'70s peak is deluding themselves. The band still plays well and can wheel out the classics to good effect when called upon and that is very gratifying for the long-term fan but Close To The Edge and its follow-up albums remain as testament to a wonderful group of musicians and a spirit of wide-eyed optimism that has been lost in these more cynical times.

Yes - Tormato

DPRP Review update 80 of 2013

...not great but worthy of exploration, an interesting but transitional album that was always going to be difficult to make. The Yes sound is altered, not as fundamentally as on the next two albums, but there is seemingly a desire to move things forward which is let down by limitations in some of the writing and a lack of confidence amongst the band as to what the finished album should sound like. Save the over-ripe fruit and veg, Tormato is not the nadir of Yes' output and has some fine moments.

Yes - Big Generator

DPRP Review update 80 of 2013

...Big Generator is an album that emerged from a difficult gestation but, thanks to Rabin, has some fine moments. It's nowhere near a classic, however if it was any other band it would almost certainly be more highly regarded. It bears no resemblance to the Yes of old and was ultimately a further step along a cul de sac that finally resulted in a u-turn back to more typical Yes material once Rabin had left the band after the Talk album. In the '80s/'90s equal numbers of fans seemed to vilify Trevor Rabin for ruining the band as lauded him for being its saviour. From our vantage point over a quarter of a century removed, there is no doubt that Yes would have continued in some form whether Rabin had got involved or not but he is to be credited for widening the band's appeal and exposing it to new listeners. Yes members have a habit of picking up with each other and then moving on again but the gravitational pull of the band is too much for most of them to fight against. I've always been a fan of Rabin's playing and he is certainly a rare talent but from where I sit writing this now I think that it would have been far more interesting if Cinema had been allowed to prove what it could do under its own name without the re-branding and reintroduction of Jon Anderson and all the baggage that went with it. No doubt Cinema too would have ultimately been pulled apart by the rampant black hole that is the spectre of Yes which would then have naturally risen again phoenix-like. But money, or the thought of it, does funny things to people and if I had the opportunity to use Coca-Cola as my brand name I doubt that wild horses would convince me to use 'Jez's Fun Soda' instead. An entertaining and fun record. Just don't expect Close To The Edge and you'll be fine.

Yes - Union

DPRP Review update 80 of 2013

...Throughout, the material is pretty good and there are few weak moments. I'm sure that if it were not for the debacle that was the politics behind its release Union would have been considered a success and not suffer the stigma that it currently does. The fact is that the album exists and it is worth hearing so stow away any preconceptions, ignore the background and "but who plays what" games and just enjoy it.

Recent Reviews - Mike Keneally / Magenta / Roy Harper / Derek Trotson / The Fierce and the Dead

After a long delay...the rest of my 2013 CD reviews at DPRP.net:-

Mike Keneally - You Must Be This Tall

DPRP Review update 54 of 2013

...If you are either a dyed in the world Zappa-Freak or one of Keneally's growing army of supporters you've probably bought this already. If you're not in those categories then I heartily recommend that you listen to the samples and then investigate this album - and the rest of Mike's extensive catalogue - further as the world would be a much poorer place without Mike Keneally.

Magenta - The Twenty Seven Club

DPRP Review update 57 of 2013

...Each of the songs here are very different and, despite the subject matter, this is a particularly positive album reminiscent in many ways of their early material. The dense and bleak vistas of Metamorphosis have been replaced by an airy and open quality with the positive elements of Chameleon fully integrated into their proggier side. It's an easy listen, and that is not a complaint. I simply mean that the music flows nicely allowing the intricacies to reveal themselves and get under your skin without the need to wrestle with it or beat your head against it. This is a delicious fruity sundae of an album rather than a coconut that needs cracking open.

Roy Harper - Man & Myth

DPRP Review update 60 of 2013

...I was introduced to Roy Harper in the mid-'80s whilst at university. He played the student's union a number of times, perched on a stool, just the man and his guitar with his audience sat on the floor at his feet listening to the sounds, songs and stories of this very charismatic man (and occasionally offering him a gratefully accepted jazz fag!). I was immediately hooked and have seen him many times over the years, most of the gigs being very memorable in one way or another. He does seem to attract a certain kind of individual - I've never seen anyone arrested during the interval of a theatre gig before - but Roy generally manages to rise above it all. A true artist and passionate about his work he reacts to his environment and can have a difficult relationship with his audience. He has been known to stop playing in order to berate people talking in the bar during a song, but I've also experienced some of the most transcendental moments I've ever had whilst listening to music, completely swept away by the magic of his unique songs, and for this reason I will always have a warm regard for Roy and his music which I return to often. Co-produced by Harper with Jonathan Wilson and John Fitzgerald, Man & Myth has depth and warmth, every element of the sound clear and pristine, making for a wonderful listening experience. If you are a Harper fan already this album can't be recommended highly enough. If you are new to him then it also serves as a worthy introduction although some of the other albums in his catalogue may be more immediate or appeal more to prog fans (1975's HQ being a good example of the latter, featuring an electric band including Bill Bruford, Chris Spedding and guest appearances from Dave Gilmour and John Paul Jones).

Derek Trotson - Threads

DPRP Review update 60 of 2013

...Threads sensibly keeps its focus and doesn't outstay its welcome, remembering the oft forgotten truth that 40 to 50 minutes is probably just about right. I'm a sucker for a tasty power trio and DT tick all of the boxes, the band bringing lots of new ideas and plenty of energy to the party. I suspect that they'd be a hoot live and one day I'd like to find out. Keep at it guys, this is great!

The Fierce and the Dead - Spooky Action

DPRP Review update 66 of 2013

...Nicely done chaps, the whole album is very well put together and produced with none of the pieces outstaying their welcome. There is certainly enough variety to keep most listeners happy for a long time and these are all pieces that should make a mark in TFATD's excellent live shows, which you shouldn't miss if given the chance. This album isn't going to be for everyone but it is the sort of kick in the arse that prog often needs. Truly progressive in that they are trying new things and even if you don't like it you can't help but appreciate their efforts. A fine album from a band worthy of your attention.

Recent Reviews - The Moody Blues / Phi / Long Distance Calling

Some recent reviews of mine published at DPRP.net:-

Phi - Years of Breathing

DPRP Review update 49 of 2013

...So, other than five or so minutes in Life Passing By which could have been edited down somewhat, this is a very enjoyable and well put together album that bears repeated listens. Phi are certainly a band to watch and it would be interesting to see if they deliver to this high standard live. Based on the numerous competitions that they appear to have won over the years it is likely that they can. This trio are a tight unit with the chops to make the music work and enough ingenuity to keep it interesting. Recommended.

Long Distance Calling - The Flood Inside

DPRP Review update 49 of 2013

...This is interesting and accessible modern prog that utilises a hard edge bordering on prog metal but has plenty of other tricks up its sleeve. Born out of post-rock there is much more to hear from Long Distance Calling who have been very shrewd in altering their sound and taking on Fischer as a focal point for at least some of the material. The instrumentals are strong and varied but the vocals help keep things from getting samey. The Flood Inside is well worth having a listen to and this is a band that could go from strength to strength after this. They can write and play quality music with precision and aren't afraid to learn and change. What more can you ask for?

The Moody Blues - Timeless Flight 4CD

DPRP Review update 50 of 2013

...Five hours plus and a good overview of the career arc of a particularly worthy band. If The Moodies had done a Gentle Giant and imploded around 1980 then they would no doubt be lauded as one of the great outfits from the progressive era but releases over the last 30 years have done little to enhance their reputation and, although still popular and successful with their audience many prog fans are sure to either disregard them out of hand or long for their late '60s/early '70s classic period output. As a boxset the four discs of Timeless Flight come highly recommended. I know that I'll never need nor get through the whole 17-disc shebang so this is fine for me, containing as it does much fine material. Most of the skippers are on discs 3 and 4 whereas discs 1 and 2 are pretty essential which creates a bit of a rating problem. If I may return to another football analogy not encompassed within the lyrics of This is the Moment, this is very much a game of two halves but sadly lacking the slice of orange in the middle (although cheese and whine does feature late on). By a process of deduction I'd give the first two discs 8.5 out of 10 and the last two 6 which does not make for a recommended score. However, as a set it is more than worthy, due in no small part to the accompanying booklet, and a recommended tag is deserved.

The Tangent - Le Sacre Du Travail (2013)

My review of the new album from The Tangent has been published as part of a Round Table Review on DPRP.net:-

Review update 44 of 2013

The Tangent - Le Sacre Du Travail

...Andy Tillison is a huge talent and I appreciate the skill, time and effort that have gone into this album and, Lord knows, I really wanted it to work. From the early gestation I was excited at what was being talked about but became slightly concerned by developments as time went on. I deliberately didn't listen to soundclips during the recording process preferring to wait to hear the whole completed album and early reports of this increased the excitement but when reports started to come in from those who had actually heard it I again grew worried. Upon listening to the album I'm sorry to say that many of these fears have been realised. I've stuck with it and played it a good number of times. I've read the lyrics and played it again but, although it has improved as my ears got used to the constructs and themes, it isn't an album that I can immerse myself in and my hand is likely to move past it on the CD shelf to other Tangent albums as a first port of call.

Quantity over Quality is a frequent prog failing and unfortunately, having often promised the ultimate prog epic and hoping here to produce his meisterwork, Andy has fallen short at that particular hurdle. This album just does not work for me. It is grandiose and it is ambitious but it doesn't fit in with the exaggerated expectations. This is not Andy's fault but it may lead to a problem for at least some of his audience. I'm sure that the next album will be a sea change on this one and I still love Andy Tillison's music but there is not enough on here for me to be absorbed into. Until next time...

Van der Graaf Generator at the Robin 2, Bilston - 26th June 2013

My review of the mighty Van der Graaf Generator during their 2013 U.K. tour has now been published on DPRP.net:-

http://www.dprp.net/concrev/2013_vdgg_1.php

And what a great show it was!