Ask any musician what the highlight of their recent tour might be and the answers will invariably range from positive crowd reaction to the new material, through to a hospitality rider that includes a decent feed as much as libation, perhaps Wi-Fi that works or even just good old camaraderie in the tour bus.
For Dave Brock, linchpin of the venerable space rock institution that is Hawkwind, it's all of these things and more, not least as the six-date tour that he recently completed in support of the band's 36th album, Stories From Time And Space very nearly didn't happen.
"It was quite hard going because prior to that, I had just come out of hospital," recalls Brock as he talks to Prog from his farmhouse in Devon. "I got Covid earlier on in February and I was really ill. It affects your breathing a lot and, you know, singing and all that was quite difficult. It knocked my heart out of sync, so I had to go to hospital. I've had all the checks." Much like the stoic generation of which he's a member, 82-year-old Brock isn't one to dwell on what might have been or what he had to go through to get match fit, so we'll draw a discreet veil over his recuperation. Instead, he's more interested in how the tour developed and how his enforced hospitalisation actually brought out the best in his bandmates - that'll be guitarist-singer Magnus Martin, keyboardist Tim 'Thighpaulsandra' Lewis, bassist Doug Mackinnon and longtime drummer Richard Chadwick.
"I started getting better as I went along," Brock reassures airily. "The band had been rehearsing without me for all of March. And because they didn't know if I was going to be able to do it or not, they'd been practising all their vocals. The good thing was, all of them can sing. Some of them say they can't sing, but they really can. So, when I came back, we had really good backing vocals!”
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Denne historien er fra Issue 150-utgaven av Prog.
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The Bottom Line
The experimental Aussies have turned heads with their dual bass player set-up, but chief songwriter Matt Fack says The Omnific are no mere gimmick. Having honed their craft to its sharpest point with' second album The Law Of Augmenting Returns, he sits down with Prog to discuss their desire to redefine what bass guitars can do.
UNFADING MEMORIES
Experimental Norwegian jazz-rock trio Elephant9 return with eight new tracks that make up the exploratory Mythical River. The band's co-founders, bassist Nikolai Hængsle and keyboard player Ståle Storløkken, reveal the appeal of long coffee breaks, collabs with Led Zep bassist John Paul Jones, and why three really is the magic number.
Life, Death And The Decemberists
Death, Billy Joel and angelic visitations are just three of the ingredients that shaped The Decemberists' latest album As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again. Vocalist Colin Meloy talks to Prog about creativity as a form of hallucination, sneaking progressive music into the record collections of unsuspecting listeners, and why you have to earn the long songs.
Spellbinding
Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Jo Beth Young is back with a third album, which she describes as art-pop or experimental folk. Prog catches up with Young to learn more about the inspiration and process behind the thought-provoking Broken Spells.
COME BACK STRONGER
Tears For Fears, an A-grade solo from Steve Rothery and, erm, whalesong have all made their mark on the current release from Dave Foster Band. The guitarist and vocalist Dinet Poortman discuss their more relaxed approach to Maybe They'll Come Back For Us, and Foster opens up about his recent departure from Big Big Train.
A Family Affair
Norwegian chamber proggers Meer are back with their hotlyanticipated third album, Wheels Within Wheels. Prog catches up with co-vocalist Johanne Kippersund Nesdal and guitarist Eivind Strømstad to discuss the writing process, running their own festival and the challenges of being part of an octet.
Goodbye Blue Sky
When Pure Reason Revolution made an unexpected but very welcome return with 2020's Eupnea, all eyes were on them to see what they'd do next. However, internal changes, personal grief and a case of writer's block made the future seem less certain. New album Coming Up To Consciousness allays those fears with a selection of powerful new material and a modified line-up. Frontman Jon Courtney chats to Prog about finding inspiration during dark times, working with Guy Pratt and his renewed vigour for the band he founded at university.
PYRAMANIA
Egypt's pyramids have long captivated our imagination, with some even believing the magnificent structures harness magical or healing powers. In 1978, masters of the concept album The Alan Parsons Project explored themes of pyramid power and ancient magic on their third studio album, Pyramid. Prog and Parsons step back in time to uncover the story behind the group's Grammynominated and recently reissued record.
Still Life
\"I like to mix things that don't belong together and see what happens,\" says Eivør Pálsdóttir. The singer-songwriter talks to Prog about channelling the folk traditions of her Faroese home, the power of solitude, and the inspiring magic of the natural world into her transformative new album ENN.
Prog, Pop and Progress
By stripping back their instrumentation, Norway's art-rock sensations Leprous have found a different beast lurking below. Heavier and catchier than ever, they hope it can help them reach new frontiers. Prog catches up with vocalist Einar Solberg and guitarist Tor Oddmund Suhrke to uncover the story behind their new album, Melodies Of Atonement.
