Beardfish and Pain of Salvation have announced the following European tour dates:
15.10.2010 DE - Hamburg @ Markthalle
16.10.2010 DE - Bochum @ Zeche
17.10.2010 NL - Uden @ De Pul
18.10.2010 DE - Aschaffenburg @ Colos-Saal
19.10.2010 FR - Paris @ La Scène Bastille
21.10.2010 CH - Pratteln @ Z7
22.10.2010 IT - Milan @ Magazzini
24.10.2010 HU - Budapest @ A38
25.10.2010 SK - Bratislava @ Majestic
26.10.2010 CZ - Prague @ Futurum
28.10.2010 NL - Zoetermeer @ De Boerderij
29.10.2010 BE - Louvain-La-Neuve @ Ferme du Biéreau
30.10.2010 DE - Andernach @ JUZ Live Club
Showing posts with label beardfish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beardfish. Show all posts
10 September 2010
24 August 2010
Beardfish: September Tour Dates
2 Sep 2010 09:00 Harry B James /Helter Skelter Stockholm,SWEDEN
3 Sep 2010 09:00 Monster Gävle,SWEDEN
5 Sep 2010 07:30 Boerderij Zoetermeer, NETHERLANDS
7 Sep 2010 07:00 Colossaal Aschaffenburg, Aschaffenb, GERMANY
8 Sep 2010 08:00 Z7 Pratteln, SWITZERLAND
3 Sep 2010 09:00 Monster Gävle,SWEDEN
5 Sep 2010 07:30 Boerderij Zoetermeer, NETHERLANDS
7 Sep 2010 07:00 Colossaal Aschaffenburg, Aschaffenb, GERMANY
8 Sep 2010 08:00 Z7 Pratteln, SWITZERLAND
02 July 2010
InsideOut artists tour dates
Beardfish
more Destined Solitaire concerts
14.08.2010: D-Bad Doberan/Zappanale
Devin Townsend Project
Bloodstock Festival 2010
02.07.2010: FI-Helsinki/Tuska Festival
13.07.2010: CZ-Josefov/Brutal Assault
13.08.2010: GB-Walton-On-Trent, Derbyshire/Catton Hall
Pain Of Salvation
28.08.2010: SE-Boras/Close To Home Festival
Transatlantic
An Evening With TRANSATLANTIC / Whirld Tour 2010 feat. Mike Portnoy, Pete Trewavas, Roine Stolt, Neal Morse
24.07.2010: GB-London/High Voltage Festival
Unitopia
08.10.2010: GB-Gloucestershire/Lydney Town Hall
15.10.2010: NL-Zoetermeer/De Boerderij
16.10.2010: BE-Verviers/The spirit of 66
more Destined Solitaire concerts
14.08.2010: D-Bad Doberan/Zappanale
Devin Townsend Project
Bloodstock Festival 2010
02.07.2010: FI-Helsinki/Tuska Festival
13.07.2010: CZ-Josefov/Brutal Assault
13.08.2010: GB-Walton-On-Trent, Derbyshire/Catton Hall
Pain Of Salvation
28.08.2010: SE-Boras/Close To Home Festival
Transatlantic
An Evening With TRANSATLANTIC / Whirld Tour 2010 feat. Mike Portnoy, Pete Trewavas, Roine Stolt, Neal Morse
24.07.2010: GB-London/High Voltage Festival
Unitopia
08.10.2010: GB-Gloucestershire/Lydney Town Hall
15.10.2010: NL-Zoetermeer/De Boerderij
16.10.2010: BE-Verviers/The spirit of 66
25 June 2009
NEARfest day two: a review in brief...
If waking up Saturday was rough, you don’t want to know how waking up Sunday was. Still, I made the decision this time to have a couple glasses of water first thing, and we stopped off at the Dunkin Donuts before heading down to the venue. That water, and the bottle of OJ, really made the difference, and I had no problems at all Sunday. The place was pretty empty, and the vending rooms were slow. We were excited to see the first two bands, and thus we made sure to get up to the theatre in time for the Sunday opener…
QUANTUM FANTAY, from Belgium. So much energy. So much personality. So much more space rock. These guys got a huge response from the sleepy NF crowd…so much so that they sold out of CDs and other merch. They bounded around the stage, wailed on guitar and bass, thrashed the drums, and coaxed swirly synth sounds from their instruments. I wish I had picked up their CD/DVD set, but there’s always mail order. Sunday opener slots have seen some of the most exciting surprising sets at NF…Hidria Spacefolk, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Guapo, and now these guys. Big things lie ahead for them I think.
BEARDFISH followed. I was really looking forward to them, and so was Sharon. Neither of us were disappointed. I love their vintage sound, with loads of great keyboard textures, excellent guitar, and above all, killer songwriting. They didn’t worry about the crowd, playing the ‘controversial’ “Roulette” and “The Gooberville Ballroom Dancer” as early as possible. Nothing like a healthy dose of bikers named Jesus and motherf*^&ers, eh? They played some stuff off the forthcoming album, whose release I now worry about with things getting as dicey as they are (SPV bankrupt, Beardfish and PoS pulled off the Prog Nation tour). I am glad I got to see them, and I hope to whoever is listening that they can be brought back over soon.
Lunch was bison burgers from the vendors outside. They were good. I was tired. The sun was out. We’d been hanging out with Ray and Tom from echolyn a bit, as one does at these festivals. We’d also been hanging out with the guys from Quantum Fantay a bit, and Rikard and the others from Beardfish, who as I said above were awesome. Time was growing short, so we headed in for the third band on day two…
TRETTIOARIGA KRIGET from Sweden. They’re a classic band…for a while, one of the few 1970’s Swedish bands you could find releases from. At their heaviest they are what Rush would sound like if they were a prog band. And yes, they played a healthy dose of the heavier stuff…and a lot of their quieter, more restrained pieces. I like them, and I liked their performance. I think they were the wrong band at the wrong time, really…they were too relaxed for a set late in the afternoon on the second day of the festival. I think DFA’s energy would have worked better here. And I know that people had a major issue with the falsetto vocals. Still, I liked them, and they deserved to be here.
Dinner break arrived, and I packed enough away to make sure I’d get through the final band. I had high hopes yet again, and I had a feeling they’d be met.
PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI did more than meet them. They exceeded them a thousand times over. One always worries when a classic band says they are gonna play a lot of newer material. Well, the songs from Stati di Imaginazione more than belonged in the set…they were every bit as vital as the classic material. And what a selection of classic material…’Dove…Quando,” “Impressioni di Settembre," “Out at the Roundabout.” I was waiting for “E’Festa,” and I was blown away…it take s a lot to get 1000 people at NEARfest out of their chairs, yet PFM achieved this. They got audience participation. I saw 1000 people dancing and jumping. I felt the walls shake. I heard them screaming on request. It was thrilling, and one of the best performances I have ever seen at NEARfest.
But this year’s NEARfest was about far more than the music. It was about meeting up with people I see once a year. It was about repaying the people who so graciously and generously allowed us into the inside, letting us become part of this breathing, living entity. It was about seeing the festival in a whole new light. If NEARfest 2009 was anything, it was a rebirth in so many different ways. I came out better than I went in. In the end, NEARfest 2009 will perhaps be the most memorable one for me.
QUANTUM FANTAY, from Belgium. So much energy. So much personality. So much more space rock. These guys got a huge response from the sleepy NF crowd…so much so that they sold out of CDs and other merch. They bounded around the stage, wailed on guitar and bass, thrashed the drums, and coaxed swirly synth sounds from their instruments. I wish I had picked up their CD/DVD set, but there’s always mail order. Sunday opener slots have seen some of the most exciting surprising sets at NF…Hidria Spacefolk, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Guapo, and now these guys. Big things lie ahead for them I think.
BEARDFISH followed. I was really looking forward to them, and so was Sharon. Neither of us were disappointed. I love their vintage sound, with loads of great keyboard textures, excellent guitar, and above all, killer songwriting. They didn’t worry about the crowd, playing the ‘controversial’ “Roulette” and “The Gooberville Ballroom Dancer” as early as possible. Nothing like a healthy dose of bikers named Jesus and motherf*^&ers, eh? They played some stuff off the forthcoming album, whose release I now worry about with things getting as dicey as they are (SPV bankrupt, Beardfish and PoS pulled off the Prog Nation tour). I am glad I got to see them, and I hope to whoever is listening that they can be brought back over soon.
Lunch was bison burgers from the vendors outside. They were good. I was tired. The sun was out. We’d been hanging out with Ray and Tom from echolyn a bit, as one does at these festivals. We’d also been hanging out with the guys from Quantum Fantay a bit, and Rikard and the others from Beardfish, who as I said above were awesome. Time was growing short, so we headed in for the third band on day two…
TRETTIOARIGA KRIGET from Sweden. They’re a classic band…for a while, one of the few 1970’s Swedish bands you could find releases from. At their heaviest they are what Rush would sound like if they were a prog band. And yes, they played a healthy dose of the heavier stuff…and a lot of their quieter, more restrained pieces. I like them, and I liked their performance. I think they were the wrong band at the wrong time, really…they were too relaxed for a set late in the afternoon on the second day of the festival. I think DFA’s energy would have worked better here. And I know that people had a major issue with the falsetto vocals. Still, I liked them, and they deserved to be here.
Dinner break arrived, and I packed enough away to make sure I’d get through the final band. I had high hopes yet again, and I had a feeling they’d be met.
PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI did more than meet them. They exceeded them a thousand times over. One always worries when a classic band says they are gonna play a lot of newer material. Well, the songs from Stati di Imaginazione more than belonged in the set…they were every bit as vital as the classic material. And what a selection of classic material…’Dove…Quando,” “Impressioni di Settembre," “Out at the Roundabout.” I was waiting for “E’Festa,” and I was blown away…it take s a lot to get 1000 people at NEARfest out of their chairs, yet PFM achieved this. They got audience participation. I saw 1000 people dancing and jumping. I felt the walls shake. I heard them screaming on request. It was thrilling, and one of the best performances I have ever seen at NEARfest.
But this year’s NEARfest was about far more than the music. It was about meeting up with people I see once a year. It was about repaying the people who so graciously and generously allowed us into the inside, letting us become part of this breathing, living entity. It was about seeing the festival in a whole new light. If NEARfest 2009 was anything, it was a rebirth in so many different ways. I came out better than I went in. In the end, NEARfest 2009 will perhaps be the most memorable one for me.
23 June 2009
Beardfish/Pain of Salvation replaced on Prog Nation tour
Just read this from Mike Portnoy...when I talked to the Bearfish guys over the weekend, they were so looking forward to this tour too:
"It is with the utmost disappointment that I am forced to share the unfortunate news of both Pain Of Salvation and Beardfish having to pull out of this summer's Progressive Nation tour....
Their label Inside Out just recently lost the financial funding for the tour as a result of their distributor SPV recently claiming bankruptcy...which effectively meant that both Pain Of Salvation and Beardfish lost the tour support that was essential to their ability to come to North America for Progressive Nation.
All parties involved (myself, both bands, Inside Out, etc) are beyond devastated at this turn of events and are truly sorry to all of the fans that were looking forward to this lineup. We tried everything we could do to salvage the situation, but in the end it was not possible...
Well as the album title says, every Black Cloud does indeed have a Silver Lining....so with this unfortunate news, I bring to you the good news of 2 incredible bands that will jumping on board Progressive Nation to join Dream Theater and Zappa Plays Zappa this summer: Bigelf and Scale The Summit.
Los Angeles' Bigelf are my personal favorite new band to come along in many years...their latest CD "Cheat The Gallows" is my favorite album of the year and I already had positioned them onto the European run of Progressive Nation in the Fall....with them now joining us on PN09 in North America as well, it looks like world domination is now not that far out of reach for them! Pretty soon, everyone will hopefully be falling for their retro, psychedelic, progressive, hard rock, doom metal as hard as I have!
Houston instrumental band Scale The Summit are a recent discovery for me and their top notch musicianship will be a perfect fit to this Progressive Nation lineup stylistically falling very nicely between the musicality of Dream Theater and Zappa Plays Zappa. They bring the instrumental elements of prog rock and fusion into today's contemporary hard rock/metal sounds and are one of the most talented group of young musicians I've seen assembled in many years.
Once again, apologies to anybody disappointed in this unexpected and unavoidable lineup change...but the circumstances were beyond our control... In any event, PN09 will carry on and still deliver the most musical bang for its buck this summer throughout North America and we look forward to sharing the evening with you!
Sincerely,
Your Progressive Rock Ambassador,
Mike Portnoy "
"It is with the utmost disappointment that I am forced to share the unfortunate news of both Pain Of Salvation and Beardfish having to pull out of this summer's Progressive Nation tour....
Their label Inside Out just recently lost the financial funding for the tour as a result of their distributor SPV recently claiming bankruptcy...which effectively meant that both Pain Of Salvation and Beardfish lost the tour support that was essential to their ability to come to North America for Progressive Nation.
All parties involved (myself, both bands, Inside Out, etc) are beyond devastated at this turn of events and are truly sorry to all of the fans that were looking forward to this lineup. We tried everything we could do to salvage the situation, but in the end it was not possible...
Well as the album title says, every Black Cloud does indeed have a Silver Lining....so with this unfortunate news, I bring to you the good news of 2 incredible bands that will jumping on board Progressive Nation to join Dream Theater and Zappa Plays Zappa this summer: Bigelf and Scale The Summit.
Los Angeles' Bigelf are my personal favorite new band to come along in many years...their latest CD "Cheat The Gallows" is my favorite album of the year and I already had positioned them onto the European run of Progressive Nation in the Fall....with them now joining us on PN09 in North America as well, it looks like world domination is now not that far out of reach for them! Pretty soon, everyone will hopefully be falling for their retro, psychedelic, progressive, hard rock, doom metal as hard as I have!
Houston instrumental band Scale The Summit are a recent discovery for me and their top notch musicianship will be a perfect fit to this Progressive Nation lineup stylistically falling very nicely between the musicality of Dream Theater and Zappa Plays Zappa. They bring the instrumental elements of prog rock and fusion into today's contemporary hard rock/metal sounds and are one of the most talented group of young musicians I've seen assembled in many years.
Once again, apologies to anybody disappointed in this unexpected and unavoidable lineup change...but the circumstances were beyond our control... In any event, PN09 will carry on and still deliver the most musical bang for its buck this summer throughout North America and we look forward to sharing the evening with you!
Sincerely,
Your Progressive Rock Ambassador,
Mike Portnoy "
03 June 2009
InsideOut June 2009 news
TRAIL OF DEAD
In the night from Sunday to Monday, 07. to 08. of June 2009, 00.30 - 02.15 a.m German TV proudly presents in WDR Rockpalast a complete concert of ...AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD (recorded live in Cologne on May 15th 2009)
INDUKTI
The second album by Indukti is called "Idmen" and will be released end of July on Insideout Music.
EUREKA
The new Eureka album 'Shackleton's Voyage' tells the true story of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s sensational Antarctica expedition in the years 1914 to 1916. Musical guest on this album are Billy Sherwood (ex Yes, Conspiracy, World Trade), Yogi Lang (RPWL) and Troy Donockley (Iona, Nightwish).
Four tracks of the album can be pre-listened on myspace: www.myspace.com/eurekashackletonsvoyage
The artists own homepage is now available in english too: www.eureka-music.de
BEARDFISH
New Beardfish album 'Destined Solitaire' will be released by the end of July 2009. 70s style Progressive Rock at its best. Initial pressing in digipack available.
In the night from Sunday to Monday, 07. to 08. of June 2009, 00.30 - 02.15 a.m German TV proudly presents in WDR Rockpalast a complete concert of ...AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD (recorded live in Cologne on May 15th 2009)
INDUKTI
The second album by Indukti is called "Idmen" and will be released end of July on Insideout Music.
EUREKA
The new Eureka album 'Shackleton's Voyage' tells the true story of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s sensational Antarctica expedition in the years 1914 to 1916. Musical guest on this album are Billy Sherwood (ex Yes, Conspiracy, World Trade), Yogi Lang (RPWL) and Troy Donockley (Iona, Nightwish).
Four tracks of the album can be pre-listened on myspace: www.myspace.com/
The artists own homepage is now available in english too: www.eureka-music.de
BEARDFISH
New Beardfish album 'Destined Solitaire' will be released by the end of July 2009. 70s style Progressive Rock at its best. Initial pressing in digipack available.
17 February 2009
Progressive Nation 2009 announced
New York progressive metal veterans DREAM THEATER will take their Progressive Nation tour back on the road for its second incarnation with a run through America and Canada in July/August 2009.
In addition to a headlining set by DREAM THEATER, this year's package will feature the outstanding musicianship of ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA as well as two incredibly talented imports from Sweden: PAIN OF SALVATION and BEARDFISH.
Progressive Nation was created by DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy and its successful inaugural run in 2008 also featured OPETH, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME and THREE.
Portnoy once again hand-picked all of the bands for the 2009 bill based on their diversity and musicality. He comments: "This year's lineup is so exciting for me. Every band is bringing something very unique to the package to create an incredibly well rounded musical experience. I am just as excited to be watching all the bands from the side of the stage as I am to be performing with mine in the center of it!"
Fresh on the heels of his Grammy win, Dweezil Zappa is pleased to announce his plans to join forces with DREAM THEATER as part of the Progressive Nation 2009 tour: "It's no secret that I started ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA with the intention to diversify and expand the audience for my father's music. I figured I'd probably have to do it one concert at a time. Playing with DREAM THEATER on the Progressive Nation tour is a great way to accomplish that goal. Music fans who are seeking something to challenge their senses should definitely consider attending this great bill."
Portnoy adds: "It is an absolute honor for me to have ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA on board. Frank Zappa is one of my all-time biggest heroes and his music practically invented the term 'progressive.' Dweezil is doing an amazing job carrying on the tradition of his father's daring spirit and like his dad, has surrounded himself with a band of jaw-dropping, incredible musicians."
Sweden's PAIN OF SALVATION will bring their unique brand of cutting-edge progressive metal to Progressive Nation. Vocalist/guitarist Daniel Gildenlöw comments: "We are truly very happy to be part of the Progressive Nation tour, and to be back in the States again and bring all the sweat and flesh to our music and our well deserving American fans. We feel honored to have been asked."
Gildenlöw also joked: "Actually, Mike has been on our backs now for two years in what we believe to be a personal campaign, bordering on harassment, to make us come over. So when he asked us about Progressive Nation, it was a joy to finally be able to say yes. And if Mike didn't give up on us, then hopefully America hasn't either."
Vocalist/keyboardist Rikard Sjöblom of BEARDFISH is equally excited: "When we read on a website that Mike Portnoy had our album 'Sleeping in Traffic Part 1' among his favorite releases of 2007, we just couldn't believe it and we were really happy about it! And now we once again gasp for air since we've been asked to join Progressive Nation 2009 together with DREAM THEATER (one of the biggest bands in this genre today!), PAIN OF SALVATION (hey, fellow Swedes!!!) and ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA (being a HUGE Zappa fan myself, I think this is really cool!). Since we've only played the U.S. once before we simply can't wait to come over and rock out!"
Progressive Nation will be the first North American tour for DREAM THEATER in support of the band's newest Roadrunner Records CD, which is slated for a June 2009 release.
In addition to a headlining set by DREAM THEATER, this year's package will feature the outstanding musicianship of ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA as well as two incredibly talented imports from Sweden: PAIN OF SALVATION and BEARDFISH.
Progressive Nation was created by DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy and its successful inaugural run in 2008 also featured OPETH, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME and THREE.
Portnoy once again hand-picked all of the bands for the 2009 bill based on their diversity and musicality. He comments: "This year's lineup is so exciting for me. Every band is bringing something very unique to the package to create an incredibly well rounded musical experience. I am just as excited to be watching all the bands from the side of the stage as I am to be performing with mine in the center of it!"
Fresh on the heels of his Grammy win, Dweezil Zappa is pleased to announce his plans to join forces with DREAM THEATER as part of the Progressive Nation 2009 tour: "It's no secret that I started ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA with the intention to diversify and expand the audience for my father's music. I figured I'd probably have to do it one concert at a time. Playing with DREAM THEATER on the Progressive Nation tour is a great way to accomplish that goal. Music fans who are seeking something to challenge their senses should definitely consider attending this great bill."
Portnoy adds: "It is an absolute honor for me to have ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA on board. Frank Zappa is one of my all-time biggest heroes and his music practically invented the term 'progressive.' Dweezil is doing an amazing job carrying on the tradition of his father's daring spirit and like his dad, has surrounded himself with a band of jaw-dropping, incredible musicians."
Sweden's PAIN OF SALVATION will bring their unique brand of cutting-edge progressive metal to Progressive Nation. Vocalist/guitarist Daniel Gildenlöw comments: "We are truly very happy to be part of the Progressive Nation tour, and to be back in the States again and bring all the sweat and flesh to our music and our well deserving American fans. We feel honored to have been asked."
Gildenlöw also joked: "Actually, Mike has been on our backs now for two years in what we believe to be a personal campaign, bordering on harassment, to make us come over. So when he asked us about Progressive Nation, it was a joy to finally be able to say yes. And if Mike didn't give up on us, then hopefully America hasn't either."
Vocalist/keyboardist Rikard Sjöblom of BEARDFISH is equally excited: "When we read on a website that Mike Portnoy had our album 'Sleeping in Traffic Part 1' among his favorite releases of 2007, we just couldn't believe it and we were really happy about it! And now we once again gasp for air since we've been asked to join Progressive Nation 2009 together with DREAM THEATER (one of the biggest bands in this genre today!), PAIN OF SALVATION (hey, fellow Swedes!!!) and ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA (being a HUGE Zappa fan myself, I think this is really cool!). Since we've only played the U.S. once before we simply can't wait to come over and rock out!"
Progressive Nation will be the first North American tour for DREAM THEATER in support of the band's newest Roadrunner Records CD, which is slated for a June 2009 release.
26 September 2008
A couple brief thoughts on the 4 bands currently signed for NEARfest 2009…
PFM: this is the only one of the “Big Three” Italian bands I have yet to see live. Having said this, I have been making myself familiar with their catalogue, and while there’s one or two albums I find myself really enjoying, in general I find them less interesting than Banco or Le Orme. I think Banco has probably had a somewhat more consistent and enjoyable (for me) career and discography, while Le Orme’s high points are nearly sublime in their perfection.
Having said this…Storia di un minuto and Per un amico are incredibly solid albums, filled with highlights, and I really like them.
http://www.pfmpfm.it/
Oblivion Sun: I am not overly familiar with the band as such, but the pedigree…Stan Whitaker and Frank Wyatt from Happy the Man, Chris Mack from Illuvatar…not a bad set of bands to be formed from. Their debut album has gotten rave reviews, and Stan/Frank’s previous project, Pedal Giant Animals, was the basis for this new group. I hope things relating to Stan’s current health issues don’t keep the group from playing, though I’d certainly understand if things need to be rearranged. But I am looking forward to seeing these guys, and picking up both releases, very soon.
http://oblivionsun.com/
Beardfish: I’ve written about these guys in here before, I am pretty sure. Their previous two albums, Sleeping in Traffic Part 1 and Sleeping in Traffic Part 2 are killer slabs of vintage sounding progressive rock, with enough contemporary edge to keep them sounding fresh and vital. Rikard Sjöblom is a modern prog mastermind, and the band members are no slouches when it comes to composing, arranging and performing music filled with dynamics and humour. I am very psyched to see this group live finally…and I wonder if their signing (and the fact that Beardfish now makes up the majority of Andy Tillison’s band The Tangent) means that The Tangent will be signed to NEARfest as well…
http://www.beardfish.argh.se/
Quantum Fantay: Another band I am not overly familiar with, but what I have read suggests Ozrics-style space rock. I loved Hidria Spacefolk (who ply similar musical waters), and felt the Ozrics were tedium incarnate. I have no idea what this group will bring, but I’m willing to give them a listen.
From their NEARfest bio: “Hailing from Belgium, Quantum Fantay begins when two crazy friends, Pieter Van den Broeck (Pete Mush) and Wouter De Geest (Jaro), combine their musical visions and creativity. The result is the music of Quantum Fantay and their brand of liquid space rock. Drawing influences from, without being derivative of, bands such as Ozric Tentacles, Hawkwind and Hidria Spacefolk, Quantum Fantay create soundscapes and rhythms that wholly draw in the listener. Using hypnotic waves, atmospheric soundscapes, psychedelic synths, haunting melodies, woody groovy basslines with energy driven and experimental drums, a Quantum gig is a show to remember. To make the band live breathable and even more interesting the two neighbors attracted drummer Gino Verhaegen, guitar player Dario Frodo and flute-player Karel Slabbaert (Charles Sla). Quantum Fantay, a name that came out of a typing error for the word fantasy, was on it's way.
The year 2005 saw them release the album, "Agapanthustherra" to critical acclaim while 2007 saw the release of "Ugisiunsi," their second studio album recorded at "Pete's Mushroom Land" recording studio. This creation was a step further in terms of production and playing. 2008 has been an exciting year for the band as their first album has been re-released and a new live album titled, "From Herzberg to Living Room," are added to their catalog and recordings for the next studio album are fully on.”
http://www.quantum-fantay.com
Having said this…Storia di un minuto and Per un amico are incredibly solid albums, filled with highlights, and I really like them.
http://www.pfmpfm.it/
Oblivion Sun: I am not overly familiar with the band as such, but the pedigree…Stan Whitaker and Frank Wyatt from Happy the Man, Chris Mack from Illuvatar…not a bad set of bands to be formed from. Their debut album has gotten rave reviews, and Stan/Frank’s previous project, Pedal Giant Animals, was the basis for this new group. I hope things relating to Stan’s current health issues don’t keep the group from playing, though I’d certainly understand if things need to be rearranged. But I am looking forward to seeing these guys, and picking up both releases, very soon.
http://oblivionsun.com/
Beardfish: I’ve written about these guys in here before, I am pretty sure. Their previous two albums, Sleeping in Traffic Part 1 and Sleeping in Traffic Part 2 are killer slabs of vintage sounding progressive rock, with enough contemporary edge to keep them sounding fresh and vital. Rikard Sjöblom is a modern prog mastermind, and the band members are no slouches when it comes to composing, arranging and performing music filled with dynamics and humour. I am very psyched to see this group live finally…and I wonder if their signing (and the fact that Beardfish now makes up the majority of Andy Tillison’s band The Tangent) means that The Tangent will be signed to NEARfest as well…
http://www.beardfish.argh.se/
Quantum Fantay: Another band I am not overly familiar with, but what I have read suggests Ozrics-style space rock. I loved Hidria Spacefolk (who ply similar musical waters), and felt the Ozrics were tedium incarnate. I have no idea what this group will bring, but I’m willing to give them a listen.
From their NEARfest bio: “Hailing from Belgium, Quantum Fantay begins when two crazy friends, Pieter Van den Broeck (Pete Mush) and Wouter De Geest (Jaro), combine their musical visions and creativity. The result is the music of Quantum Fantay and their brand of liquid space rock. Drawing influences from, without being derivative of, bands such as Ozric Tentacles, Hawkwind and Hidria Spacefolk, Quantum Fantay create soundscapes and rhythms that wholly draw in the listener. Using hypnotic waves, atmospheric soundscapes, psychedelic synths, haunting melodies, woody groovy basslines with energy driven and experimental drums, a Quantum gig is a show to remember. To make the band live breathable and even more interesting the two neighbors attracted drummer Gino Verhaegen, guitar player Dario Frodo and flute-player Karel Slabbaert (Charles Sla). Quantum Fantay, a name that came out of a typing error for the word fantasy, was on it's way.
The year 2005 saw them release the album, "Agapanthustherra" to critical acclaim while 2007 saw the release of "Ugisiunsi," their second studio album recorded at "Pete's Mushroom Land" recording studio. This creation was a step further in terms of production and playing. 2008 has been an exciting year for the band as their first album has been re-released and a new live album titled, "From Herzberg to Living Room," are added to their catalog and recordings for the next studio album are fully on.”
http://www.quantum-fantay.com
01 July 2008
The Tangent news
Direct from Andy Tillison:
It has been some time since I communicated with you and for this I apologise. For various personal reasons I once again am on the move, still caught between France and England. There just might be a song in there somewhere. Stay tuned.
The Tangent is on the move too, making plans, some of which will come as a bit of a shock to you all. The first piece of good news is that we plan to make another Tangent album later this year and well into next. With that, though - in true, classic, Tangent and Prog fashion - will come another round of personnel reshuffles. This one will be a major one. It is not a set of decisions that I have taken lightly. Nonetheless, after long and careful consideration I have decided that we will move forward on this next album without Jaime Salazar, Krister Jonsson and even Jonas Reingold.
There are a number of reasons for this decision - some of them that old classic Rock n Roll cliché 'Artistic differences' and some of them far more practical and down to earth than that. They are, however, decisions that had to be made. And yet I must say that I will particularly miss Jonas Reingold who has encouraged and supported both myself and particularly our manager Ian from the very beginning. To Jonas, in particular, many many thanks and let's let our musical and business paths cross again sometime!
In some important ways, though, these decisions bring matters in line with the reality of things. The most recent album "Not As Good As The Book" was largely made by myself, Guy, Theo and Jakko - and Guy really hasn't ever been given enough credit for his role both within and outside the band. It is, at least commercially, the bands most successful album yet, however it was very sad to have to leave someone who is so keen on the band's work at home, (Theo Travis and Jakko too). Both Guy and I would count ourselves as composers and arrangers rather than virtuosos, but in the end, to me, probably to Guy too, having people in the band who are committed mentally and spiritually to the music is more important than the very best musicianship. The dream of turning the Tangent into a real band has been very difficult to achieve. The next move puts us back into the "project" territory in some ways, but as we came from that beginning, it won't present any of us with a problem.
One thing that I have learned in life, of course, is that every time a door closes in one place another door opens somewhere else. So....on a more positive note .... this is what comes next - we hope. I have asked the band Beardfish to collaborate with us en masse: the whole lot of them! After all, we had a sizable chunk of another band on our first two albums, we're just switching bands ;-)
On tour this past month with Beardfish, I can only say that I was amazed at their abilities, their youthfulness and their vigour - but most of all their belief that Progressive Rock can be an important part of their world; a world in which they are in their mid 20s. I only missed their set once on an eight day tour, and thoroughly enjoyed every one of them, they played with a gusto that I envied and had a brotherhood which I missed so much within my own band. I became very good friends with them all, and even got invited to guest with them onstage in Belgium, where I really messed up an organ solo on their behalf. However, I left the tour wanting to work with them, and put the question to them just a few weeks ago.
The good news is this. In reply to my offer, the Beardfish have replied with an enthusiastic "YES." As a result, they will form the core of the new band, which will debut at Summer's End (with hopefully and in all probability Guy, Theo and Jakko - thus making an 8 piece band!!, we will keep you posted on this). Several important points:
1. The Tangent and Beardfish will continue to exist, record and perform in their own right
2. The Tangent's lineup will still be variable at concerts depending on location, budget etc.
3. Rikard from Beardfish will also play keyboards and sing some vocals for the Tangent alongside me... back to 2 keys players as it should be!
4. Theo Travis and Jakko are still in the Tangent, how their roles develop is a matter of time and work, and we cannot predict how these two guys will find the new band who they have not yet met. However from day one both these people have been totally into the music and philosophy of the band and their early response to this change has been positive.
5. In mind of adapting to audience sizes and costs this does give both bands and promoters an opportunity of touring and playing at festivals as part of two band 'package deal'..
I think people are used to the fact now that The Tangent is and most likely will always be ever evolving. I really see this as a positive experience for both band and audience. To those that doubt, all we can say is "look what we did since (fill in blank here) left..." and trust that we can continue to create alert and challenging music for some time yet.
Maybe the anti-Tangent faction will say that it will spoil Beardfish, but be rest assured these guys are far too strong to be spoiled by me.
Of course, after all that I have said, I will finish by saying an enormous "thank you" to the three departing guys who in their time were an undoubtedly powerful force in making the Tangent what it was and still is. These were among the very best musicians I have ever had the pleasure to work with, I count myself lucky to have had this opportunity.
Now- here comes the future. It's good to be scared again.
Andy Tillison
It has been some time since I communicated with you and for this I apologise. For various personal reasons I once again am on the move, still caught between France and England. There just might be a song in there somewhere. Stay tuned.
The Tangent is on the move too, making plans, some of which will come as a bit of a shock to you all. The first piece of good news is that we plan to make another Tangent album later this year and well into next. With that, though - in true, classic, Tangent and Prog fashion - will come another round of personnel reshuffles. This one will be a major one. It is not a set of decisions that I have taken lightly. Nonetheless, after long and careful consideration I have decided that we will move forward on this next album without Jaime Salazar, Krister Jonsson and even Jonas Reingold.
There are a number of reasons for this decision - some of them that old classic Rock n Roll cliché 'Artistic differences' and some of them far more practical and down to earth than that. They are, however, decisions that had to be made. And yet I must say that I will particularly miss Jonas Reingold who has encouraged and supported both myself and particularly our manager Ian from the very beginning. To Jonas, in particular, many many thanks and let's let our musical and business paths cross again sometime!
In some important ways, though, these decisions bring matters in line with the reality of things. The most recent album "Not As Good As The Book" was largely made by myself, Guy, Theo and Jakko - and Guy really hasn't ever been given enough credit for his role both within and outside the band. It is, at least commercially, the bands most successful album yet, however it was very sad to have to leave someone who is so keen on the band's work at home, (Theo Travis and Jakko too). Both Guy and I would count ourselves as composers and arrangers rather than virtuosos, but in the end, to me, probably to Guy too, having people in the band who are committed mentally and spiritually to the music is more important than the very best musicianship. The dream of turning the Tangent into a real band has been very difficult to achieve. The next move puts us back into the "project" territory in some ways, but as we came from that beginning, it won't present any of us with a problem.
One thing that I have learned in life, of course, is that every time a door closes in one place another door opens somewhere else. So....on a more positive note .... this is what comes next - we hope. I have asked the band Beardfish to collaborate with us en masse: the whole lot of them! After all, we had a sizable chunk of another band on our first two albums, we're just switching bands ;-)
On tour this past month with Beardfish, I can only say that I was amazed at their abilities, their youthfulness and their vigour - but most of all their belief that Progressive Rock can be an important part of their world; a world in which they are in their mid 20s. I only missed their set once on an eight day tour, and thoroughly enjoyed every one of them, they played with a gusto that I envied and had a brotherhood which I missed so much within my own band. I became very good friends with them all, and even got invited to guest with them onstage in Belgium, where I really messed up an organ solo on their behalf. However, I left the tour wanting to work with them, and put the question to them just a few weeks ago.
The good news is this. In reply to my offer, the Beardfish have replied with an enthusiastic "YES." As a result, they will form the core of the new band, which will debut at Summer's End (with hopefully and in all probability Guy, Theo and Jakko - thus making an 8 piece band!!, we will keep you posted on this). Several important points:
1. The Tangent and Beardfish will continue to exist, record and perform in their own right
2. The Tangent's lineup will still be variable at concerts depending on location, budget etc.
3. Rikard from Beardfish will also play keyboards and sing some vocals for the Tangent alongside me... back to 2 keys players as it should be!
4. Theo Travis and Jakko are still in the Tangent, how their roles develop is a matter of time and work, and we cannot predict how these two guys will find the new band who they have not yet met. However from day one both these people have been totally into the music and philosophy of the band and their early response to this change has been positive.
5. In mind of adapting to audience sizes and costs this does give both bands and promoters an opportunity of touring and playing at festivals as part of two band 'package deal'..
I think people are used to the fact now that The Tangent is and most likely will always be ever evolving. I really see this as a positive experience for both band and audience. To those that doubt, all we can say is "look what we did since (fill in blank here) left..." and trust that we can continue to create alert and challenging music for some time yet.
Maybe the anti-Tangent faction will say that it will spoil Beardfish, but be rest assured these guys are far too strong to be spoiled by me.
Of course, after all that I have said, I will finish by saying an enormous "thank you" to the three departing guys who in their time were an undoubtedly powerful force in making the Tangent what it was and still is. These were among the very best musicians I have ever had the pleasure to work with, I count myself lucky to have had this opportunity.
Now- here comes the future. It's good to be scared again.
Andy Tillison
16 May 2008
Reviews and more...
I just wanted to post a quick update about a bunch of reviews and stuff that have been posted, or will be posted soon-ish, that may be of some interest to you, Constant Readers.
The following reviews were published on Progscape yesterday:
Matthew Parmenter Horror Express 05/15/2008
Rainwound Shrouded Destiny 05/15/2008
Beardfish Sleeping in Traffic: Part Two 05/15/2008
Rod DeGeorge Cosmic Playground 05/15/2008
The following reviews have just been submitted:
Caamora She (2 CD release)
Caamora She (DVD release)
As soon as they are up, I will be providing links to interviews with the following artists:
Andy Tillison of The Tangent/Parallel or 90 Degrees
Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings/formerly Kaipa, The Tangent, Transatlantic
The following artists have interviews coming up:
Gary Lauzon of The Rebel Wheel
Jason Blake of Aziola Cry
~~~~~~~~~~
Here's what I'm listening to recently:
Asia - Phoenix (Frontiers Music)
Alberto Rigoni - Something Different (Lion Music)
Nude Black Glass - Nude Black Glass (private release)
Fernwood - Almeria(private release)
Voluntary Mother Earth - Unacceptable Vegetable (private release)
You'll probably be getting links to reviews over the coming week or so.
~~~~~~~~~~
NEARfest is about one month away now, and I suppose it goes without saying that I will be there. I'll be covering the event for a variety of outlets, and you will more than likely be getting all kinds of links to photo galleries, reviews, interviews and so on. I'll look into Blogger's voice post capabilities to see if there's any way I can push voice posts here as a stop gap over the course of the two days, but in the event that I cannot, I do have a personal blog that does allow for voice posting. I may simply post a link to that blog before the festival and ask that people hit that page over the course of the weekend if they were at all interested in a 'blogging as the festival goes' kind of thing.
The following reviews were published on Progscape yesterday:
Matthew Parmenter Horror Express 05/15/2008
Rainwound Shrouded Destiny 05/15/2008
Beardfish Sleeping in Traffic: Part Two 05/15/2008
Rod DeGeorge Cosmic Playground 05/15/2008
The following reviews have just been submitted:
Caamora She (2 CD release)
Caamora She (DVD release)
As soon as they are up, I will be providing links to interviews with the following artists:
Andy Tillison of The Tangent/Parallel or 90 Degrees
Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings/formerly Kaipa, The Tangent, Transatlantic
The following artists have interviews coming up:
Gary Lauzon of The Rebel Wheel
Jason Blake of Aziola Cry
~~~~~~~~~~
Here's what I'm listening to recently:
Asia - Phoenix (Frontiers Music)
Alberto Rigoni - Something Different (Lion Music)
Nude Black Glass - Nude Black Glass (private release)
Fernwood - Almeria(private release)
Voluntary Mother Earth - Unacceptable Vegetable (private release)
You'll probably be getting links to reviews over the coming week or so.
~~~~~~~~~~
NEARfest is about one month away now, and I suppose it goes without saying that I will be there. I'll be covering the event for a variety of outlets, and you will more than likely be getting all kinds of links to photo galleries, reviews, interviews and so on. I'll look into Blogger's voice post capabilities to see if there's any way I can push voice posts here as a stop gap over the course of the two days, but in the event that I cannot, I do have a personal blog that does allow for voice posting. I may simply post a link to that blog before the festival and ask that people hit that page over the course of the weekend if they were at all interested in a 'blogging as the festival goes' kind of thing.
19 April 2008
Things I am currently listening to...
Just a quick post this balmy (well, soon to be balmy) Saturday morning to list a few things that have caught my ears of late...
Beardfish - Sleeping in Traffic: Part Two. The sequel to 2007's highly regarded album, SiT2 sees the band more vividly showcasing some of the Zappa-isms that have endeared them to their fans. It is by and large a heavier, somewhat darker side of the band, and one that I look forward to digging deeper into over time. In depth review to follow in all the usual places...you know where to look!
Caamora - She. Clive Nolan's latest rock opera...no, call it a rock Broadway musical. Alan Reed, Christina Booth, John Jowitt and Mark Westwood all guest or play throughout this 2-CD/1 DVD release. The studio album is enjoyable, the DVD more so. Good staging, great performances...I could see this show successfully mounted on Broadway. Based on the classic novel by H. Rider Haggard, this work bodes well for future full-scale projects from Caamora. If you like your prog with a healthy dose of drama and theatrics, check it out. Who said big stage shows can't work in prog?
Opeth - "The Lotus Eaters." Yes, tracks are starting to leak from the band's forthcoming ninth studio album Watershed. This is about as far from what I'd expect from Opeth, and that's maybe a good thing. Baroque elements battle with blast beats, layered, harmonized clean vocals with classic Akerfeldt death grunt. Add in a trippy psych/jazz vamp in the middle and you have one of the most atypical, technical Opeth songs ever. Looking forward to the rest of the album. (BTW, there will be an official track download available at Classic Rock's website on Monday. Click here for details.)
Bruce Springsteen - The Rising. Yeah, it's not prog, but Danny Federici (long time organ/accordion/glockenspeil player) died this week, he's from Flemington (just up the road from where I live), and being a life-long Jersey boy, Springsteen holds a special place in my musical upbringing. I think I prefer Springsteen's newest (Magic) to this release, but Danny's got some great playing on this one (his organ coda on "You're Missing," for one). He'll be missed. Rest well, Phantom Dan...
Beardfish - Sleeping in Traffic: Part Two. The sequel to 2007's highly regarded album, SiT2 sees the band more vividly showcasing some of the Zappa-isms that have endeared them to their fans. It is by and large a heavier, somewhat darker side of the band, and one that I look forward to digging deeper into over time. In depth review to follow in all the usual places...you know where to look!
Caamora - She. Clive Nolan's latest rock opera...no, call it a rock Broadway musical. Alan Reed, Christina Booth, John Jowitt and Mark Westwood all guest or play throughout this 2-CD/1 DVD release. The studio album is enjoyable, the DVD more so. Good staging, great performances...I could see this show successfully mounted on Broadway. Based on the classic novel by H. Rider Haggard, this work bodes well for future full-scale projects from Caamora. If you like your prog with a healthy dose of drama and theatrics, check it out. Who said big stage shows can't work in prog?
Opeth - "The Lotus Eaters." Yes, tracks are starting to leak from the band's forthcoming ninth studio album Watershed. This is about as far from what I'd expect from Opeth, and that's maybe a good thing. Baroque elements battle with blast beats, layered, harmonized clean vocals with classic Akerfeldt death grunt. Add in a trippy psych/jazz vamp in the middle and you have one of the most atypical, technical Opeth songs ever. Looking forward to the rest of the album. (BTW, there will be an official track download available at Classic Rock's website on Monday. Click here for details.)
Bruce Springsteen - The Rising. Yeah, it's not prog, but Danny Federici (long time organ/accordion/glockenspeil player) died this week, he's from Flemington (just up the road from where I live), and being a life-long Jersey boy, Springsteen holds a special place in my musical upbringing. I think I prefer Springsteen's newest (Magic) to this release, but Danny's got some great playing on this one (his organ coda on "You're Missing," for one). He'll be missed. Rest well, Phantom Dan...
19 February 2008
InsideOut presents an evening with The Tangent/Ritual/Beardfish
Quite an interesting triple billing, concert-wise. I enjoyed both Ritual and Beardfish's newest releases (see reviews HERE and HERE), and while familiar with the Tangent, have not listened enough to get a full feeling for their material. Still...solid touring lineup throughout:
Friday 16th May 2008 Germany: Karlsruhe Substage
http://www.substage.de/
Saturday 17th May 2008 Switzerland: Pratteln Z-7
http://www.z-7.ch/
Sunday 18th May 2008 Italy: Voghera Thunderroad
http://www.thunderroad.it/
Tuesday 20th May 2008 UK: London The Underworld
http://www.theunderworldcamden.co.uk/
Thursday 22nd May 2008 Netherlands: Zoetermeer De Boerderij
http://www.boerderij.org/
Friday 23rd May 2008 Germany: Bielefeld Movie
http://www.movie-bielefeld.de/
Saturday 24th May 2008 Belgium: Verviers Spirit of 66
http://www.spiritof66.be/
Sunday 25th May 2008 Netherlands: Uden De Pul
http://www.depul-uden.nl/
Friday 16th May 2008 Germany: Karlsruhe Substage
http://www.substage.de/
Saturday 17th May 2008 Switzerland: Pratteln Z-7
http://www.z-7.ch/
Sunday 18th May 2008 Italy: Voghera Thunderroad
http://www.thunderroad.it/
Tuesday 20th May 2008 UK: London The Underworld
http://www.theunderworldcamden
Thursday 22nd May 2008 Netherlands: Zoetermeer De Boerderij
http://www.boerderij.org/
Friday 23rd May 2008 Germany: Bielefeld Movie
http://www.movie-bielefeld.de/
Saturday 24th May 2008 Belgium: Verviers Spirit of 66
http://www.spiritof66.be/
Sunday 25th May 2008 Netherlands: Uden De Pul
http://www.depul-uden.nl/
06 February 2008
A selection of news bites...
Jethro Tull:
40th anniversary tour, DVD documentary on the band, and more.
Beardfish:
News on Sleeping in Traffic Part II.
Radio Massacre International:
Completely new website...
The Enid:
Two new full songs for download (well, new as of September 2007, but still) of material being worked up for possible forthcoming release.
Jade Warrior:
New album NOW nearing completion...hopefully a 2008 release.
Gryphon:
New album in the works since September...possible Summer 2008 release.
40th anniversary tour, DVD documentary on the band, and more.
Beardfish:
News on Sleeping in Traffic Part II.
Radio Massacre International:
Completely new website...
The Enid:
Two new full songs for download (well, new as of September 2007, but still) of material being worked up for possible forthcoming release.
Jade Warrior:
New album NOW nearing completion...hopefully a 2008 release.
Gryphon:
New album in the works since September...possible Summer 2008 release.
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