There’s nothing wrong with jeans and a T-shirt, and I don’t walk around in a Rick Wakeman cape all the time - but it can be a bit dull when nothing’s added to the visual" - Kenwyn House Ramblin’ Man festival 2018 .. For the first time the ‘Prog in the Park’ stage is now..
Son of Man – Interview
Son Of Man, led by George Jones (son of man legend Mickey) recently released the album State of Dystopia (see review posted 27 Feb 2020). Following the release of the album, I have the opportunity to sit down with George for Velvet Thunder, and discuss the latest news about the band and also the strange..
Zucchero – The Italian king of the Blues
I went to live in Italy in 1990 and as well as being eager to enjoy the wonderful climate and delightful food I was curious to discover what the local music scene was like. Listening to the radio, I was not inspired by the general diet of soggy melodic pop but there was one song..
Script For A Bassist’s Tear: Pete Trewavas on the deluxe reissue of the classic Marillion debut album
The 1983 debut album from the Mad Marillos is the latest in the ongoing deluxe reissue series of the first eight albums for EMI, and it is a cracker of a set. Have a gander at the goodies included this time around: On the first disc, a sparkling new 2020 remix of the album -..
Photo by Mick Morton
Brian Downey
It was Eric Bell who came up with the idea of Tin Lizzie, like the comic spelling. It was on a kind of a shortlist, and I remember sitting there going ‘Nah, that doesn’t sound too good…’ In my mind, I am whizzing back in time to the early 1980s. The New Wave of British..
IO EARTH – AURA Preview: An Afternoon In The Studio
PHOTOS: Wendy Hagenbeek It’s big, hearty, confident progressive rock music which, despite its left-field origins, still has ‘IO Earth’ written right through it, like a stick of Birmingham rock. Saturday March 8 2020, and it is one of those grey, overcast days which only England can provide, as if to remind us that Spring isn’t..
Wille and the Bandits – Interview and revised tour dates
Only two months ago, we carried the news that Wille and the Bandits were starting a significant tour, promoting their latest (2019) album Paths. Sadly, we now live in a very different world, in which the advent of Coronavirus has led to the tragic loss of so many, and the cancellation of all gatherings, live..
The H.E.A.T is on….
With this album I think we did manage to capture the live aspect even better... Wherever your preferences lie along the rock spectrum, Sweden seems to have a band for you. Whether it’s the doom metal of Candlemass, the power metal of Sabaton, or the progressive metal of Opeth, the country seems to have amazing..
CARL PALMER – ELP At 50: The Show That Never Ends
One of the first things we played together was 21st Century Schizoid Man – I think maybe because Greg didn’t have to learn it! Emerson, Lake And Palmer. Can there ever have been a band who more fully encapsulated the idea of 1970s progressive rock more than this astonishing band. Positioned forever in people’s imaginations..
SOLSTICE – Andy Glass on band’s return
My intention is to work hard and try to get some ‘live’ shows for next year. I really think this new album’s gonna be a killer and it’s definitely gonna be our best album yet ... Solstice is nominally a prog band, but one with a considerable influx of New Age and Folk influences. Formed..