AndyF

Hey Kev - say hello, I'll be on the door taking your tickets!

A band called Walking on Ice - the usual story of revolving door line ups, we did shed loads of gigs but only got the one album out. I then did ten years with Jump, I left in 2008 but they are still very much a going concern and well worth catching live if you can. Currently working with Agnieszka Swita - she's done a load of work with Clive Nolan over the years and put out a solo album a year or so ago. Prog is alive and kicking, but it's also a small world where everyone knows everyone!

It is indeed the same CRS - under new management since the Ezra days but I remember them well (before I became involved with the organisation I was a regular CRS punter and played for them several times). I have the first CD on the Cyclops label...my band at the time were signed to the same label!

Prog? In Yorkshire? Surely not! :-) Have a look at classicrocksociety.co.uk - as the name implies we cover "classic rock" as a whole, but for the 25 years of our existence our remit has always been to give as much support as possible to bands that would otherwise receive very little coverage..there is a thriving community of new prog out there. Despite all of us being dotted around the country, historical reasons mean the CRS is based around Rotherham. In the past we've been responsible for giving bands such as Spock's Beard and Mostly Autumn their first breaks and we continue to promote gigs as often as we can (on a voluntary basis - none of us take any money from the CRS). This weekend we've got a sold out Pendragon show, and we've had Magenta, Steve Rothery, Renaissance and Arena in the past few months as well as more obscure artists like Franck Carducci and Lazuli. Sorry for the advert(!) but if it's prog you want....check out the CRS!

The bump worked! I joined Basschat recently specifically to find a tutor to get me out a rut and had my first lesson with Jake this week. A 120 mile round trip was definitely worth it - friendly, relaxing, informative, encouraging and inspiring....what more can you ask? Cheers Jake, will speak again very soon.