Every year, I offer a few of my impressions of ProgPower.
Let me begin at the end. The crew presented Glenn Harveston with a prestigious award, and gave a short speech that really nailed this festival. This is a pilgrimage for so many people, and it is as much about the people as it is the music. It is also the tightest, best run, and most professional event I've attended. Some things are a little better or a little worse each year, but nitpicks aside this remains the premier event and a highlight for me each year.
A few quick comments:
I wasn’t bothered by the DVD cameras, and I am looking forward to seeing how it comes out.
The stage lights weren’t any worse for me than any other concert lights, but I was on the floor, not in a chair.
What is this fascination with piping in backing vocals? A few of the bands were doing this, and I found it really distracting to hear harmonies when no one else was near a mic. One band was singing to a guitar, but no one on stage was playing an instrument. I’d rather the bands play without taped accompaniment. We know it won’t sound just like the CD. That’s why we’re at a live show.
There were some mix issues, especially early on in sets. However, a good job was done to correct the problems as they arose. The sound for the headliners was much better than either headliner from last year.
Why is spitting a stage activity? Freak Kitchens bassist kept spitting water onto the stage. Taking it one step higher, Vision Divine’s Luppi spit a mouthful of water into his keyboardist’s face during the last song. The guy definitely wasn’t expecting it, and he walked away stunned from the keys for about 20 seconds.
There was a guy moshing and stage diving during Mercenary. Shouldn’t the promoter kick those troublemakers out?
“Balls of Steel” award. How great is that?
We’rrree Staaaarrrrrs . . . . One of the coolest moments of mass confusion I’ve seen. Kudos to Glenn for an amazing idea. Of course, half the microphones not working just added to the moment. That was a great way to end the show.
More Details
Day 0 - The Preparty
There really wasn't a preparty this year. There was just another day added to the fest. Shane put together an amazing lineup, and I think this year's preparty was the same as the ProgPower III lineup - not to be matched again. Having 4 top bands in the main stage was great. I could tell it wasn't the main show, since the schedule wasn't adhered to quite as strictly (cue the curtain closing on Gamma Ray)
Theocracy - Very good vocals. You can tell this is a young band, and Matt (the singer) needs to work on stage presence. However, they were very good. The arena floor was already pretty crowded for this set.
Circus Maximus - Mike Eriksen has one of the best voices I've ever heard, and the rest of the band is amazingly talented. They started off on a down point by opening the set with an unknown new song. They played 3 new songs during this set, and this first one was the worst of them (but still pretty good). It made for an odd opener. Other than that, they were the best band of the eve for me.
Leatherwolf - Not a band I was into in the 80's. I checked 'em out and wasn't impressed. Back to the bar and hanging out.
Circle II Circle - Savatage is my favorite band, and I love Zak's voice. The show was pretty good . . . they played half of the new (unreleased) album. I've heard a promo of it and really like it, but would have preferred more Sav. Judging from the reaction of the crowd, they agreed with me. We got 3 songs, and they by FAR produced the best reaction from the crowd. Still, I’ll take Zak doing CIIC over a lot of other bands.
The end of the show was really abrupt. I'd bet that there was supposed to be more to it. After the last song (This is the Time, along with the Sarajevo intro), the band left. It was exactly midnight. The lights stayed dimmed. The stage spotlights were still on. The chants began. Two minutes passed. The curtain closed and the house lights came on. Was there a curfew time? Some other issue? Was there really no encore scheduled? The abrupt end felt like Rockus Interruptus.
The Preparty was a great start to the weekend.
Day (1) – Friday
Somehow, a few of us got an early start and saw the Georgia Aquarium. It is pretty nice to see once, but overpriced ($22.75). We were done in an hour and quarter. But, they have Whale Sharks, which made it all worthwhile. They also have a shrimp petting pool. Wheezer showed us his championship shrimp rousting techniques. After that, a group lunch at the Madison Grill (next to the Residence) went over well, and suddenly it was time to go buy CDs.
Eleven CDs and too much money later, the show starts . . .
Pyramaze – By far the best opening band from any of the 5 PP’s I’ve attended. I’m amazed when I look at Lance King and try and figure out how that voice comes out of that body. He sang a little in a normal register and sounded great, so he can sing in any range. King sounded sincerely happy to be and playing in the USA.
Savage Circus – I looked up as the vocals began. My first thought: “Wow, Hansi lost a lot of weight!” General Zod added: “And, he doesn’t suck live anymore.” Seriously, Jens IS old Hansi, but with a more powerful voice.
They played almost their whole album of old Blind Guardian music, and really rocked. This was the best 1-2 punch of openers for PP. Even with some backing tracks and some reading of lyrics (yes, we notice when singers stare straight down while singing), they were a great hit. They ran over a few minutes, and I was really surprised when the curtain didn’t close a la Gamma Ray at PPIII.
Freak Kitchen – They started 20 minutes late, which was the longest ProgPower delay for a non headliner. This band was just so . .. cool. They were fun. They were funny. They put on a great show, and I can now die knowing what a vibrator played on a guitar sounds like. The songs were all short, so even if you didn’t like one, it was over quickly. The entire crowd seemed to be taken by these guys.
Some great quotes and moments came out of this set:
“We have such a cheap stage show. We have a yellow cow and a guy drooling. We must be Swedish.”
Death metal impressions.
Vibrator solo.
“Sweden is a country of cheap pornography and Volvos”
Mercenary - Heavy!!!! I wasn’t taken by these guys at PPIV, but the last two albums have been amazing, and I loved this set.
Best quote: “This is a song about being lonely. It’s called Loneliness”
Evergrey – A fan favorite and a great show.
Chants from the crowd during the 5 min intermission that you don’t expect to hear at a metal concert: “String Quartet! String Quartet!”
Marriage proposals are so metal.
This was definitely the better of the two nights for me.
Day (2) – Saturday
Gold Badge raffle – This is a nice little bonus for GBs, and I really appreciate the effort that goes into it. However, I think I’d rather not win anything than win a pack of free CD samplers that were available in the vendor room. Still, the effort for the raffle is appreciated.
Zero Hour - Technical and dry for me. However, the floor was packed, so a lot of other people loved it. I just couldn't get into it.
Vision Divine - The last two albums were amazing, and they played songs only from those CDs. Luppi’s voice was just amazing. The highlight – His 20+ second scream during La Vita Fugge. Luppi was a front man in the Tobias Sammet mold, generally having fun on stage and looking quite comfortable interacting with the audience.
Thunderstone – Generic but good power metal in the vein of Brainstorm or PC 69 (but not as good as either of these, in my opinion). They had a drum solo, but mercifully kept it short.
Epica - Never before have I heard such a rousing cheer when a lead singer removed a jacket. Then again, never before has a lead singer been wearing a corset. I gave them a chance, and they were good, but not nearly as good as Nightwish.
Jorn Lande - I like Jorn’s work, and he has a great voice. I don’t think his solo work is quite as good as Masterplan or Ark, and it showed when all songs were played together. His best solo song was the opener (We Brought the Angels Down). Unfortunately (but understandably), we got only one of each of his other bands. Some drunk girl kept screaming for him to play Ark’s “Burn the Sun”, but he never obliged. He also played some great covers during his set, including Deep Purple’s ‘Perfect Strangers’ and Dio’s ‘Straight Through the Heart’.
Just to clarify, we were there to see Jorn, not Jorn’s band. We had to sit through at least 3 solos, including the always-boring, soul sucking, ennui inducing drum solo (Bang Bang Bang . .. .waive arms and get audience to scream . . . repeat ad nauseam.) Heck, they even threw a second, shorter drum solo in there. Jorn had more than enough material to fall back on, and he was great even with covers. Why were we subjected to so many solos?
The finale was a treat. The Whitesnake through the years covers were pretty cool, and then the whole ’Stars’ plan, confusion and all, was amazing. A perfect way to end the fest.
Other Comments
Hotel tangent - The Residence is still my favorite hotel (I've stayed at the now defunct Fairfield and the Granada in the past). This year, there was a room debacle, which led to a crowd of 40+ metal heads waiting in the lobby at 3:45 pm for rooms to open up. They needed to do a much better job of managing rooms and check ins.
The music is amazing at PP, but special thanks goes out to the people that make it such a great trip.
--------
Here’s my quick band wrap-up –
Top Shows:
Circus Maximus
Vision Divine
Evergrey
Mercenary
Freak Kitchen
Pyramaze
A Step Below, but Still Very Good:
Circle II Circle
Theocracy
Savage Circus
Jorn
Average Performances:
Epica
Thunderstone
Yawn:
Leatherwolf
Zero Hour
Thanks to all, but most of all thanks to Glenn and the crew for all the hard work making this possible!
Steve in Philly
Let me begin at the end. The crew presented Glenn Harveston with a prestigious award, and gave a short speech that really nailed this festival. This is a pilgrimage for so many people, and it is as much about the people as it is the music. It is also the tightest, best run, and most professional event I've attended. Some things are a little better or a little worse each year, but nitpicks aside this remains the premier event and a highlight for me each year.
A few quick comments:
I wasn’t bothered by the DVD cameras, and I am looking forward to seeing how it comes out.
The stage lights weren’t any worse for me than any other concert lights, but I was on the floor, not in a chair.
What is this fascination with piping in backing vocals? A few of the bands were doing this, and I found it really distracting to hear harmonies when no one else was near a mic. One band was singing to a guitar, but no one on stage was playing an instrument. I’d rather the bands play without taped accompaniment. We know it won’t sound just like the CD. That’s why we’re at a live show.
There were some mix issues, especially early on in sets. However, a good job was done to correct the problems as they arose. The sound for the headliners was much better than either headliner from last year.
Why is spitting a stage activity? Freak Kitchens bassist kept spitting water onto the stage. Taking it one step higher, Vision Divine’s Luppi spit a mouthful of water into his keyboardist’s face during the last song. The guy definitely wasn’t expecting it, and he walked away stunned from the keys for about 20 seconds.
There was a guy moshing and stage diving during Mercenary. Shouldn’t the promoter kick those troublemakers out?
“Balls of Steel” award. How great is that?
We’rrree Staaaarrrrrs . . . . One of the coolest moments of mass confusion I’ve seen. Kudos to Glenn for an amazing idea. Of course, half the microphones not working just added to the moment. That was a great way to end the show.
More Details
Day 0 - The Preparty
There really wasn't a preparty this year. There was just another day added to the fest. Shane put together an amazing lineup, and I think this year's preparty was the same as the ProgPower III lineup - not to be matched again. Having 4 top bands in the main stage was great. I could tell it wasn't the main show, since the schedule wasn't adhered to quite as strictly (cue the curtain closing on Gamma Ray)
Theocracy - Very good vocals. You can tell this is a young band, and Matt (the singer) needs to work on stage presence. However, they were very good. The arena floor was already pretty crowded for this set.
Circus Maximus - Mike Eriksen has one of the best voices I've ever heard, and the rest of the band is amazingly talented. They started off on a down point by opening the set with an unknown new song. They played 3 new songs during this set, and this first one was the worst of them (but still pretty good). It made for an odd opener. Other than that, they were the best band of the eve for me.
Leatherwolf - Not a band I was into in the 80's. I checked 'em out and wasn't impressed. Back to the bar and hanging out.
Circle II Circle - Savatage is my favorite band, and I love Zak's voice. The show was pretty good . . . they played half of the new (unreleased) album. I've heard a promo of it and really like it, but would have preferred more Sav. Judging from the reaction of the crowd, they agreed with me. We got 3 songs, and they by FAR produced the best reaction from the crowd. Still, I’ll take Zak doing CIIC over a lot of other bands.
The end of the show was really abrupt. I'd bet that there was supposed to be more to it. After the last song (This is the Time, along with the Sarajevo intro), the band left. It was exactly midnight. The lights stayed dimmed. The stage spotlights were still on. The chants began. Two minutes passed. The curtain closed and the house lights came on. Was there a curfew time? Some other issue? Was there really no encore scheduled? The abrupt end felt like Rockus Interruptus.
The Preparty was a great start to the weekend.
Day (1) – Friday
Somehow, a few of us got an early start and saw the Georgia Aquarium. It is pretty nice to see once, but overpriced ($22.75). We were done in an hour and quarter. But, they have Whale Sharks, which made it all worthwhile. They also have a shrimp petting pool. Wheezer showed us his championship shrimp rousting techniques. After that, a group lunch at the Madison Grill (next to the Residence) went over well, and suddenly it was time to go buy CDs.
Eleven CDs and too much money later, the show starts . . .
Pyramaze – By far the best opening band from any of the 5 PP’s I’ve attended. I’m amazed when I look at Lance King and try and figure out how that voice comes out of that body. He sang a little in a normal register and sounded great, so he can sing in any range. King sounded sincerely happy to be and playing in the USA.
Savage Circus – I looked up as the vocals began. My first thought: “Wow, Hansi lost a lot of weight!” General Zod added: “And, he doesn’t suck live anymore.” Seriously, Jens IS old Hansi, but with a more powerful voice.
They played almost their whole album of old Blind Guardian music, and really rocked. This was the best 1-2 punch of openers for PP. Even with some backing tracks and some reading of lyrics (yes, we notice when singers stare straight down while singing), they were a great hit. They ran over a few minutes, and I was really surprised when the curtain didn’t close a la Gamma Ray at PPIII.
Freak Kitchen – They started 20 minutes late, which was the longest ProgPower delay for a non headliner. This band was just so . .. cool. They were fun. They were funny. They put on a great show, and I can now die knowing what a vibrator played on a guitar sounds like. The songs were all short, so even if you didn’t like one, it was over quickly. The entire crowd seemed to be taken by these guys.
Some great quotes and moments came out of this set:
“We have such a cheap stage show. We have a yellow cow and a guy drooling. We must be Swedish.”
Death metal impressions.
Vibrator solo.
“Sweden is a country of cheap pornography and Volvos”
Mercenary - Heavy!!!! I wasn’t taken by these guys at PPIV, but the last two albums have been amazing, and I loved this set.
Best quote: “This is a song about being lonely. It’s called Loneliness”
Evergrey – A fan favorite and a great show.
Chants from the crowd during the 5 min intermission that you don’t expect to hear at a metal concert: “String Quartet! String Quartet!”
Marriage proposals are so metal.
This was definitely the better of the two nights for me.
Day (2) – Saturday
Gold Badge raffle – This is a nice little bonus for GBs, and I really appreciate the effort that goes into it. However, I think I’d rather not win anything than win a pack of free CD samplers that were available in the vendor room. Still, the effort for the raffle is appreciated.
Zero Hour - Technical and dry for me. However, the floor was packed, so a lot of other people loved it. I just couldn't get into it.
Vision Divine - The last two albums were amazing, and they played songs only from those CDs. Luppi’s voice was just amazing. The highlight – His 20+ second scream during La Vita Fugge. Luppi was a front man in the Tobias Sammet mold, generally having fun on stage and looking quite comfortable interacting with the audience.
Thunderstone – Generic but good power metal in the vein of Brainstorm or PC 69 (but not as good as either of these, in my opinion). They had a drum solo, but mercifully kept it short.
Epica - Never before have I heard such a rousing cheer when a lead singer removed a jacket. Then again, never before has a lead singer been wearing a corset. I gave them a chance, and they were good, but not nearly as good as Nightwish.
Jorn Lande - I like Jorn’s work, and he has a great voice. I don’t think his solo work is quite as good as Masterplan or Ark, and it showed when all songs were played together. His best solo song was the opener (We Brought the Angels Down). Unfortunately (but understandably), we got only one of each of his other bands. Some drunk girl kept screaming for him to play Ark’s “Burn the Sun”, but he never obliged. He also played some great covers during his set, including Deep Purple’s ‘Perfect Strangers’ and Dio’s ‘Straight Through the Heart’.
Just to clarify, we were there to see Jorn, not Jorn’s band. We had to sit through at least 3 solos, including the always-boring, soul sucking, ennui inducing drum solo (Bang Bang Bang . .. .waive arms and get audience to scream . . . repeat ad nauseam.) Heck, they even threw a second, shorter drum solo in there. Jorn had more than enough material to fall back on, and he was great even with covers. Why were we subjected to so many solos?
The finale was a treat. The Whitesnake through the years covers were pretty cool, and then the whole ’Stars’ plan, confusion and all, was amazing. A perfect way to end the fest.
Other Comments
Hotel tangent - The Residence is still my favorite hotel (I've stayed at the now defunct Fairfield and the Granada in the past). This year, there was a room debacle, which led to a crowd of 40+ metal heads waiting in the lobby at 3:45 pm for rooms to open up. They needed to do a much better job of managing rooms and check ins.
The music is amazing at PP, but special thanks goes out to the people that make it such a great trip.
--------
Here’s my quick band wrap-up –
Top Shows:
Circus Maximus
Vision Divine
Evergrey
Mercenary
Freak Kitchen
Pyramaze
A Step Below, but Still Very Good:
Circle II Circle
Theocracy
Savage Circus
Jorn
Average Performances:
Epica
Thunderstone
Yawn:
Leatherwolf
Zero Hour
Thanks to all, but most of all thanks to Glenn and the crew for all the hard work making this possible!
Steve in Philly
