Latest Prog News from across the progressive music spectrum & updated throughout July 2022
23/07/2022: Steve Morse stepping back from Deep Purple
Deep Purple announces that Steve Morse will be stepping back from the band, having been its guitarist for more than a quarter of a century.
Steve’s personal circumstances have made it impossible for him to commit to the band’s schedule throughout 2022 and beyond. A few months ago, Steve openly shared with the band´s fans the sad fact that his wife, Janine, is battling cancer and, in his own words, “I simply must be there with her.”
Visit the Deep Purple website to read the full story and the affectionate tributes from all the band…
The band reveal that Simon McBride will be the stand-in Steve for their live shows.
SOURCE: Deep Purple
22/07/2022: Virgil & Steve Howe – announce release of new album Lunar Mist
Steve Howe has announced the release of Lunar Mist is the second collaboration with his late son Virgil Howe who tragically passed away in 2017. Lunar Mist will be released on the 23 September 2022 via InsideOut Music – today sees the release of the title track…
Crafted using Virgil’s unreleased material that had a connection in spirit to their debut collaboration ‘Nexus’, Steve compiled everything together in January 2021 to start work. Stemming from an unreleased bonus track, titled ‘Lunar Mist’, from their debut album, Steve worked at expanding on Virgil’s musical ideas. As Steve explains: “I started by writing chord charts for all the other tunes, before adding guitars and bass guitars to embellish them and bring them to completion. In the most part I kept them as he’d written them but sometimes I expanded them with further ideas and improvisation.”
The result is an album that is unique in both musicians body of work. “Virgil shows some different musical characteristics here that were such a joy to play on. There’s more of his great drumming and a broader inventiveness in his compositions” says Steve.
Lunar Mist will be available on Limited CD Digipak | 180g Black LP + CD | Digitally.
SOURCE: Steve Howe
22/07/2022: Banco del Mutuo Soccorso release Cadere O Volare
Banco del Mutuo Soccorso release Cadere O Volare taken from their forthcoming studio album Orlando: Le Forme dell’Amore. The album, which celebrates the band’s 50th anniversary, and scheduled for 23 September 2023 via InsideOut Music…
Vittorio Nocenzi comments: “‘Cadere O Volare’ ideally represents a perfect manifesto of what Orlando’s poem concept stands for: the shapes of love either as a narration and musical contents.
As a matter of fact this song describes the key topic in Orlando’s love for Angelica. The most important emperor’s paladin is asked by destiny to make a crucial choice between his code of honor and his love for Angelica.
Vittorio Nocenzi comments: “‘Cadere O Volare’ ideally represents a perfect manifesto of what Orlando’s poem concept stands for: the shapes of love either as a narration and musical contents.
As a matter of fact this song describes the key topic in Orlando’s love for Angelica. The most important emperor’s paladin is asked by destiny to make a crucial choice between his code of honor and his love for Angelica.
The band have chosen to sing the tracks in Italian (as before on “Transiberiana”) and reiterates the band’s will to stay loyal to what they’ve been doing from the very beginning. In order to help the fans understand and follow the lyrics better on a track by track basis, English translations of the lyrics will be included in the artwork, along with the original Italian lyrics. In addition to that the band will post a detailed explanation of the whole concept and the album’s narration on their website.
The album will be available as a Limited CD Digipak | Gatefold 180g 2LP+CD | Digital.
SOURCE: InsideOut Music
22/07/2022: The Fierce And The Dead release Golden Thread single
Today sees the official release of The Fierce And The Dead’s latest single, Golden Thread, the 2nd single from their upcoming 4th album…
Matt Stevens comments: “Golden Thread is our shoegaze metal song, a 6 minute epic, I think Kev has done a great job on the vocals, sounds massive. I’m really proud of it and it’s another progression on from The Euphoric. I think of bands like Deftones, My Bloody Valentine and then big Soundgarden riffs”.
Kev Feazey comments: “Golden thread is actually the first song we finished during the writing sessions. It was started just before the first lockdown and has slowly evolved as our working process changed. Being able to add it into our set and play it live has been so satisfying after having it in the nest for so long”.
Golden Thread is available from Bandcamp from 22 July 2022
SOURCE: The Fierce And The Dead
21/07/2022: Envy of None premiere Dumb (Der Dummkopf Remix)
Envy Of None with Alex Lifeson release a remixed version of Dumb., which originally appeared on the band’s self-titled debut…
Andy Curran comments: “The original seeds of DUMB were focused around the relentless bass line that sits under the chorus. The lyrical hook was something me & Maiah co-wrote trying to have fun with the 1+1=3 line as well as the “ dumb dee dumb” lines. We always felt the song had a bit of a Euro-electronic dance vibe so on the remix we really pushed that button. Not only did Maiah add back in some her original vocal tracks which don’t appear on the original version, we added three additional drum loops, some keyboard pads and had fun with some voice samples layered in throughout the song. Lastly we added a new intro for the song as well as an outro which Maiah created after she heard some of the first few remixes passes. We really just had fun messing the hair up of this song while trying to keep its simple charm.”
SOURCE: Envy of None
20/07/2022: Tim Bowness launches Glitter Fades, the latest single from his new album Butterfly Mind
Written and produced by Tim Bowness and Bob Hulse, the song features The Hushtones’ Martha Goddard on guest vocals and Stephen W Tayler on clarinet. “The atmospheric video by David K Jones (Plenty music) beautifully taps into the nostalgic feel of the music.”…
Tim comments: “This is one of those pieces where the lyric closely follows the evocative nature of the music. There’s a weird sense of ‘future nostalgia’ about Glitter Fades and the lyric revolves around the thoughts of a group of artists who once had the ears and eyes of the world, but now exist in a state of limbo unaware that both they and the culture they forged are long dead and forgotten. The party has well and truly ended. Stephen W Tayler’s swirling clarinet and Martha Goddard’s ghostly backing vocals ramp up The Gold Room from The Shining atmosphere!”
Butterfly Mind will be available as a limited two CD edition (including alternative mixes and outtakes), as well as a limited edition 180g LP+CD featuring a striking die-cut artwork by Carl Glover.
Butterfly Mind is scheduled for release on 5 August 2022, through InsideOut Music/Sony and will be available as a Limited 2CD Edition | Limited 180g LP+CD Edition and Green Vinyl Edition (only available through Burning Shed).
SOURCE: Tim Bowness
You can read TPA’s review of Butterfly Mind HERE.
20/07/2022: Marillion to release Holidays In Eden deluxe editions
Holidays In Eden will be available in 3CD/Blu-ray and 4LP deluxe editions, slated for release on 16 September 2022. Both sets include brand-new 2022 remixed stereo version of the album by Stephen W Tayler, as well as a full live show from Hammersmith, London from 1991. The concert includes a number of tracks from Holidays In Eden, alongside favourites from previous albums such as Berlin, Incommunicado and more…
“Holidays In Eden (1991) was Marillion’s sixth studio album and second with Steve Hogarth on lead vocals.. Their previous album and first with Hogarth, Season’s End, was written fairly quickly, leaning on a large amount of material already being written prior to Hogarth’s arrival. Holidays In Eden brought about a different challenge to the band’s new line-up, having to start from scratch with this new dynamic, which they talk about extensively within the book and documentary. Holidays In Eden is a scintillating, compelling rock album, with tracks such as The Party and This Town effortlessly accompanying singles like No-One Can and Dry Land. The essay and band interviews by Rich Wilson in the book, alongside the documentary “Pain And Heaven” on the Blu-ray, provide a fascinating insight into the different writing process, the dynamic between the band and producer Chris Neil, and Marillion navigating record label commercial pressures to produce such a captivating album.”
SOURCE: Burning Shed
20/07/2022: Summer’s End final line-up confirmed
With the confirmation of Dizzy Lizzy and Ironsight for the Thursday Night opening bash, this year’s Summer’s End Festival line-up is complete…
SOURCE: Summer’s End
Keep up to date with the TPA Gig Guide & TPA Festival Guide – the UK’s most comprehensive prog gig listings.
19/07/2022: Lonely Robot release The Island Of Misfit Toys video
John Mitchell’s Lonely Robot recently announced the release of their fifth studio album A Model Life, scheduled for 26 August 2022, via InsideOut Music. Today sees the release of the second track from the album, The Island Of Misfit Toys…
John Mitchell comments on The Island Of Misfit Toys: “This song was in part inspired by all the broken and initially terrifying mutilated toys in the Toy Story film. It’s an ode to misfits the world over. We’re never going to be cool or fit in, so best give us our own island. Somewhere in the Caribbean would be nice!”
Commenting on the album John adds: “Making A Model Life was very much a lifeline and indeed wake up call at the end of a particularly personally challenging couple of years. Creating it made me realise that ultimately, life is impermanent and the one true thing that gives me a focus and anchor is and has always been music. Long may that be the case.”
SOURCE: Lonely Robot
19/07/2022: Ed Wynne and Gre Vanderloo release animated video for Infinity Curtains
Following last week’s release of Tumbling Through The Floativerse, the latest studio album from Ozric Tentacles’ front man, Ed Wynne, a new animated video for the track “Infinity Curtains” has been released. The video, using cutting edge AI techniques was created by Steve Mckeown AKA “Magiclantern Audiovisual”…
“Ed Wynne was joined by Graceroom’s Gre Vanderloo for this new sonic journey, as well as additional guest appearances from Ozric Tentacles’ synth player Silas Neptune and Gracerooms bassist Paul Klaessen, with Ed Wynne himself on engineering duties and mastering from Adam Goodlet, along with typically psychedelic album artwork by Valerie Fangman.”
The Progressive Aspect’s Jez Rowden: “Tumbling Through the Floativerse is an expertly produced, sonically abundant, immersive and often euphoric excursion out of this universe and into the hallucinatory and kaleidoscopic realm of Wynne and Vanderloo’s “Floativerse””
SOURCE: Hanglands
Ed Wynne and Ozric Tentacles will be joining GONG for their first ever co-headline tour later this year. Dates can be found in the TPA Gig Guide – the UK’s most comprehensive prog gig listing.
16/07/2022: Tears For Fears forced to cancel remaining UK tour dates
Following on from the earlier cancellations this week, and in light of Curt Smith’s rib injury, Tears For Fears have reluctantly cancelled the remaining UK tour dates.
“Following further examination of Curt’s rib fracture, doctors have advised that his injury requires strict rest to recover. As such, it is with a heavy heart that we share we must cancel the remaining shows of The Tipping Point UK Tour. We have absolutely loved seeing everyone and performing for you. We are so disappointed not to be able to play the shows which we have been looking forward to for so long and can’t wait to be performing for you again.”
SOURCE: Tears For Fears
Keep up to date with the TPA Gig Guide – the UK’s most comprehensive prog gig listing.
15/07/2022: Threshold release video for their latest single Silenced
Threshold will release their 12th full length album, Dividing Lines on 18 November 2022, via Nuclear Blast. A collection of cautionary tales, Dividing Lines is best described as ‘Legends’ darker, moodier older brother’. Taken from the album is Silenced…
Richard West comments on the song: “Silenced is about how we seem to be heading towards less voices, less artists, less venues, less platforms where everyone can be heard. People seem so scared to speak out or debate anything anymore. I know I sound old but I miss the good old days! When freedom of speech goes then society is lost.”
Dividing Lines will be available in several formats including numerous Vinyl | CD | Digital options…
SOURCE: Threshold
15/07/2022: Marillion Weekend updates
Along with the confirmation of the Dutch Marillion Weekend, which will take place between 16th & 20th March 2023 at Port Zelande, comes news of similar events in the UK, Germany, Italy and North America.
“Next year, we will be presenting our Marillion Weekends again, starting with the welcome return of the 4 night, 3 concert, residential, complete blow-out that is Port Zelande.
We are not quite ready to reveal the other dates and specific locations, but these will include our first Marillion Weekends in Germany and Italy, a return to Leicester for the UK one, and, hopefully, a weekend in North America and one more location to be revealed.”
Marillion will be touring the UK this September before heading across Europe during, October, November and December. Visit the Marillion TOUR PAGE for further details.
SOURCE: Marillion
Keep up to date with the UK dates with the TPA Gig Guide – the UK’s most comprehensive prog gig listing.
15/07/2022: Evership release second single from The Uncrowned King – Act 2
Nashville-based Evership release the second single from The Uncrowned King – Act 2 and follows on from Coronation released last month. The latest single, The Voice Of The New Day, features Saga’s Michael Sadler on vocals…
Evership released their well received third album The Uncrowned King – Act 1 on 21 May 2021. TPA’s David Edwards commented: “This is a powerful slab of retro-progressive symphonic rock – in that ‘American prog’ style – that will delight fans of that genre.”.
Although there is no official release date as yet, the ‘second act’ is expected to be released in the Fall 2022.
SOURCE: Evership
15/07/2022: Regal Worm release second single from Worm!
Jarrod Gosling’s Regal Worm release the second single taken from the forthcoming album Worm!, scheduled for next month. “Inspired by the youthful drunken dancing of a young worm, this is a short straight piece that’s a little twisted”…
Jarrod comments: “Regal Worm release Worm!, the fizzy, dizzy follow up to 2021’s The Hideous Goblink. It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly a decade since Regal Worm first emerged from the mud. And what a long segmented body of work it has been with no less than five albums under its clitellum! (look it up, it’s not a rude word). With a small bag of heavy friends, Varrod Goblink continues to create astonishing music in his very own loft laboratory. Crammed with a growing number of vintage, dusty instruments, clean vintage instruments, computer tech foolery and weird looking banks of machines festooned with twiddly knobs, a visitor might wonder if they’d accidentally wandered into some sort of TARDIS.”
Worm! will be released on 19 August 2022 via Bandcamp
SOURCE: Regal Worm
14/07/2022: Long Distance Calling release third single from Eraser
German instrumental ensemble Long Distance Calling premiere Eraser the third single and title track from the forthcoming album, scheduled for 26 August 2022…
The video shows scenes that are courtesy of Greenpeace.
“Continuing the theme of the album, with each track representing a different species threatened by extinction, ‘Eraser’ represents the most dangerous creature of all – man. The song clocks in at an impressive 9 minutes spread over two distinct acts, and whilst there are elements of darkness and despair, the song (and album) concludes with a glimmer of hope.”
Commenting on the album: “With “Eraser” we want to emphasize the connection between us humans and the natural environment that we are part of, that we are responsible for our actions and the already caused damage of this highly fragile equilibrium.”
SOURCE: Long Distance Calling
13/07/2022: Leprous announce ‘Aphelion’ European Tour dates for 2023
Leprous have announced a hefty schedule for their ‘Aphelion‘ European Tour which runs through February and March 2023.
Support for the tour will be Kalandra
UK DATES
07/02/23: LONDON – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
08/02/23: GLASGOW – Slay
09/02/23: MANCHESTER – O2 Ritz
10/02/23: BRISTOL – SWX
The band comment: “Finally we’re emerging on the European “Aphelion” tour! Playing some great venues on this one, so hopefully we’ll see you there!”
SOURCE: Leprous
Keep up to date on the Leprous’ UK Tour with the TPA Gig Guide – the UK’s most comprehensive prog gig listing.
13/07/2022: Emerson, Lake & Palmer 7″ vinyl box set
Although considered as one of the ultimate ’album’ bands, Emerson, Lake & Palmer also crafted some stellar 7” singles across their illustrious career and on 26th August, BMG marks the occasion with the release of the group’s first ever singles box set, a deluxe collection featuring 12 reproduced 2-sided 7” singles pulled from UK & international pressings complete with rare original picture sleeves and label artwork.
The box set also contains an extended booklet with detailed notes, a foreword from Carl Palmer, rare band photos plus 12 x 7″ companion artcards, inspired from the original single sleeves.
Released in celebration of ELP’s 50th anniversary, this 1971-1992 career spanning collection of 45’s have all been remastered by world-renowned ELP mastering engineer Andy Pearce and include amongst others, the majestic ‘From the Beginning’ alongside fan favourites ‘C’est La Vie’, ‘Lucky Man’, ‘Jerusalem’, ‘Stones Of Years’, ‘Tiger In The Spotlight’, B-side curio ’Living Sin’ and the UK Chart Number 2 classic ‘Fanfare For The Common Man’.
Listening back again to the 7” mix of ‘Fanfare’ re-affirms its position as one of the most memorable instrumentals to grace the history of the UK charts and one that holds its own when placed alongside other non-vocal chart busting masterpieces such as Booker T & The MG’s ‘Green Onions’, Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Albatross’ or the Average White Band’s ‘Pick Up The Pieces’. From the minute Keith Emerson’s Yamaha GX1 synth gurgles into life after the trumpet intro, the track still rocks like a beast, the 45-edit bringing with it an even punchier dynamic to Greg Lake & Carl Palmer’s immensely powerful rhythm section.
The music that you will hear opened the door to radio around the world, and then the musical concept of ELP was born”.
SOURCE: Stuart Kirkham PR
13/07/2022: Dave Kerzner releases A Time In Your Mind single
Ahead of the release of Dave Kerzner’s third studio solo album, The Traveler, comes the first video single A Time In Your Mind…
“”The Traveler” is Dave Kerzner’s third studio solo album. The main character of his debut solo album “New World” returns! The Traveler takes you further along in the journey tying in the stories of not only Kerzner’s first three solo albums but there’s even a connection to In Continuum’s Acceleration Theory storyline and beyond!
For the first time Kerzner has combined collaboration his band mates from four different bands/projects: In Continuum, Sound of Contact, Mantra Vega and Arc of Life! Featuring an all All Star cast of Prog musicians including Fernando Perdomo, Durga McBroom, Nick D’Virgilio, Marco Minnemann, Randy McStine, Matt Dorsey, Francis Dunnery, Billy Sherwood, Jon Davison, Alex Cromarty, Stuart Fletcher, Ruti Celli, Joe Deninzon and more!”
The single and pre-ordering of The Traveler album are available HERE at Bandcamp.
SOURCE: Dave Kerzner
12/07/2022: Big Big Train announce David Longdon’s solo album with the release of first single
Watch It Burn is the first video single from David Longdon’s posthumous album, Door One…
“David had been accumulating musical and lyrical ideas for Door One over the past few years. He had been recording since April 2021, following the completion of Big Big Train’s Common Ground album. On the night of David’s tragic accident, which resulted in his untimely death on 20th November 2021, he had just returned home to Nottingham from a recording session at Playpen Studios in Bristol with his co-producer and engineer Patrick Phillips.
At the time of his death, the album was 90% finished. However, David’s partner Sarah and all the key protagonists involved in its creation agreed that David would want the world to hear the album.
Door One was recorded with a core of four musicians: drummer Jeremy Stacey (King Crimson, Noel Gallagher, Sheryl Crow, The Finn Brothers), bassist Steve Vantsis (best known for his work with Fish), saxophonist Theo Travis (Steven Wilson, Soft Machine, Gong) and David’s longstanding friend and former 1990s Gifthorse band mate Gary Bromham (Bjork, Sheryl Crow, George Michael) who contributed guitar, backing vocals, keyboard parts and textures.”
Door One will be released through English Electric Recordings on 14 October 2022 on vinyl, limited edition White vinyl, CD, download and streaming.
SOURCE: Big Big Train
11/07/2022: Cherry Red Records announce new live Hawkwind release
Cherry Red Records have announced that they will release a new Hawkwind live double album, We Are Looking In On You, 0n 2 September 2022.
We Are Looking In On You features 19 classic tracks performed live throughout 2021 and includes Spirit Of The Age and Levitation, along with newer favourites from their last studio album, like Cave Of Phantom Dreams and Unsomnia.
We Are Looking In On You will initially be released as a 2CD set with a vinyl edition scheduled for later in the year.
SOURCE: Cherry Red Records
10/07/2022: Barbara Thompson ~ RIP
Photo Credit: Eckhard Henkel / Wikimedia Commons
It is with much sadness that we announce the passing of classical and jazz composer, saxophonist and flautist Barbara Thompson (MBE). Barbara Thompson passed away peacefully yesterday morning, 9th July, at 8:57 am…
“Barbara Thompson deserves to be lauded for her remarkable contribution to British Jazz and Contemporary Classical music both as composer and virtuosic performer and leaves, along with her husband drummer Jon Hiseman, an impressive body of work.
Her inspiring legacy will live on through her many fans and those her music has touched over a career spanning 6 decades.
There will be a new, extremely bright star in the sky from now on… Rest in peace.”
Barbara’s and Jon’s daughter Ana Gracey writes: “My mum had the most extraordinary spirit – she never gave up, however, her body finally let her down after a valiant battle with Parkinson’s over the course of 25 years alongside complications with her heart towards the end. We dearly hope that she and our father have found each other once again.”
SOURCES: Jon Hiseman’s Colosseum & JCM – Fan Page | Various
09/07/2022: PB4X Prog Before Xmas Charity event returns
After a prolonged, pandemic-enforced break the Prog Before Xmas event returns on 26 November 2022 at CCA (Centre for Contemporary Arts), 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD. As with all past PB4X events proceeds from the event will go to Maggie’s Charity, who provide such amazing support to cancer patients and their families.
This year’s event features Abel Ganz, State of Necessity (featuring Alan Reed), Comedy Of Errors and Ali Ferguson & Band
The festival organisers comment: “This time around we have an all Scottish line-up for you and we are [as ever] deeply indebted to all those who take part – for without their generosity we simply could not make this event happen!!”
Info: Tickets
Keep up to date with the TPA Gig Guide & TPA Festival Guide – the UK’s most comprehensive prog gig listings.
08/07/2022: King’s X forced to cancel European UK tour dates
In a post on their Facebook Page King’s X announce: “It is with great regret that we must announce that we will be forced to cancel our upcoming engagements in Europe this Fall, due to an unforeseen medical issue with our guitarist.”
Ty Tabor comments: “Hello everyone. I recently went in for some medical tests and discovered that I have an illness requiring vigilant monitoring. As a result, I will need to remain in the US while following medical advice and potential treatment. I know this is a disappointment for those who have waited so long for our European shows. I am sorry for this unavoidable setback. I want everyone to know that my prognosis is good. We plan to keep doing shows in the US so I can remain close to home and take less risks while dealing with this change in life. Thanks so much for all of your love and support.”
SOURCE: King’s X
Keep up to date with the TPA Gig Guide – the UK’s most comprehensive prog gig listing.
07/07/2022: SiX By SiX release second single Save The Night
SiX By SiX have released the second single, Save The Night, taken from their forthcoming self-titled debut, scheduled for 19 August 2022, via InsideOut Music.
Robert Berry comments: “For every SiX By SiX song there is something in the extraordinary guitar ideas which Ian sends me that immediately sparks an idea for the lyric and melody. It is quite magical and still a mystery to me how the process precisely unfolds. With this band and debut album it felt like there was a predestined plan that we were following. At this point the creative musical journey for the album was almost complete. But we still needed a big closing song to conclude the album and which could also potentially close our live show. The lyric had to be positive and leave you on an emotional high, and the music needed to build to a powerful finale. Once the arrangement was developed, Nigel laid down a powerful drum track, and then after guitar and vocals were recorded, we were still seeking a special element to keep the song building and leave the listener wanting more. With the addition of an inspired guitar solo, we decided to try two female background singers just to spice it up. And there it was! The last song written, the last song recorded and a fitting end to the album and the live show…. Save The Night.”
SiX By SiX is composed of guitarist Ian Crichton from Saga, drummer Nigel Glockler from Saxon and Robert Berry from ‘3’ on bass, keyboards and vocals.
SOURCE: SiX By SiX
06/07/2022: Sweet Billy Pilgrim release Skywriting single taken from forthcoming album
Sweet Billy Pilgrim release the Skywriting single, and closing track, from their forthcoming album Somapolis, scheduled for 4 November 2022.
Sweet Billy Pilgrim, now multi-instrumentalist duo Jana Carpenter and Tim Elsenburg, have described Somapolis as a concept album. They explain “Somapolis (body of the city, or city of the body depending on how metaphorical you’re feeling!) begins with two people looking out over a nameless metropolis. They are artists, their job being to observe, curate and commemorate the world around them. The first song explores the experience of creating before we swoop down into the individual stories of the people living in the city; a sort-of Wings of Desire, but with artists instead of angels. Then, towards the end, the album zooms back out to the observers for the final two songs, finishing – depending on the listener – on either a note of hope or resignation.”
SOURCES: Sweet Billy Pilgrim | Rough Trade
06/07/2022: Flash to release 3 disc live recording set in September
Restored live recordings from 1970ʼs era Flash featuring ex-YES guitarist Peter Banks will be released on 9 September 2022. Comprising twenty-two tracks from seven shows across 3 discs; a majority of them previously unavailable. Perhaps best known thanks to their YES connections, the band nevertheless held their own across three Billboard charting albums, and the top 30 single hit Small Beginnings. The 3 disc set includes 32-page booklet with exclusive band interviews, unpublished photos and tour itinerary. A true time capsule back to the golden age of US rock concerts.
Bassist Ray Bennett comments: “What ‘Think Like A Key Music’ set out to do here, on this multi-disc set, is to gather together whatever was left out there of live FLASH stuff regardless of quality and present it in the best possible way. Whatever improvements could be made to the audio were done. Quite a bit of it is rough sounding, but I found that even with the poor sound issues there was something coming across from the live experience. Some surprisingly good moments. A fair bit of this material was fan-recorded, probably on cassettes, some possibly from rough mixing board recordings; some is much better studio type quality, and some has been online for years on obscure websites, but in the worst possible form – awful sound, complete with extraneous noise and talking in the recordings. So all that has been cleaned up and the sound mastered as well as possible. Overall, I think this is a worthy project for the historical record at the very least. Other than the ‘In Public’ CD which is already available, this new set is it as far as we know. Pretty much all that there is of live FLASH performance.”
SOURCE: Glass Onyon PR
05/07/2022: Francis Dunnery’s It Bites Tour 2023
Francis Dunnery has announced a short run of four UK dates under the title ‘The Greatest Show on Earth – The Best of It Bites’, during January 2023.
The band for the tour will remain the same as the 2020 ‘Once Around the World Tour’ with: Francis Dunnery (acoustic and electric guitar, vocals), Luke Machin (guitar), Peter Jones (keyboards, vocals), Björn Fryklund (drums), Paul Brown (bass) and Quint Starkie (vocals).
The Greatest Show on Earth – The Best of It Bites UK dates
19/01/2023: St. Lukes Music Arts Venue, GLASGOW
20/01/2023: KK’s Steel Mill, WOLVERHAMPTON
21/01/2023: Club Academy (SU Building), MANCHESTER
22/01/2023: Bush Hall, LONDON
SOURCE: Francis Dunnery
Keep up to date with the TPA Gig Guide – the UK’s most comprehensive prog gig listing.
03/07/2022: Vanderwolf to release 12 Little Killers LP this month
Following the recent release of his EP Extinction which featured musical legends Robert Wyatt and Daevid Allen, Vanderwolf has put forth an album of 12 original tracks available on vinyl and digital download – his first LP under his own name. Watch When the Fire Grows Cold, (featuring Robert Wyatt) and taken from the Extinction EP
“Vanderwolf re-emerges with “12 Little Killers” an eclectic collection that includes the deliciously oozing slice of psychedelia of the single “Glisten,” which is heavily-slanted toward melting analogue synthesizers (Sam Sallon) and rich layers of acoustic guitars (Chris Cordoba) and an exquisite vocal by Max Vanderwolf.
Recorded by producer Chris Wyles at his south London studio, the 12 songs were selected, mixed and compiled by keyboardist and co-producer Sam Sallon. It’s available in a limited pressing of 500.”
Says Max: “These 12-tracks, present human fallibility in its many forms – greed, anxiety, lust, self-debasement, our seemingly limitless capacity to hurt others – it’s all there. It was important to have a visual identity that carries these themes.”
Vanderwolf’s 12 Little Killers will be released on 20 July 2022.
SOURCE: Glass Onyon PR
02/07/2022: Steve Hackett has announced Genesis Revisited Live: Seconds Out & More
Steve Hackett has announced the release of ‘Genesis Revisited Live: Seconds Out & More’, a visual document of his 2021 UK tour celebrating the classic Genesis live album. Set for release on the 2 September 2022 (with vinyl following on the 25 November), it sees Steve and his band perform ‘Seconds Out‘ in full and in sequence, as well as a selection of solo material including tracks from his most recent studio album ‘Surrender of Silence‘. Ahead of the release comes the video of Squonk (LIVE IN MANCHESTER 2021)
Steve Hackett comments: “I’m so happy to release my Seconds Out & More show… A spectacular night with a band on fire tearing into that magic music combining the true spirit of Genesis with a fresh virtuosic approach and an extraordinary sound under amazing lights. This show is a feast for both ears and eyes. The best of so many worlds!”
‘Genesis Revisited Live: Seconds Out & More‘ will be available as Limited 2CD + Blu-ray & Limited 2CD + DVD, both including 5.1 surround sound, behind the scenes documentary and promo videos. Steve Hackett and his band comprise Roger King, Rob Townsend, Jonas Reingold, Nad Sylvan and Craig Blundell, and they were joined by Amanda Lehmann as special guest on the night.
Steve Hackett band have just completed a run of shows in New Zealand and Australia, and will continue their ‘Seconds Out & More‘ tour in Japan, Europe and North America throughout the rest of year. However, in September and October 2022, they will present the ‘Foxtrot At Fifty’ show in the UK.
SOURCE: Steve Hackett
Keep up to date with the TPA Gig Guide – the UK’s most comprehensive prog gig listing.
02/07/2022: Cherry Red/Esoteric announce Van der Graaf Generator 14 Disc Box Set
The Interference Patterns – The Recordings 2005-2016 14 Disc Box Set celebrates the second era of Van der Graaf Generator with all of the albums issued by the band between 2005 and 2016 and includes the long deleted live double album and concert DVD ‘Live At Paradiso’ and the rare additional live CD previously issued only on the limited Japanese release of ‘Real Time’.
‘Interference Patterns’ also includes a 96-page book with an extensive new essay and band interviews by Sid Smith and features each album in replica album sleeves.
Van Der Graaf Generator: Interference Patterns – The Recordings 2005-2016 14 Disc Box Set will be released on 23 September 2022. The full track listing can be found HERE at Cherry Red Records.
SOURCE: Cherry Red Records | Esoteric Recordings
02/07/2022: Robert Fripp to release first book – The Guitar Circle
The long-awaited first book from Robert Fripp – ‘The Guitar Circle’ – collects much of RF’s writing about Guitar Craft, as well as his unique approach to guitar playing, collaborating and personal development.
Presented in a limited edition first print hardcover format (and printed on high-end Italian Fedrigoni paper), the book is due to be published on September 1st 2022 by Panegyric Publishing.
This is the first in a series of books to include The DGM Diaries, Crimson Chronicles and membership of King Crimson (1969-2021) and personal commentary on living in New York during and after the recording of Exposure at a point in the late 1970s when New York was the fulcrum of a wider cultural rebirth.
The book will be available via Burning Shed (UK), Inner Knot (USA), and other major online bookstores from 1st September 2022. Further details can be found HERE on the DGM website.
SOURCE: DGM Live
TPA UK Gig Guide
