KevB

Although they've been around quite a while (with a very flexible lineup) I expect many would class Big Big Train as 'new' prog so for the uninitiated here's one of their more recent; [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4JeLGchO7s"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4JeLGchO7s[/url] Also worth checking out are The Tangent; [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcUUPVSR_6s"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcUUPVSR_6s[/url]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1439047540' post='2839645'] Hee, hee. I'm sure 'progressive rock' meant something different back in the day than it does now... for example, Deep Purple were considered 'progressive' then, but not so much now... or am I talking out my arse again? [/quote] Nope, and I was going to make that exact point re Purple earlier in the thread but never got round to it

It's OK, prog's a broad church they will let practically anyone in.

If we're taking a bit of a jazz-rock excursion then here's one that might have passed a few people by but I quite like some of this : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td2iU1g1kqA

Just looked it up on Amazon, maybe there aren't a lot of copies around any more, this was on the budget priced 'music club' brand and I know I wouldn't have paid more than about £6 for it,no longer the case! ; [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Streets-Walkways-Best-Moore-Colosseum/dp/B0000072AS/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1439022723&sr=1-1&keywords=gary+moore+streets+and+walkways"]http://www.amazon.co...ts+and+walkways[/url] Unfortunately 'Down To You' isn't included but I have Strange New Flesh in my mp3 collection anyway. Looks like the CD is mainly from War Dance and Electric Savage

Not a big fan of Friday gigs as they always seem to crop up at the end of a tiring week at work, last night no exception. Chuck in the fact we haven't played as a band even in rehearsal for at least 3 weeks and it was always going to be a bit 'loose'. Tight area to fit the band into and I seemed to have a few technical issues which I was taking too much concentration trouble shooting whilst playing that I had my eye off the ball a bit too much for my liking performance wise. Probably all invisible to the public but it made for an exhausting evening. They got their moneys worth (played 9:15 until nearly midnight with 2 short breaks) and the crowd were very supportive, plenty of positive feedback from audience at end of night. Apparently the pub was much fuller than it would normally be on a Friday so hopefully the bar sales won't have gone unnoticed by the LL. We are all away on various hols now so no weekends we are all around until next gig in September.

Prog fills quite a few slots in my collection so 'best ever' is just too big a task for me to seriously consider. I'll chuck in a slightly contentious one as it even divides the band's fans: [url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_from_Topographic_Oceans"]Tales From Topographic Oceans[/url] Wildly over ambitious, double album containing just four pieces of music covering quite abstract mystical quasi religious bases, Not for the faint hearted.

I think a lot of folks who only picked up on GM later in his career and think of him just as a blues player don't realise he was a very accomplished fusion guitarist in his day. I picked up a cheap CD compilation years ago with a lot of Colosseum tracks on it and the playing is highly impressive.

Is it all instrumental or are there guest vocalists on it?

Not sure I've ever heard it. Must dig out a copy, though Genesis have never been my faves in the prog field.

If I was worried that someone listening might be a better player than me I'd never gig, never mind try out a bass in a shop. Just do your own thing. There's only so much useful info you can get from an instrument in that environment anyway.

Related to one of the other threads, I suppose this is why we should all have at least one solo piece up our sleeves so we have something to noodle about with in a shop. No, I don't either just usually mindless fumbling about.

For a smattering of all your pub faves (we might even have a new song to try out) and a bit of a laugh (we've not played in weeks!) pop down to the [url="http://whatpub.com/pubs/AMV/590/pear-tree-ripley"]Pear tree[/url] on Friday if you're in the neighbourhood.

Half the CD's you can buy via Amazon are sold with a 'free' mp3 download so it seems a bit nonsensical, end result exactly the same.

Discreet, if you don't want to bother with Amazon that same box set is about the same price in Fopp if you have one nearby, that's where I got mine.

I did go wireless for a while (Samson Airline) as I found the lead kept getting snagged around the PK5 pedals but then I joined a band that I didn't use them in and went back to a lead. Now back to using the PK5's again and assumed I'd get the wireless kit back out but so far, for reasons I'm not sure, I don't seem to be running into the same issues with the lead and it's something less I have to plug in the mains so for the time being at least I'm sticking with the lead. It's long enough for me to go out front for a sound check, never really been one for wandering among the masses while playing. From a punters POV I think it looks a bit naff in pubs and clubs.

Didn't hear him on JW's show but I recently revisited some of those old man albums as they are in that 'Original Albums' series where you get a little case of 5 albums very cheaply; [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Original-Album-Series-Man/dp/B00G040NHK"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Original-Album-Series-Man/dp/B00G040NHK[/url]

Thought I'd take a quick snap of the practice setup; [URL=http://s30.photobucket.com/user/KevB64/media/0cc2e7bd-11d2-43d0-aefd-fc828c6d4e64_zpsluaelhio.jpg.html][IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c307/KevB64/0cc2e7bd-11d2-43d0-aefd-fc828c6d4e64_zpsluaelhio.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Used to play it in a band around 2004 or so for a couple of years. Quite enjoyed learning it, the middle section in particular. Never played it since. Always seemed to go down well, we had a singer who was a good guitarist and a lead guitarist who was even better. They had that dual gtr sound down to a tee.

No they didn't sound vastly different, though it wasn't long after I arrived that he switched over to the jazz anyway so I maybe wasn't fully 'tuned in' anyway and I was stood at the back! After the fender band I spent most of the night chatting to the Sharmans of this parish. Beer involved, you know how it is...

[quote name='gerryc' timestamp='1438335653' post='2833618'] Vox PA is powered mixer Yamaha EMX640 into two EV SX300 tops, no subs. So not sure if it will handle keys as well, will try at practice Monday. Also will try Genz Benz Shuttle six into Barefaced compact and see how that sounds. Thanks for taking time to offer advice fellas [/quote] I guess it depends what extremes of frequency the keys are going to do. I don't play keys as such but I provide some sounds live through sound module played in via PK5 pedals. I don't really play outside the middle 2 octaves of a std keyboard so no ultra low Moogesque stuff going on. We have a pair of reasonable quality Logic Systems tops (think they are 12's, don't look big enough to be 15's) and I just put the sound module through those via the desk. Not had any problems so far. We do have a sub but the places we've played to date don't really merit it so we've left it out of the system for time being. I use a little Behringer 205D on a mic stand to monitor my bvox and the sound module output. Sound out front for both vox and 'keys' is nice and clear. If you are playing bass you don't want your keys player getting overly busy down the low end with their left hand anyway. Looking at the specs for your EV's I'm sure they will cope, give it a try. If you click the link below for 'Shed The Ego' there is a vid clip of Echo Beach, that is the sound module just going through the PA tops.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1438333727' post='2833591'] Nah - there's more to it than that. As I've said before, they were a freak perfect storm. Energy, looks, stage presence, writing skills, instrumental skills, musical knowledge, a thirst to learn more, a thirst to succeed. If the Dave Clark Five had gone over there first with a back catalogue ready to go, do you really think they'd have made the same impact? [/quote] This is pretty much how I've always looked at it, a lot of things in their favour all coming to the fore just at the right time. And great guidance from Martin in the studio.

Some bands can span the generations though. There have been Deep Purple gigs I've been to over the last several years where you can see 3 generations of the family at the same gig and the grandchild hasn't looked remotely like they were there under sufference, appear to be genuinely enjoying it. Plenty of under 30's at some of the rock nights I occasionally go to when I'm not gigging. I don't recognise half the bands they play, but it's definitely heavy rock and the audience are into it. Guess it's just become a bit more of a niche thing again rather than mainstream, but then it was a fairly defined younger audience for rock'n'roll in the 50's too.

I'd just put the keys through the main vocal PA if it's any good, use a small onstage monitor for keys player to hear themselves.

Very good band in their day.