The Civic Hall, Stourport
Thursday, 6th & Friday, 7th March 2025
The popular and ever growing Fusion Festival was held at the beginning of March with attendees gathering from around the globe, such is the attraction of this excellent and friendly event. The Progressive Aspect were there in force once again with their TPA live updates and final review updates.
(Rosamund Tomlins)
Final Coil, giving their intensely texture filled, bronze-hammered metallic all, open this super festival’s Thursday launch night with a full-on impassioned statement on the world as they see it, breathe it, live it. This is their second time at Fusion; first at Fusion 2 as a total contrast to the rest of the fare, tonight they are the first of three complementary sounding bands.
Kicking off with Chemtrails from the most recent album The World We Inherited, Richard Awdry’s striking bowed guitar heralds a set of very personal soul searching and howling ingenuity. Phil Stiles, hair flailing, by turns attacks and caresses his guitar strings, while Jola Stiles stalks and stamps her side of the stage with basslines of alternating sympathy and menace. Phil and Richard’s perfectly blended discordant harmonies are mesmerically unsettling. Special admiration is due for Dan, joining them on drums for only the second time in six years (first at Fusion 2), as he is in complete sync as if he was with the band full-time. Richard’s intricate guitar lines find themselves sadly a tad low in the mix at times, but his stance, evident string pummelling, and his expression, all tell us loads about the multifaceted layers being created in front of us.
Our heads are compelled to nod along emphatically in agreement to the finale of their set, the title track from The World We Inherited, which uses the combined force of the three guitars to bring the intense doom-laden repeated riff to bear down on us – in a figurative attempt to serve us some kind of a solution for at least some of their/our troubles. Brilliant, and not effortlessly, oh no; we can certainly feel the exertion along with this plucky and innovative foursome.
(Graham Thomas)
Wales’ finest metallic prog band lit up the stage of the Stourport Civic on Thursday night with an exemplary display of controlled power. Over the years they have refined their act to a point where they are razor sharp and tight as a drum, and having seen them many times, this was as good a performance as I’ve witnessed. The gritty guitar riffs interlock, spitting electricity and showering the audience with sound, while bass and drums thunder along in support. It’s so well-rehearsed it’s like a single beast unleashed, marauding the stage with intent.
A glorious start to what promises to be an epic weekend of music. Well done lads, bravo.
(Leo Trimming)
Quite a coup for Fusion as the enigmatic Amplifier got the weekend off to a great start, as headliners on this introductory night, with their first gig in 5 years. Now pared down to just Matt Brobin on titanic drums and Sel Balamir on guitars and effects (and an enormous pedal board seemingly taken from a Jumbo Jet flight simulator!), Amplifier mesmerised the crowd with their ethereal and improvisational Space Rock. Songs from across their career were virtually unrecognisable as they stretched and twisted their music in all sorts of weird and wonderful shapes. It’s doubtful we’ll see a better drummer all weekend than the fluid and powerful Brobin, and Balamir weaved magic spells with his guitars and other wizardry, underpinning his distinctive vocals.
Amplifier – a great band who change with every album and tour. If you get a chance on their forthcoming tour, go see them… but leave your preconceptions at the door. Just magic!
(Rosamund Tomlins)
First on the bill on Friday evening, 7th March; a wonderfully bonkers performance showcasing Buzz’s super talents on looped guitar and pedals. Notably, he had previously divulged to me that he had something “a bit different” up his sleeve, and he hoped it wouldn’t baffle the audience too much; all was revealed – those in the know from Fusions 4 and 5 would be familiar with the initially worrisome and increasingly bizarre tale of a missing beloved monkey (puppet) belonging to festival organiser, Steve Gould, and a very important festival mascot! As the audience chanted for Buzz, a film appeared on the screen, of ‘Proggle’ and ‘Proggle Junior’ recounting the exploits of the latter’s ‘travels’ around the world, complete with, ahem…acquired offspring from somewhere along the journey (mini toy chimps then being thrown into the audience) all engineered by Buzz himself, on a whim two years ago!
Correspondingly, Buzz’s set represented “a tour around the prog world”, starting off in the UK with excerpts from Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells, during which Buzz cheekily told us he’d be “back in a minute” at one point – he skedaddled off stage and sat in the audience for a minute or two while his loops continued!
Peter Gabriel’s Solsbury Hill followed, then a Russian tune with a Ukrainian melody overlaid; most appropriately, because, as Buzz says, “they should simply be making music together”. Next, a Klezmer-based number, and “for the Lazuli boys” (tonight’s headliners), a French Romany-type tune, that one might imagine played on an accordion. A risqué Zappa song Titties & Beer (Buzz apologising to the women in the audience), a tale of a contract with the devil, and once the loop was established, Buzz could concentrate on the lyrics, while utilising his devil prop mask!
A mere snippet of Focus’ Sylvia, to satisfy a shouted request – Buzz said he normally does take requests but that this particular set had to be planned “for a change” – flitted by, before the finale: a theatrical self-penned song, Psilocybin, about the effects of a particular drug, which featured a becostumed Buzz apparently reading from Amazing Stories by Terry Jones, but this was simply a prop for Buzz’s own autobiographical story.
Buzz’s easy-going nature, rapport with the audience, and revelations of a marvellous creative imagination, formed an absolute treat to behold!
(Graham Thomas)
The most traditional prog offering of Friday had to be Ellesmere, hailing from Italy and bringing an authentic 70s Italian flavoured slant on proceedings. With the strident vocals of Mama front man John Wilkinson, they presented several songs from current album Stranger Skies with confidence and aplomb. The icing on the cake had to be the guest appearance of the sax legend David Jackson who brought another level of class to what is already a great band. Definitely one of the highlights of the day.
[Photos of Ellesmere by Rosamund Tomlins]
(Owy Thomas)
I was previously unfamiliar with The Mighty Bard prior to this performance. I understand that keyboard player Neil Cockle, once in Silmarillion, formed the band in 2004. Neil is no longer in the band, replaced by the very able Luke Gerrish, and a perusal of their website indicates that there have been a number of lineup changes.
I guess that there are some similarities to early Marillion from the band, as they lead us through a collection of compositions featuring swirling keys, a solid rhythm section and some striking guitar leads. Violin player Mark Parker, providing occasional input, appears somewhat underused in the overall sound to me. Nevertheless, the lengthy Guarded Secret allows the band to stretch out, and provides some engaging sections, drawing the crowd in with them. Overall, they seem to go down well with the crowd. Personally, whilst I wasn’t bowled over, The Mighty Bard certainly put on a competent performance, and I’m open to further investigation of the band in due course.
[Photos of The Mighty Bard by Rosamund Tomlins]
(Roger Trenwith)
A couple of friends have long extolled the virtues of French band Lazuli, whom I am told are beyond being merely prog. “Unclassifiable” one goes so far to say! Our good friend Jez, who sadly left us a year ago, was a big fan too. For some reason before tonight, I had never seen them.
The anticipation is ramped up by the previous band overrunning by at least ten minutes, for no good reason. At least it meant I got a snooze in. At the rather late hour of 10:30pm, Lazuli finally took the stage, and an engaging sight they are, with the focus immediately drawn to Claude Leonetti’s Léode, an inspired cross between an upright pedal steel and a Chapman Stick.
The first song is an upbeat and anthemic affair that sets the tone. To a Yellow Submarine-inspired backdrop, Claude’s unusual instrument comes to the fore, with some impressive and soaring slide work.
Melody is king, and is as far removed from prog-by-numbers as can be, as what Lazuli do with it is both inspired and imaginative.
It’s not just Claude grabbing the attention. Guitarist Arnaud Beyney lets rip, and then keyboard player Romain Thorel emerges from behind his rig with a French horn! This is engaging stuff indeed! I can feel emotion rising, as Claude once more flies off into orbit. I think I have something in my eye, and I think I’m sold. 😎
Singing entirely in French, on one song the band treat us to the lyrics on the backdrop…also in French. I think I got the gist! The backdrop runs several well directed videos throughout, as the band surf a wave of heartfelt emotion.
They’re now playing three new songs, which means they are as new to the fans in the audience as they are to me. “Quel dommage” seems to be the title of the first charge through regret (I guess!), and “a pity” it ain’t! Boy, this band know how to write a song!
At one point the drummer and keyboard player swapped places, showing how gifted this band are. A familiar song has the crowd clapping along and a few of the more adventurous dancing at the front, where they stay until the end. This song emphasises the internationalist nature of Lazuli’s music, with an African beat from percussive interplay, and Claude’s mystical-sounding solo. All very atmospheric!
We end with what is their traditional send off – nine hands around the marimba. How can you not like that?!
Is it prog? Je ne sais pas, et ce n’est pas important!
[Photos of Lazuli by Rosamund Tomlins]
LINKS
FUSION: Music Without Boundaries – Website | Facebook | YouTube | X
