The history of CYAN goes back to the Eighties, when Robert “ROB” Reed composed the first tracks that would eventually become CYAN tracks a couple of years later. CYAN were officially founded in the early Nineties by Rob Reed, prior to his involvement with Magenta. Reed released three albums with CYAN back then and the group was more or less laid to rest until Reed decided to resurrect the band with Pete Jones, Luke Machin and Dan Nelson a few years ago. Today, CYAN can be described as a progressive rock supergroup.
In 2021, CYAN released For King And Country, which consists of the above mentioned material written in the early days of the band and was rewritten and rearranged and recorded with the new line-up. Reed remembers: “Little did I know in 1983, sitting at the school piano writing these songs, that almost 40 years later those same songs would sound like they do on this album. I remember the original Cyan, made up of school mates, pooling our money, £35 to record them at a local 4 track studio with basic equipment. It’s been amazing to finally hear the songs at their full potential, with modern recording techniques and an amazing line up of players.”
The album was received well among fans and critics and many wondered why Reed held back that material for so long. He explains: “I’d held off releasing this album because I couldn’t find a vocalist to do it justice. Meeting Pete ticked that box, as soon as I heard him sing the first track. His voice just blends so good against Angharad Brinn, who I’d worked with on the Sanctuary solo albums. Having Luke play the guitar parts was just the icing on the cake. He is such a great player, with technique and feel. What a line up!” Pete Jones is also a common name, having played for both, Camel and Tiger Moth Tales, which are also big names in the progressive rock scene. Pete Jones says about his involvement: “I had known about the reworking of For King And Country for a while, so it was a great thrill to be asked by Rob to work with him on the project, alongside the other amazing musicians such as Luke and Angharad. The songs are fantastic. They have a youthful and yet vintage quality to them, as well they might, given that they were first done in the early 90s. But with the benefit of Rob’s experience, they have been reworked into an album which I feel is right up there with the classics.” With Luke Machin (The Tangent / Maschine) on guitar and Dan Nelson (Godsticks / Magenta) on bass, the new line-up was complete. Tim Robinson played drums on the record and Jiffy Griffith drums during their live shows. Today, CYAN are finishing a new album, which will be released in time for the festival season.
CYAN Line-Up: Rob Reed: Guitars, Keyboards Dan Nelson: Bass Peter Jones: Vocals Luke Machin: Guitars “Jiffy” Griffith: Drums
Karfagen are an Ukrainian art rock / progressive rock band, formed in 2006 by Antony Kalugin. Their music is mostly instrumental and combines elements of progressive rock, art rock and symphonic rock. Music and band concepts are mostly created by Antony Kalugin himself. The band has already released more than 10 albums and participated in several European progressive rock festivals. Karfagan do not have a standard line-up and they often have guests musicians from the Uraine and beyond. Their music shows an imaginative use of keyboards, guitars, classical and ethnic instruments. There are also connections and references to the music of the other Antony Kalugin projects — like Hoggwash and Sunchild. According to Antony, the music of Karfagen is created under the influence of Camel, Genesis, UK, Pink Floyd and The Flower Kings among other art rock bands.
Probably since 2016, the band became an interesting act to follow for prog music fans. They toured in Europe and also played several festivals and released highly acclaimed album such as Messages From Afar: First Contact (interesting side-note: the second part of this album was released by Antony’s other project Sunchild a little later) and in 2019 they released Echoes From Within Dragon Island. Since then, they have released albums every year: Birds Of Passage in 2020, Principles And Theory Of Spektra in 2021, Land Of Green And Gold in 2022 and Passage To The Forest Of Mysterious (2023). The albums are available via Bandcamp.
Their current line-up is: Anton Kalugin: keyboards, vocals Mariya Panasenko: vocals Olga Rostovska: backing vocal Anton Barsukov: guitar Kostiantyn Shepelenko: drums Vladyslav Karbovskyi: bass guitar
Alex Henry Foster has cancelled all planned concerts for 2023 due to ongoing health issues. Foster had to undergo a complicated surgery and has also reported about it on his Facebook page. Foster hoped to make a full recovery during spring and be able to do the summer festival shows. Unfortunately, this hope was not fulfilled.
Foster says: “It’s with profound sadness that I have to announce that, due to my still too fragile health condition and my specialists’ persistent disapproval, I had to take the dreadful decision to not only cancel my presence with the Long Shadows at festivals this summer — and along with it the joyful expectation I had of meeting you once again — but also to cancel the massive autumn European tour I was supposed to announce next week. I don’t need to tell you that it came out as a massive reality check for me, but even more so for my bandmates, crew members, numerous collaborators (…) who all had dedicatedly worked so hard to organize and set everything up for me to be back on the road in the coming months. The sole idea of having to make that cancellation/rescheduling call bore terrible sensations and left me emotionally stranded for quite a while. Letting people down is the worst of all feelings for me, especially as everyone has been so earnestly supportive and faithfully benevolent toward me. But regardless of my heartrending feelings, it’s nonetheless the best and most sensible decision I could make for the sake of my recovery at this point. Again, I want to thank you all for your kindness and understanding. It might be a much longer and more challenging journey than I initially expected and hoped for, but being uplifted by your indefectible support feeds the determination I need to envision and welcome every day as the precious gift it is for me to be alive and renewed.”
Alex Henry Foster was due to perform on Friday 14 July. We are of course also saddened by this development, but also we (of course) understand this decision and wish Alex a full and speedy recovery.
We will check whether Alex Henry Foster is an option again for the festival in 2024 and see if we can welcome him then with his fantastic band on the Loreley. However, a decision on this will be made in autumn at the earliest.
We have been busy recently and have filled the now vacant slot in the 2023 line-up, and a corresponding announcement will be made later this week.
This year’s Night Of The Prog Festival will take place from 14-16 July 2023 at the Loreley open-air amphitheatre near Sankt Goarshausen. Information about the line-up can be found here and tickets are available at this link.
Mad Fellaz is an eclectic band, formed in 2011 by Paolo Busatto, guitarist and primary composer of the band in Bassano del Grappa, Italy. Initially inspired by the great artists of classic progressive-rock, the band has been able to renew itself with extreme versatility and creativity, both in instrumental and vocal music. The writing of Mad Fellaz is inspired by the great prog bands (King Crimson, Genesis, Gentle Giant, Yes), and more recently winking at the new great artists of the music industry, without any genre limitation (Opeth, Snarky Puppy, Screaming Headless Torsos, Vulfpeck).
The band consists of 8 musicians, and includes members who have studied, worked and recorded with such names as Chick Corea Elektric Band, Dave Weckl, Peter Erskine, Gary Meek, John Etheridge (Soft Machine), Zucchero, Stan Sargeant, Andrea Innesto (Vasco Rossi), Fabio Trentini (Guano Apes, Le Orme), William Dotto (Le Orme, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso), Tolo Marton (Ian Paice), Michele Bon (Le Orme), Marco Iacampo, Erica Boschiero.
In over 10 years of activity, they have built a great reputation in the international progressive-rock environment and have released 4 studio albums so far. They have participated in some the most important Prog/Jazz Festivals in Italy and Europe, including ArtRock Festival (Reichenbach, DE), Ascona Jazz Festival (Ascona, CH), Porto Antico Prog Festival (Genoa, IT), 2Days Prog + 1 Festival (Veruno, IT), Progressivamente Free Fest (Rome, IT), sharing stages with the likes of Motorpsycho, RPWL, Procol Harum, The Watch, Lesoir. The stylistic evolution of the sound is evident, especially in the latest album Road to Planet Circus (February 2022, produced by Fabio Trentini), which marks a turning point for the band’s genre where elements of Jazz-rock, Fusion, Funk and Afrobeat now predominate, in compositions where each instrument is enhanced in its own timbral identity. The music of Mad Fellaz is a PROGression, a constantly evolving quest of new sounds that melts the boundaries between different musical styles and languages… and confuses Spotify’s categories!
Band Line-Up Paolo Busatto – guitar Ruggero Burigo – guitar Carlo Passuello – bass Enrico Brunelli – keyboards Rudy Zilio – flute/synth Luca Brighi – vocals Andrea Cecchetto – drums Filippo Zonta – percussion
OAK are a progressive rock band from Oslo, Norway. The band was founded ten years ago in 2013. The four members of Oak have a diverse background ranging from classical piano to electronica, prog- and hard-rock, with references to the alternative scene – a combination which makes the distinctive and unique Oak sound. The band’s debut album Lighthouse was released in 2013 on their own label, and was later reissued on Apollon Records in 2016.
In 2018 their second album False Memory Archive was released on Karisma Records, to much praise from both the prog and alternative rock communities. Oak has since played concerts in the UK, the Netherlands, Canada, Sweden and Germany. Of their performance at the prestigious Night Of The Prog Festival in Germany in July 2019, leading Norwegian publication Blezt commented, “Oak played with fervor, power and conviction, and seemed like they had never done anything other than play for thousands of people.”
Their third album, The Quiet Rebellion of Compromise was released on Karisma Records in November 2022. With three critically acclaimed albums, live performances at Night of the Prog Festival, support for Marillion and gigs across the world, Oak is now in the final stages of recording their fourth album.
Band Line-Up: Simen Valldal Johannessen: Vocals, keys Øystein Sootholtet: Bass, keys Sigbjørn Reiakvam: Drums, programming Stephan Hvinden: Guitars
French prog band Esthesis have released their acclaimed new album Watching Worlds Collide last year. The band has now announced a limited edition 2LP, pressed on 180g vinyl, to be released later this year in August. Only 200 copies are available.
The standard versions of the album are available on the Bandcamp site of the band, where you can also pre-order the limited edition Vinyl.
Esthesis will perform at this year’s Night Of The Prog Festival on Sunday, 16 July 2023 and will of course play tracks from their new album live. Tickets for the festival are available here.
In the past ten years, FUCHS, the project of multi-instrumentalist Hans-Jürgen Fuchs from Stuttgart, has developed into a constant on the German prog rock scene.
It all started back in spring 2010, when Hans-Jürgen Fuchs, who had released four albums together with his wife Ines in the 1990s and early 2000s, composed a number of original songs for a concept album about the escape of his ancestors from Silesia to West Germany. “I’ve always been a storyteller and simply had to tell this one,” explains Fuchs his motivation to record Leaving Home, which arrived at the stores in 2012. Even then the typical trademarks of his compositions were unmistakable: “I like big dynamics and different atmospheres, from very quiet to very loud, from slow to fast. In addition, I love interesting chord movements because you can use them to create fantastic sonic patterns. As a Genesis fan, Tony Banks is the master of chords to me.” All that and much more also features on Fuchs’s two subsequent offerings, The Unity Of Two (2014) and Station Songs (2018). For the subsequent concerts, a live line-up with experienced musicians from Stuttgart’s music scene and Fuchs on keyboards was soon established.
At the beginning of February 2020, Hans-Jürgen Fuchs performed the concert together with these musicians at the school where he works as a music teacher and for which he has already composed a dozen musicals that have also been performed by other schools all over Germany. The group played two sets at the sold-out assembly hall: the first four songs on One Lively Decade are from the beginning of the show, while numbers 5 to 9 are from part two, among them the 13:37-minute Here In My Void, which plays a special role in Fuchs’s compositional oeuvre, not only because it was performed live for the very first time: “The song raises the question which roads lead to happiness and how we can create something that allows us to go to sleep at night with a feeling of contentedness,” says Fuchs, who allowed his co-musicians even more room than usual during the recording of this song. “‘Here In My Void’ has an unusual amount of instrumental passages which allow every one of my musicians to perform a solo. Plus there’s a piano and synthesizer parts which sound like they could have been recorded by Nils Frahm. This number combines everything I like about music, and that includes, among other things, the many possibilities that longer songs offer.”
So are such extensive compositions a harbinger of Fuchs’s future? “Quite possibly,” predicts the project’s mastermind, “after all my colleagues make it easier for me all the time to arrange my material in a simple yet complex way because they’re all such outstanding musicians who infuse the songs with their own personalities. I feel that’s something you can hear on One Lively Decade, plus that almost physical joy of playing that lends a wonderful vibrancy to our songs.” No doubt about it: this is something we want more of!
Their new album will be called Too Much, Too Many – and is due to be released in time for the Night Of The Prog on 14 July 2023.
Band Line-Up: Hans-Jürgen Fuchs: akustische & elektrische Gitarren, Lapsteel, Keyboards, Gesang Ines Fuchs: Keyboards, Gesang Andy Bartzik: Gitarre Florian Dittrich: Schlagzeug Mike Köhler: Bass Baggi Buchmann: Leadgesang Michael Wasilewski: Leadgsang
FUCHS will be the second band to perform on Saturday, 15 July 2023 during our Night Of The Prog Festival! The Line-Up for Saturday is now complete – three more bands to be conformed for Sunday soon!
Tickets for the Night Of The Prog Festival 2023 are available in the WiV Ticket Shop!
The German jazz-metal quintet Panzerballett around guitarist, composer and arranger Jan Zehrfeld has gained a cult status in the prog/math/djent/tech-metal but also jazz-fusion scene worldwide.
The band’s original compositions and covers (“starkifications” [German: “Verkrassungen”], as they call it) of well-known pieces have become a distinctive trademark. The music is humorous, mathematically constructed and organically reconstructed. In an alternating bath of virtuoso force and casual airiness, complex riffs and jazzy improvisations are performed with breathtaking precision and joy of playing at the highest musical level, according to Zehrfeld’s motto “headbanging with brains”.
Virgil Donati‘s drumming has been a world leader for several decades, and his composing and orchestrating skills are also highly regarded. Always exploring the possibilities beyond the norm, he has broken through traditional genre boundaries as an introspective free spirit. He has toured and recorded with Planet X, Steve Vai, Allan Holdsworth, Tony MacAlpine, Kiko Loureiro, Bunny Brunel, Scott Henderson and Steve Walsh, among others.
Panzerballett will present a mixture of still unheard material and Panzerballett “evergreens” alongside the current album Planet Z.
Some quotes about the band
“Panzerballett is the first band I’ve heard that really leads Music into the 21st Century!” – Randy Brecker
“Very well done. Normally, I don’t like people re-arranging my father’s music but this was a pleasant surprise.” – Dweezil Zappa
“What you are doing is truly innovative and refreshing, not to say ingenious.” – Mattias IA Eklundh, Freak Kitchen
“Hart Genossen von ABBA bis Zappa – My favourite record 2009.” – Bård Torstensen, Clawfinger
Band Line-Up: Jan Zehrfeld [guitar, comp.] Virgil Donati [drums, comp.] Anton Davidyants [bass] Florian Fennes [sax] Joe Doblhofer [guitar]
LEPROUS are a norwegian Progessive-Metal band that has been around for more than two decades.
The Norwegian mavericks have produced some of the deepest and most rewarding music imaginable, steadily evolving from their beginnings as exuberant prog metal explorers, to their current status as one of the most unique and fascinating bands in modern heavy music.
Opening their creative account with kaleidoscopic debut Tall Poppy Syndrome in 2009, Leprous have always exhibited a profound desire to make music that sounds like nothing else on Earth. Maturing via the critically acclaimed likes of The Congregation (2015) and Malina (2017), frontman Einar Solberg’s extraordinary songwriting talents have taken his band to new heights with each successive release. Similarly revered as a jaw-dropping and heart-stopping live band, Leprous have been enthusiastically embraced by a wide variety of music lovers, from diehard metalheads to old school prog fans and, in truth, anyone that demands a little bit more passion, power and elegance from their music. In 2019, Leprous released Pitfalls; their sixth studio album and the most personal batch of songs that Solberg had ever written. Detailing the multi-instrumentalist’s battles with depression and anxiety, it was universally hailed as a career peak. With extensive touring plans spoiled by an unexpected global pandemic, the Norwegians were unable to conclude their plans for Pitfalls, but the good news is that time has not been wasted during the last year’s lockdown. Pieced together in three different studios, Leprous’ seventh full-length album Aphelion is yet another monumental artistic achievement, and the most startling and dynamic record they have ever made.
Although unmistakably the work of the same band that made Pitfalls, Aphelion immediately stands out as a radical statement by this endlessly inventive band. Veering from some of the heaviest and most intense material of their career to some of the most delicate and heart-breaking music in the Leprous canon, Aphelion is an album of beautifully crafted and meticulously arranged mini-masterworks.
Due to the chaos caused by the Covid catastrophe, Aphelion was recorded in three different studios: Ghost Ward Studio in Stockholm, with long-time collaborator David Castillo at the controls, and Norwegian studios Ocean Sound Recordings and Cederberg Studios, the latter with desk-guru Christer Cederberg. And finally, just like with Pitfalls, Aphelion was mixed by Adam Noble (Placebo, Biffy Clyro, Nothing But Thieves, etc.) and then mastered by Robin Schmidt(The 1975, Placebo, The Gaslight Anthem, etc.).
But despite its seemingly chaotic creation, Aphelion is arguably the most fluid and cohesive album Leprous have made to date. Rich in sonic subtleties and organic warmth, it’s thrilling proof that a lot can be achieved, even in the most challenging of circumstances.
Armed with some of the most spellbinding music they’ve ever made, Leprous are keen to be at the front of the queue when live music becomes a fundamental part of our lives once again. In the meantime, Aphelion is a timely reminder that this band can touch hearts and soothe souls like no other.
Line-Up: Einar Solberg – vocals/keys Tor Oddmund Suhrke – guitars Robin Ognedal – guitars Simen Børven – bass Baard Kolstad – drums
VENUS PRINCIPLE were formed in autumn 2019 after several of its members decided to part ways with CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX. Still fully in love with dark, melodic art rock and psychedelic music, this group of close-knit friends was not content to just sit at home. Stand in Your Light is their debut album and it is a work of love. Passion drips out of every note from the bitter-sweet honeycomb of solemn melodies that VENUS PRINCIPLE have created. Although this is the first record from the British-Swedish collective, these hymns for the burdened and broken come audibly with the profound maturity of hard earned experience from all the veteran musicians involved. Although classic rock lies at the heart of Stand in Your Light, VENUS PRINCIPLE add many ingredients of their own to the canonical elements.
Venus Principle – Photo: Jenny Ekholm
Foremost pain and darkness permeate each track, spawning a terrible beauty ruling in triumphant glory. Yet shadow cannot exist without light, which the British-Swedish musicians provide in delicate moments of hope, tenderness, and warmth. In these aspects of Stand in Your Light, the metal spirit of some of the protagonists on the album reveals itself and provides balm for the wound that the split has caused.
Band Line-Up: Daniel Änghede – vocals, guitars Daisy Chapman – vocals, piano Mark Furnevall – keyboards, guitars, backing vocals Ben Wilsker – drums Pontus Blom – bass
Abel Ganz is a Scottish band with a long history – with origins going back to the neo-progressive rock revival of early 1980s, influenced by 1970s prog rock bands like Genesis and Yes. After many personnel changes through this period [and losing their lead singer to fellow Scottish band Pallas] the band called it a day in early 1990s. Several years later, the band reformed with a new line up including long-term drummer and producer Denis Smith. After the very successful comeback album Shooting Albatross the band again underwent changes when original founding members retired from the band.
At this stage in their career Abel Ganz decided a fresh approach was needed and they completely reinvented their sound to include elements of Scottish folk and Celtic influences. The resulting self-titled 2014 ABEL GANZ album was a great success for the band with many magazines & critics declaring it the band’s best album so far.
The Life of The Honey Bee, And Other Moments of Clarity was the eagerly and long-awaited new album from Scottish prog maestros Abel Ganz and came out in 2020. A concept album comprising of six thematically linked pieces exploring our relationship with memory and loss. The liminal space between a fading ‘what was’ and an anticipated ‘what is to come’.
The album recalls the hazy technicolour of long remembered summers and the sepia of a love forgotten. A place where we blur the boundaries of returning and renewal. The lyrics chart the course through recollection to premonition. These words are both deeply personal and universal, hope for what is next and a lament for what we have lost. The new album has taken six years to realise and follows on from the self-titled 2014 opus Abel Ganz. The influences on the new album continue in a similar vein – further developing their eclectic mix of folk, rock, metal and Celtic styles. The album’s trajectory shifts between crunching guitars, subtle acoustic instruments, strings, soaring Hammond and emotive grand piano all connected by lyrical storytelling and timeless vocals and harmonies. Produced by Denis Smith, mixed by the legendary Simon Vinestock [Texas, Blur, Robert Plant, Simple Minds] and mastered by Jacob Holm-Lupo [White Willow / Opium Cartel] the album also includes a beautiful guest performance from multi-award-winning, former ‘Scots Singer of the Year’, and acclaimed solo artist Emily Smith.
The Live-Band:
Denis Smith: Drums Stephen Donnelly: Bass Guitar Dawid Zielinski: Guitars Mick Mcfarlane: Vocals, Guitars Alan Hearton: Keyboards
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway – the worldwide final show!
Canadian Band THE MUSICAL BOX will return to Germany for the last ever performance of the legendary GenesisThe Lamb Lies Down On Broadway show on the Loreley, headlining the Night Of The Prog Festival on Saturday. THE MUSICAL BOX, founded in the early Nineties, are not a typical tribute act. They are specialists and recreate every detail of early Genesis shows. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway was the most ambitious early Genesis show and it was never filmed – so The Musical Box give Genesis fans (and other interested music fans) the ultimate chance to see this show.
BACK IN 1974 In May 1974, the Selling England By The Pound tour being over, Genesis approaches its most ambitious project: writing and recording a concept album. Many ideas are proposed, including the story of The Little Prince. But finally, the band accepts Peter Gabriel’s proposal to write a contemporary story set in New York City, which he entitles The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. The band set up at Headley Grange in England to write the music. Genesis quickly realized that they had material not just for two, but three good sides, so they decided to produce a double album. Meanwhile, Peter writes the lyrics himself, with minimal help from his bandmates on just one or two songs. The album is recorded in Wales in August 74 and The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is finally released on November 22nd, 1974. Much work went into preparing the show and the entire new album would be performed live. The tour was scheduled to start in October in England, but eventually was postponed when Steve Hackett injures his hand. The first concert is performed at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago on November 20th. After only five concerts, Peter Gabriel decides to leave the band at the end of the tour. Even though the tour is a success, mainly in Europe, Genesis finds that the production is not stable enough to be recorded, so the show is never filmed. After more than 100 Lamb shows [see complete list of tour dates here], Genesis performs its last concert with Peter Gabriel in May 1975 in France. In August 1975, the announcement of Peter Gabriel’s departure from Genesis was officially made. It was the end of an era.
FROM DREAM TO REALITY From the beginning of its project in 1993, it was obvious to The Musical Box that recreating The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway tour would be its greatest challenge. In July 2000, The Musical Box received a 1 year license from Genesis and Peter Gabriel to recreate The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway in Canada. Never before had any other band obtained these grand rights. To fulfill its mission of accurately recreating the original tour, The Musical Box assembles extensive documentation, mainly in the form of more than a 1,000 photos and slides. A few Super-8mm private movies give a better understanding of the choreographies and the general atmosphere of the show. The Musical Box received (from Genesis) copies of the 1120 slides used in the original tour. More than a month is necessary to put them back in order and situate them in the songs. Finally, thanks to Genesis and to people who worked on the original tour, most of the remaining questions about the show were answered. For the music and the sound, the same instruments and equipment Genesis used for the album were found. Access to Michael Rutherford’s original guitar and the acquisition of a rare Micro-Fret 6 string bass allowed an exact reproduction to be made. Masks, costumes, make-up, accessories, sets, lights, special effects, choreography and staging of the show are all recreated with meticulous precision. The ‘Slipperman’ alone required nearly 2 months of work, each detail being scrupulously reproduced by hand. To re-create the ‘Lamia’, many models were necessary, including a full size prototype. The Musical Box’s first presentation of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway was performed at the Spectrum in Montreal on October 11th, 2000 more than 25 years after the last performance of Genesis with Peter Gabriel. In 2004, The Musical Box has been granted a 2 years world wide license to perform The Lamb and this time they toured North America and Europe with this show. Another license enabled them to present this show one last time. They are currently touring with The Lamb show and this tour was an is the last chance to see that spectacular and unique show live. After they concluded the European leg of their tour in Italy a few weeks ago, the last run of shows takes place in North America until June. But there will be one final show …
THE MUSICAL BOX will perform the full The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway show one last time – on the Loreley at the Night Of The Prog Festival. It will be their last ever performance of that show – worldwide!
What Phil Collins said in 2005 about the show: “Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen, Friends and Fans…. Well 30 years has whistled by and we find ourselves on a celebratory journey back to 1974 to rediscover that ancient work…. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. I remember it like it was yesterday, the writing sessions in the rat infested Headley Grange, near Guildford… Pete in one room with a grand piano with sheathes of blank paper waiting to be filled with lyrics, every now and then joining the rest of us as we thrashed through various jams and unfinished pieces of songs that were floating around. The incredible day we “wrote” what was to become The Waiting Room… then titled Evil Jam, improvising wildly through our dictionary of the nastiest noises we could find, and then, when suddenly our “mood” shifted so did the weather outside, from thunder and pouring rain to sunshine and rainbows….. I guess you had to be there, but it WAS very special!!! The recording at a Farm in somewhere in Wales. Us set up in a barn, with the Island Mobile parked by the pig sty….. John Burns ever ready with a roll up!!! Having more material than the time to finish it, we ended up doing 24 hour sessions at Island Basing Street Studios, now Sarm West (home of Frankie goes to Hollywood the Band Aid single to name but several). Racing to finish tracks so we could get it all wrapped up in time to go to America and play the entire double album before a bewildered public, who had not heard a note of it as it hadn’t been released yet!!! Now that WAS interesting! It also leads me to why I’m writing this. The Lamb was never filmed for posterity. There are some very short patchy videos, very scratchy quality, taken by fans from an audience P.O.V…. but otherwise nothing to jog your memory, until now that is. The Musical Box are a group of artists who have, over the years, painstakingly recreated various periods of the early Genesis years, with amazing accuracy and aplomb. In the early days, whenever we were invited to go to a bar to see a band playing some of our stuff, I was always amazed at how they actually played it BETTER than we did. Nowadays there are a few bands out there doing it, but right at the top of the pile are who you have come to see tonight…. The Musical Box. I’ve heard of them for ages, but never gotten around to ACTUALLY see them. Having done so, I have to say it’s an eerie feeling because they have uncannily captured US BACK THEN in every way. Using the original back projection slides from our old show, they now have the advantage of technology unavailable to us back then. We probably only managed a handful of shows (at most) where everything worked as it should have done. Tonight, God willing, you’ll see the show as it should and could have been back then if the projector hadn’t caught fire, or if the operator hadn’t pressed the wrong button by mistake and fast forwarded the slides to the next song!!! Hey, this was the 70’s remember!!! Anyway I doff my hat to the lads and their crew…. they’ve picked up the baton and run with it, and it’s there for all to see. Enjoy it.” Phil Collins (the singing drummer)
When someone wrote on Twitter that Anneke van Giersbergen was the only person she could think of who could be trusted with Kate Bush’s music, it made the Dutch singer think that this might indeed be a fascinating challenge. Anneke had discovered Kate Bush as a teenager and spent countless hours listening to the Hounds of Love album. Her admiration for the enigmatic Bush had never faded, although Van Giersbergen—unlike her idol—craves performing live.
This Night Of The Prog show is the first time that Anneke will be paying homage to Kate Bush outside the Netherlands. Out of respect for Bush’s authenticity, she has reimagined the songs within her own sound universe, but for every Kate Bush fan, this is a unique opportunity to hear these songs live.
After thirteen years as the front woman for melancholic metallers, The Gathering, Anneke van Giersbergen struck out on her own in 2007. Since then, her creativity has known no bounds. Anneke quickly solidified a successful solo career, and has recorded and performed with Canadian metal genius Devin Townsend multiple times. She has also lent her serene yet powerful voice to the likes of: Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen, Icelandic folk group Árstíðir, Within Temptation, Amorphis, and prog legend John Wetton.
Anneke van Giersbergen sings Kate Bush
2012’s Everything is Changing was something of a milestone in Anneke’s solo career. The album, which was the first to be released under her own name, received two Edison Award nominations – Holland’s most prestigious music prize – in the categories ‘Best Female Artist’ and ‘Best Album’.
In 2015, Anneke van Giersbergen and Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon) released their collaborative album The Diary under the name The Gentle Storm.
In October 2017, Anneke’s progressive metal outfit VUUR released their much-anticipated debut album. In This Moment We Are Free – Cities entered the Dutch Album Top 100 at number 2, Anneke’s highest-ever chart position.
Forever the unpredictable artist, in late 2018, Anneke released Symphonized, an 11-track live orchestral album. It was recorded at two career-spanning concerts alongside Residentie Orkest The Hague, and features rearrangements of songs from her entire back catalogue.
2019 saw Dutch music copyright organisation Buma Cultuur honor Anneke with the Buma ROCKS! Export Award. This is their award for the Most Successful Dutch Artist Abroad in Heavy Music.
In 2021, the release of her new solo album The Darkest Skies Are The Brightest saw Anneke surprise her fans all over again.
ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN will perform with her band on Friday, 14 July 2023 at the Night Of The Prog Festival, presenting a special “Anneke performs Kate Bush” Show!
Tickets for the Night Of The Prog Festival 2023 are available in the WiV Ticket Shop!
TIME SHIFT ACCIDENT are an instrumental quartet that bridges the gap between progressive rock and jazz/rock fusion. The band will open the Night Of The Prog Festival 2023 on 14 July!
The band was formed at the end of 2013 by a couple of young musicians with a focus on jamming together, but over the following years the band attracted some very experienced musicians and gradually developed their own repertoire, naturally combining elements of Latin, metal and jazz alongside prog rock and fusion to create their own mix of styles.
In 2019, this development culminated in the recording of their debut album Chronosthesia and a European tour together with US prog rockers District 97. Only one week after the album’s release, the Nuremberg quartet already played a highly acclaimed gig at the legendary De Boerderij in Zoetermeer. The eight tracks of the debut were very well received by both the live audience and critics, features and interviews in magazines like Eclipsed and iO Pages followed.
The rhythm section has been the core of the band since the end of 2014: drummer Paul Ettl, meanwhile studied jazz drumming with a degree from the Musikhochschule Nuremberg, effortlessly combines groove, taste and crooked bars, while bassist Michael Schetter (Relocator, ex-Seven Steps to the Green Door) contributes driving and melodic bass lines and a large part of the compositions.
On guitar since the beginning of 2017 is Dave Mola (Effloresce), whose flair for melodies and funky fusion sound might surprise all those who previously associated him more with the heavier side of progressive metal.
Keyboardist Günter W. Schmuck joined the band at the beginning of 2019, but has already clearly shaped the sound of the band with his organ and synthesizer sounds, his improvisational talent and numerous compositional contributions. After studying jazz piano at the Munich Jazz School, Günter recorded albums with the Fred Drumski Trio and the SHS Trio and led, among others, his own jazz quartet, the salsa band Orquesta Mistica and the band of the “Flames of Gospel” choir Bamberg.
Chronosthesia, Time Shift Accident’s debut album, was released at the end of 2019 on Generation Prog Records: an exciting musical journey through the worlds of progressive rock and jazz fusion, full of melody and groove, crowned with memorable solos. The album is available on Bandcamp.
The band was formed in London in 1969, during the seething birth of the progressive rock scene. WISHBONE ASH took advantage of this musical environment and produced a distinctive brand of melodic rock. This is how they became one of the most influential guitar bands ever. Inspired equally by traditional British folk, American jazz and R&B, the band won adoration from fans and critical acclaim in equal measure. Energy and melody have made “The ASH” a standout act that is currently being discovered by a new generation of loyal rock fans. Over the years, the band has experimented with various musical genres, from folk, blues and jazz to pedal-to-the-metal rock and electronica.
Founding member and lead singer Andy Powell joins Mark Abrahams on twin lead guitars. Bassist Bob Skeat, a band member for 25 years, sets the rhythm together with Joe Crabtree, one of the best British drummers of the younger generation.
At the beginning of 2020, the album Coat Of Arms was released – just in time for the band’s 50th anniversary – and the tour for it could still be completed before the pandemic. Among 12 tracks, the two outstanding rock anthems Stand As One (incl. music video, see below) and Back In The Day form the basis of the album, which was enthusiastically received by critics and fans. It was their 25th studio album!
With their album Argus, however, WISHBONE ASH made music history in 1972 and eventually created their biggest commercial and artistic success. From the iconic album design by Storm Thorgerson, to the outstanding reviews and fan reactions, to the influence this album had and has in the music world, Argus can combine all the components of a great classic in rock history. As part of the show at the Loreley, they will play this classic (among other tracks from their catalogue) in full length.
Somewhere between alternative and progressive, Aëdon manage the perfect mix of energy, lightness and melancholy. Surprising chord changes, three-part vocals and varied songs characterise their music. The band was founded in 2015, and their EP Leaves Turning Red was released a year later. The band name Aëdon means “nightingale” and goes back to the tragic story of the goddess Aedon from Greek mythology. As an act of Peter Bursch’s EURO ROCK project, Aëdon have already played several concerts in France and Holland. In addition to numerous gigs throughout Germany, festivals such as Essen Original, Hardtbeat Festival, Vaccuumfest and Taumzeit Festival are among the highlights.
Aëdon
AEDON are: Simon Gatzka (Lead Vocal, Guitars) Maximilian Krüger (Guitars, Backing Vocals) Stephan Nabbefeld (Drums) Alexander Dachwitz (Bass, Backing Vocals)
A happy coincidence brought the band to the attention of Bertram Engel and Peter Keller. Bertram Engel is a drummer, composer and producer. He has been drumming in Udo Lindenberg’s Panikorchester since the 70s and is a permanent member of the Peter Maffay Band. There he met guitarist Peter Keller, who also belongs to the permanent Maffay ensemble. Peter Keller is an Echo Award winner, composer and producer of Peter Maffay, Laith-Al-Deen, a-ha, Karat and other top acts. Gripped by the 2021 Gentle Rain, Bertram Engel and Peter Keller teamed up as producers for the first time and invited Aedon to Hamburg’s Chefrock studios. In just a few days, three existing songs were perfected – AEDON are ready to conquer the music world in 2023.
AEDON themselves about their music: “Mood is important to us. We want to make music that you can let yourself fall into, that you sink into and that won’t let go of you for days”.
AGUSA are a progressive rock band from Malmö, Sweden. Since the start in 2013, AGUSA has been an important name in the Swedish psychedelic prog scene, also on the international stage. With influences from Nordic and Latin American folk music, as well as with deep roots in space rock, kraut rock and jazz, AGUSA also have a traditional foundation, but interpreting it in their very own way and with a strong identity of their own. The music takes you back to the 70s but also to something new and unexplored. A live experience you won’t forget, with meditative soft parts as well as epic ecstasies and with the occasional visit to the darkness of hard rock. The band’s instruments are flute, guitar, keyboard, bass and drums, and all five musicians are based in Malmö, Sweden.
AGUSA from Sweden
Mikael Ödesjö plays guitar, Jenny Puertas the flute, Simon Ström is on bass, Nicolás Difonis plays drums and Roman Andrén Keyboards. AGUSA have released four studio albums so far and their fifth album is scheduled for June this year. AGUSA have performed in many places; throughout Scandinavia, Roadburn in Holland, in Poland and several times in Greece and Italy together with names such as Os Mutantes, Dungen and Anekdoten, just to name a few.
Now AGUSA will take the stage at the Night Of The Prog Festival on Friday, 14 July 2023. So please welcome from Sweden: AGUSA!
Nick Mason was a founding member of the legendary band Pink Floyd and launched Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets in 2018. The project consists of Nick Mason, Gary Kemp (Spandau Ballet), Guy Pratt (Pink Floyd Live Band), Lee Harris (The Blockheads) and Dom Beken. Together they played their first acclaimed live shows in 2018 at venues including Dingwalls London, The Half Moon in Putney and several shows elsewhere. Nick Mason and his band limit their track selection for the live set to the very early years of Pink Floyd. And doing so, they fulfilled a heart’s desire for many fans.
Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets have since been playing to enthusiastic audiences all over the world, such as at London’s Roundhouse, where Pink Floyd once performed their celebrated shows in the 1960s. They have also releases a Blu-ray with a recording of the Roundhouse show. In 2019, they were already headlining the Night Of The Prog and thrilled fans at the Loreley.
Saucerful Of Secrets live at Night Of The Prog 2019, Photo by G. Brenters
Now they are returning to Night Of The Prog and the Loreley and will further develop their repertoire in 2023. Songs from Pink Floyd’s early albums, up to the 1972 album Obscured by Clouds, will be part of the set and of course Echoes will also be played as part of the new “The Echoes Tour” set.
Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets will be headlining on Friday 14 July 2023! It will be the only live appearance in Germany in 2023!
Tickets for Night Of The Prog Festival 2023 are available in our WiV Ticket Shop!
To kick off this year’s NIGHT OF THE PROG Festival, there will once again be a warm-up show at the Loreley Weinstübchen on Thursday, 13 July 2023. Performances by two bands are planned. One of them will be the Peter Gabriel tribute band Diggin’ Gabriel. We will announce a second band in the next few weeks. Tickets cost 30 EUR. For those who bought an Early Bird ticket at WiV, the ticket price is 25 EUR. Reservations can be made directly via Email to WiV (info@wiventertainment.de). The reserved tickets will then be available at the box office and will also be paid for there.
After his great performance at the Night Of The Prog 2017, Franck Carducci now returns to the Loreley on 15 July 2023!
His first album Oddity was full of promises for the start of an epic journey but it is on stage where Franck starts to carve his signature–costumes, make-up, psychedelic atmospheres, humour and sensuality. Yes, you think of Genesis, of Alice Cooper and David Bowie, of Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd too. But eventually, you will no longer think of anybody else.
Following the release of the highly anticipated album Torn Apart, featuring special guest Steve Hackett (Genesis), the Tearing the Tour Apart hit the road in Europe and Franck reinforced his show as one of the most irresistible in the rock scene. 2017 saw the release of a live DVD/BluRay of that tour, which ended on stage of the Night of the Prog festival, where Franck and his band won the audience by storm.
Franck Carducci, as Master of Ceremonies, leads his Rock ‘n Roll Circus where each of his players embodies a side of his music. Who can explain how a 12 string guitar extra neck would be added to a bass guitar, how a powerful guitar riff would go with a hot belly dance, or a Mellotron solo would end up in a duel with a didgeridoo? Who can also explain how Achilles, guitar and sword in hand, would kidnap a sensual Alice from her Wonderland? However, let them pick you up and take you in the palm of their hands – you won’t want to leave until the very last note of the concert. Your senses will not be given a second of rest while these characters take you to a place where dreams are kings, emotions are queens and musical genres are crossed with no borders.
September 2017 was the start of On The Road to Nowhere, where the band won the “Best Overseas Band”-award from UK magazine Classic-Rock Society. After the release of his 3rd opus The Answer in November 2019, Franck hit the road again in 2021/2022 with his “Fantastic Squad” for The Answer Tour with a highlight supporting Sting in front of 15,000 people. Immerse yourself into the spectacle and let yourself go as you embark on a journey into a colourful, flamboyant and fun musical universe, which is open and accessible to all.
Franck Carducci and his band The Fantastic Squad will perform on the Loreley on Saturday, 15 July 2023.
Tickets for the Night Of The Prog Festival 2023 are available in our WiV Ticket Shop!
