Prog For Peart, Abingdon, England, UK, Day 2: 13 July 2024

Day 2

Choosing the most appropriate T-shirt to wear to a festival can often be a quite fraught affair. Do you go for the 'neutral' option with the full line-up to avoid giving offence or showing favouritism? Or do you unapologetically exhibit your allegiance like a medieval knight at a joust sporting his lady's tokens? The choice was always going to be easy on this particular occasion, as there was never any doubt that our loyalties would be proudly and conspicuously on display (our friends would have advised us to seek urgent medical attention had we failed in this, it would have been so out of character). On arrival the previous day, we had been greeted by the devastating news that Comedy Of Errors had been forced to cancel owing to COVID-19 rearing its ugly head once again, rendering the chosen T-shirt neutral by default. It was heart-warming to see many of our fellow fans similarly ensuring that the band was kept present in spirit, though sorely missed.

Line-up: David Boland: keyboards, backing vocals; Mark Cunningham: vocals; David Hallet: drums; Steve Harris: guitar; Mike Kentish: bass, harmony vocals.

Mark Cunningham launched proceedings on day two in a different capacity, fronting Forgotten Gods, demonstrating that his talents are not restricted to organisation, but that he also has a beautiful and powerful voice and commanding stage presence. The epic Pillars of Petra, featuring a magnificent guitar solo, immediately cleared away any lingering cobwebs from the previous day's frivolities.

Everybody's Hero, a homage to Neil Peart incorporating elements of La Villa Strangiato was followed by a second very moving piece, Vigil about Mark's late mother, which began with an excerpt from Amazing Grace, poignantly paying tribute to his Scottish roots.

My personal favourites were Alone and Rose & Pink, which Mark described to me half-jokingly as the new genre of "disco prog".

An EP Premonitions, containing demo versions of all the tracks recorded live in the studio earlier in the year, was on sale and very quickly snapped up, destined to become a highly collectible rarity. The stage has been set for the release of the band's debut album, now more eagerly anticipated than ever after a set of melodic prog of the finest quality. Hopefully, once it has been released, Forgotten Gods will secure more live dates to promote it, bringing their polished and energetic live performance to the wider audience it so very clearly deserves.

Line-up: Stephen Hughes: bass and keyboards; Chris Jones: guitar; Jonathan Kinsey: vocals, drums, additional keys.

For many of those present, Tribe3 proved to be the revelation of the festival, as became apparent from conversations and from the subsequent buzz online. I had already had the privilege of seeing them at Winter's End in April, so knew that the audience was in for a treat.

Jonathan Kinsey originally joined the band as a drummer (hence the backing track for all but the finale) but now fronts the band on vocals and additional keys. An inspired decision if ever there was one, as he is gifted with both an exquisite voice and a hugely charismatic presence, throwing himself into the songs with all the theatricality we lap up in prog, a touch of the Charlie Bramald in his persona, using a small light hidden in his palm to dramatic and menacing effect in Calm Before The Storm, in which Mother Nature shows her less benign side towards humanity for their reckless and flagrant disregard towards her.

A wonderful set culminated in Dawntreader, a masterpiece recalling the hardships faced by miners who had to walk six miles to work a 12-hour shift before making the same long and weary journey back home. An absolutely gorgeous melodic piece, drenched in emotion, the perfect conclusion to engrave the performance in the audience's memory (though an impromptu encore of The Muppets' Mahna Mahna between Jonathan and Stephen Hughes elicited much amusement as well as revealing their lighter side).

It has just been announced that Tribe3 will be replacing Kinky Wizards at the Nene Valley Rock Festival in September, a definite date for the gig diary on the strength of this performance.

Line-up: Malcolm Galloway: vocals, guitar; Mark Gatland: bass.

A friend has described the music of Hats off Gentlemen It's Adequate (HOGIA for short) as "prog punk", which certainly reflects their minimalist, spikier edge. It does not do justice to the intelligence and depth of their thought-provoking lyrics, however, often inspired by science fiction and real-life events.

Prior to the festival, Malcom Galloway designed a sweatshirt with the sombre cover of their new single Copenhagen against a highly improbable retina-scaldingly bright shade of orange, not quite realising his mistake until it was too late. It was so jarring a juxtaposition that nobody could possibly want to purchase it, or so he thought, but he had not reckoned with me and the others who found the allure of what has now become known as the orange abomination irresistible. I was very honoured to have mine hand-delivered by Malcolm himself prior to the set (having announced that I would wear it throughout, which I did, in spite of the heat; it is a quality item and definitely fulfils its function of keeping the wearer warm).

One skillset which British prog bands have to possess is the ability to keep control of an audience. As we are for the most part of a certain age, we do not tend to be rowdy, but we can be quite challenging in the heckling department, our witty and withering remarks requiring lightning-fast repartee. HOGIA's self-deprecating banter is second to none and Malcolm did an excellent job of recounting the back story, explaining that HOGIA are "all intense and serious and bleak", meaning that orange was an enormously inappropriate colour for a song about quantum physics (more specifically, the meeting between Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg in occupied Denmark, which ended their friendship). He pointed out that the orange abomination has now become their biggest selling clothing item. Indeed, their clothing brand was vastly outperforming their music. Malcolm wondered aloud how this was meant to make him feel better about himself before Mark called me to the front to show the sweatshirt off to full effect.

Malcolm's question: "Any fans of Soviet-era submarines?" was met with a resounding "Yes!" again providing an insight into HOGIA's typical subject matter, on this occasion for One Word That Means The World (Arkhipov), about the debt which we owe to Vasily Arkhipov, who refused to authorise the launch of nuclear torpedoes during the Cuban missile crisis. After dedicating the song to everyone courageous enough to resists peer pressure, Malcolm summed up the moral of the tale: "If you ever do find yourself in a submarine, be good! Or is that coming across as too controlling?"

A hugely enjoyable set was brought to a close with Imtiredandeverythinghurts a searingly honest (and stirring) reminder that not all disabilities are visible and the wish to express the reality of the pain felt in response to that staple of social grooming talk How are you? which is not intended cope with a sincere response.

Line-up: Farrah West: vocals; Richard West: keyboards.

I first came across husband and wife duo Farrah and Richard West during the pandemic while watching Fusion's Lockdown Liberation Edition, during which two songs by League Of Lights were played in the interval. Both remain favourites to this day and both featured in their excellent performance: Forever and Kings And Queens. It is a measure of how attentive they are to their fans' requests that they seamlessly incorporated Forever into a set which did not originally include it.

Swathed in a stunning costume of a black ball gown with a tiara of matching feathers, Farrah's gorgeous voice soared above the keyboards and backing tracks to entrance the audience with a series of refreshingly catchy and opulently melodic delights, including Persephone, which Farrah described as "my jaunty song about death", and The Collector with some good advice about focusing on the compliments we receive rather than on the insults. In a nod to Richard's status as a founding member of Threshold, the set included an impressive cover of Avalon.

If there had ever been any question marks as to whether League Of Lights would be a good fit for a prog audience, this triumphant set would surely have banished them. They have found their rightful place within the prog community and we are very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to welcome them into our midst.

Line-up: Tim Ashton: bass; Graham Brown: drums; Aaron Gidney: guitar; Joshua Gidney: keyboards; André Saint: Vocals.

Grace and Fire very kindly stepped into the breach after Comedy Of Errors were forced to cancel their appearance, taking over the slot originally earmarked for Sonic Tapestry. Their impressively slick and polished performance did nothing to betray the short notice at which they had responded to the call.

Much of the material was drawn from their first-rate debut Elysium, particular highlights being Chains Of Sanity and the epic The Great Divide in two parts, which crackled with infectious and exuberant energy, gloriously showcasing their mastery of melodic prog metal.

A gentler, more reflective interlude was provided by André accompanied by Joshua for new song Tabula Rasa, a tantalising glimpse of their forthcoming album. The latter may take slightly longer than anticipated, but for the best of reasons, as they announced that they will be supporting Threshold on their European tour. I cannot think of two bands more perfectly matched and am keeping everything crossed that this will give Grace And Fire the break they more than merit, exposing them to bigger audiences and spreading the word about just how excellent their music is.

Line-up: Giles Ashley: lead guitar; John Byrne: drums, backing vocals; Sean Byrne: keyboards; Steve Forster: vocals, bass, flute; Stuart Forster: rhythm guitar.

Incredibly, this was Sonic Tapestry's first live appearance since Fusion back in 2018, not that anyone present would have noticed from such a jaunty, good-humoured and entertaining set. A fellow reviewer had implored me to forgive Sonic Tapestry for taking over the slot, but they immediately earned my respect by sending their best wishes to Comedy Of Errors and expressing genuine sadness to be missing a performance they had greatly been looking forward to.

Always melodic, by turns funky and flute-sprinkled, they quickly won the audience's hearts, as demonstrated by the standing ovation which followed their sweeping and spectacular epic Into The Sun. Only the hardest-hearted curmudgeon would not have risen to their feet (I purchased the album of which this is the title track immediately afterwards).

At one point, keyboard player Sean Byrne slipped off stage to don a poncho, the explanation a quote from The Mighty Boosh, "It's impossible to be unhappy in a poncho!".

A rendition of the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy theme song (The Eagles' Journey Of The Sorcerer) on the flute was followed by a flamboyant cover of Hocus Pocus, which achieved the not inconsiderable feat of enticing everyone back to their feet to frolic and join in with the yodelling as best they could, creating a true party atmosphere and concluding their set on a joyous high note.

The sea of happy faces flushed from the exertion of jumping around were proof (if any were needed) that Sonic Tapestry had emphatically hit the spot, which will hopefully convince them not to leave it for too long before their next live appearance. We will be there!

Line-up: Dave Cureton: guitar, Adam Gough: keyboards, Hayley Griffiths: vocals, William Kopecky: bass, Tim Wilson: drums.

It was difficult to imagine how anyone could follow Sonic Tapestry, yet IO Earth pulled it off magnificently, although the contrast in mood could hardly have been greater. I was not familiar with their work prior to this performance, but was blown away by the sheer calibre of their musicianship in a set of glossy perfection.

Hayley Griffiths delivered her customary superb and nuanced performance on vocals, alternating between fragile, ethereal and fiercely passionate as the individual songs demanded, carrying them off with complete conviction. Close By with Hayley accompanied by Adam Gough on keyboards was quite simply breathtaking.

Seldom have I witnessed a more perfect symbiosis between musician and instrument than between Dave Cureton and his guitar. It was transformed in his hands into the vehicle of his heart and soul, imbued with a peerlessly raw and sublime intensity.

Thankfully, the onset of the curfew did not prevent the encores from going ahead with band and grateful audience as co-conspirators, bringing two days of superlative music to a fittingly sumptuous end.

After the final bows, the serious business of the charity auction began. It had proven impossible to hold this at any other juncture, but the late hour did not dampen the enthusiasm of the bidders who wished to put their passion for collecting prog memorabilia at the disposal of an extremely worthy cause. Some unique items were up for grabs, such as the drum skins signed by every musician who graced the stage during the event. The grand total raised will be announced in the near future by organiser Mark. Fingers crossed that it will be commensurate with the success of a wonderful festival, which this reviewer can only encourage all readers to attend.

Postscript on IO Earth

Shortly after the festival, on 17 July, a fire broke out on the site where IO Earth's studio is located, leaving it completely ravaged. Tragically, the band lost their studio equipment, merchandise stock, instruments and the hard drives containing their entire back catalogue.

Miraculously, a firefighter was able to save two guitar cases complete with Dave's beloved instruments, which offered a glimmer of hope. The band have created a GoFundMe page. If you can manage, any donation would be an enormous help!

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Text by Béla Alabástrom.
All photos by Béla Alabástrom, used by kind permission.

Click here to see Béla's report on Prog For Peart 2024, Day 1!