Richard Penguin joins us for a dash around the many offerings in the XIVth Prog version of HRH – Hard Rock Hell

HRH Prog XIV 2024 – Camp HRH, Great Yarmouth – October 2024

While perhaps not the most obvious location for a Prog Rock festival, Great Yarmouth has played host now for the last few years to the HRH Prog festival and they have managed to attract some great bands and name acts. Last years event was my first and by far and away the finest act of that weekend was Focus, who the organisers were obviously very keen to announce the return of for next years event to be held once again in Great Yarmouth.

But back to this year. Set within a holiday camp and on 2 stages while the main stage played host to many of the better known acts while the second stage featured some very fine, lesser known, but no less worthy artists as well.

Over the course of the Friday and Saturday I probably got to see complete sets or extracts of 16 acts, but rather than making it a 1970s style double album it may be best to view it as a single album titled ‘The Great And The Good’. 5 great, 6 good. I should also add at this point that it isn’t a concept album, and while at no point were capes worn by any of the artists involved, a few did take to wearing some very theatrical outfits – mostly Ebb.

Side 1 – The Great

Lets start with Friday’s finest before moving on to Saturday.

Unfortunately the finest 2 acts from Friday saw their sets overlapping which resulted in my catching the beginning and end parts of Atomic Rooster’s fine set and in the middle the aforementioned Ebb.

atomic rooster

With of course one or two exceptions much of ATtomic Rooster’s material had passed me by, before my time, which didn’t usually stop me discovering a band. Band members from the 71-72 line up singer Pete French and guitarist Steve Bolton had reformed the band in 2016 and been given the permission to use the name by the widow of main man and keyboardist of note Vincent Crane.

However with French leaving in early 2024 it probably seemed like it might be the end for the band, but step forward supremely talented keyboardist and vocalist Adrian Gautney. Authentically and superbly playing a Hammond through a Leslie speaker, something that I am sure Vincent Crane would have been pleased to see, his playing fell somewhere between Crane and Jon Lord. However it was his voice that probably floored a vast number of the audience, being somewhere between the 2 Stevie’s namely Winwood and Wonder (no, not Nicks). Without a doubt the most soulful voice to be heard at a prog fest over the course of the weekend for sure.

The bulk of the material was drawn from the late 60s and early 70s Rooster era with his expressive voice perfectly suiting Crane’s Black Snake from the In Hearing of’ album, together with original guitarist John Du Cann’s possibly autobiographical I Can’t Take No More from Death Walks Behind You, the album that also spawned their best known number with which they concluded their set, namely Tomorrow Night. Authentically played and sung they are not only keeping the sound and songs alive but really doing them justice, and much belatedly introducing people, like me, to a band that they may well have missed out on, for numerous reasons the first time around. Superb.

Ebb

In a vastly different style, and embracing theatricality, the all female, bar the bass player, Ebb boldly went where many feared to tread over the course of the weekend. Fresh from winning the Best New Band at the HRH Prog awards 2 nights earlier to add to their PROG magazine award in 2023, there is a bond in this band born out of not only sharing a communal living space, but of each person taking on a role within the band.

While led by creative songwriter, powerful lead vocalist and fluent guitarist Erin Bennett each member contributes significantly from Nikki’s expressive keyboards, Sula’s swirling synths sequencers and vocals, Finn’s fine bass lines, Anna’s deft drumming, and Kitty’s bewitching stage presence encompassing backing vocals, spoken word, and props aplenty either emphasising the songs subject matter or taking it in a different direction. There’s variation, often within the same song from storming guitars and pulsating bass to waves of ethereal synths and wind chimes.

most original act of the weekend

Thematically a lot of thought has gone into the lyrics with for example The Animal Said I being about the evolution of human consciousness. During the song Kitty emerges holding 2 marionettes who rather spookily seem to take on a life of their own watching over proceedings. Equally in a more flippant mood she may take tea mid song or spend a songs entirety blowing bubbles. Somehow they never seem to lose sight of the most important thing, the song. Everyone as I was saying has a role within this band, and they all play them perfectly complimenting one another to create a really rather unique band who were, I feel, the most original act of the weekend for sure.

If Ebb were perhaps the most unique act of the weekend my 2 musical highlights came on the Saturday in the form of the superb and slightly Canterbury inspired Zopp and Canterbury veterans Soft Machine.

zopp

Zopp, the brainchild of keyboardist, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Stevenson have been the band that I was most keen to see during 2024 having discovered their second album Dominion last year. Ably abetted by regular drummer Andrea Moneta and augmented by Richard Lucas on guitar and backing vocals, Ashley Raynor on bass and Myles Noble on tenor sax, their set was divided between songs and tunes from both albums and new yet to be released tunes. ‘Dominion’ branched out from the debut in that it contained vocals and indeed the set opened with the epic You that opens with its dramatic keyboard opening that progresses into a more fuzzed organ sound part inspired by the recognisable sound of Dave Stewart in his many Canterbury scene bands of the 70s.

Lyrically it hints at the perils and pitfalls of trying to find yourself in the modern world. In a similar vein and from the same album Toxicity, a song seemingly about removing yourself from people and places echoing the title, in several parts builds, fades and builds again once again not only emphasising what a fine musician Ryan is but the rest of his live band are as well. They returned to the debut album for the intricate instrumental Before The Light with its intricate and complex arrangements yet at the same time tuneful and melodic and energy infused tune.

a stand out band of the current scene

New tunes were given a debut and improvised sections were included in what was for me, and indeed many others, a real highlight of the weekend. In regards to the Canterbury comparisons some have said that they are doing a fine job of furthering the sound and scene, others that they are keeping it alive, and some that they are copying. If truth be told there may be an element of all 3 but either way they are a stand out band on the current scene for sure.

the softs

Soft Machine have of course gone through numerous incarnations since their inception in the late 60s. With 70s guitarist John Etheridge still there and the ubiquitous Theo Travis on sax and keyboards up until the last few years Roy Babbington was still on bass and John Marshall on drums dating back to the early to late 70s and this line up had survived for about 15 years.  Sadly in the last couple of years Roy has retired and John passed away but the new inhabitants to this incarnation of the band namely Fred Baker on bass and Asaf Sirkis on drums are more than adequate replacements.

Delving back into a classic era of the band they faithfully revived the epic Hugh Hopper composition Facelift, which also provided the inspiration for the Canterbury scene magazine of the same name, they equally paid tribute to long time member Mike Ratledge in the form of his The Man Who Waved At Trains. My introduction to the band came through their late 70s album, Softs, and so it was a joy to hear both The Tales Of Taliesin with its expressive and exquisite guitar playing by Etheridge, and the emotive Song Of Aeolus highlighting perhaps both the more accessible and jazz rock side of the band. This album had seen the departure of last remaining original member Ratledge leaving Karl Jenkins to take on the leading of the band.

back to the roots

However we were taken back to its roots when Ratledge was joined in the band by 3 of Canterbury’s most notable and prominent musicians and characters in Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen and Robert Wyatt when the band went all the way back to 1967 and played Joy Of A Toy from their debut album. A very unexpected treat. This was a joyful, all era’s, easy to listen to in parts, more challenging in others, triumphant set that quite rightly received the rapturous applause that it deserved. Just superb.

splink

Completing the A side of the Great side of the record are the Kent based band Splink. Opening events on the second stage on the Saturday this 4 piece Violin led band merged Prog with Folk and elements of jazz and classical. Fast and fiery fiddle and violin lines interweaved with the guitar lines over the top of a solid rhythm section. The jagged rhythms and angular lead lines on Swimming In Hot Water worked well and at different points during the set Vikki Ings violin playing reminded me slightly of Geoffrey Richardson’s playing in Caravan. Fiery folk met intricate prog, and the melding of the 2 worked well. A splendid set.

Side 2 – The Good

Turning the album over we come to the Good side onto which we can squeeze 6 bands.

monkeytrial

Friday and Saturday equally gave us 3 each so lets start at the beginning on Friday afternoon with Monkeytrial. A duo of Clive Mollart on Keyboards and Shaun Bailey on guitar Their elongated ambient instrumentals proved to be a soothing way to start the day with Shaun’s guitar work having nods to both Hillage and Gilmour, and Clive to the German synth pioneers of the 70s and even Jean Michelle Jarre in parts. A very enjoyable way to start the day.

TRIBE 3

A 3 piece augmented by a 4^th member live have been around for 40 years it seems so shameful that this was my introduction to them. There are certainly hints of several of the classic 70s bands in there with Jon Anderson style vocals notably on Fear Is The Key with both the vocalist and bass player doubling up on keyboards, and a Steve Howe style guitar solo on the storytelling Downfall Of The Birdwatcher plus Calm Before The Storm and Dawn Treader. Songs redolent of Rush and Genesis, containing mellotron moments having hints of 70s Tony Banks and Geddy Lee in the vocals and bass pedals. Enjoyable but influences aplenty.

pendragon

Pendragon were of course one of the leading lights of the early 80s Prog revival (check Andrew Wild’s excellent analysis in A Mirror Of Dreams) which has led to a lengthy and seemingly successful 4 decade career where many have fallen by the wayside. I have to confess to knowing little about them or their music unlike many others of course but much like Tribe 3 I could spot many a 70s influence. In all fairness if you have grown up listening to a classic era for a genre that you admire it is going to be tough not to hark back to it.

Led by guitarist and vocalist Nick Barrett together with very long standing members Peter Gee on bass and Clive Nolan Keyboards the bulk of their songs are, as you might expect, are lengthy at times bordering on the epic most notably the near 9 minute Eternal Light with its ethereal keyboard opening, gently finger picked guitar lines opening out into soaring guitars on a song about awakening to life and the world around you.

The acoustic enhanced King Of The Castle reminded me slightly of 70s Strawbs and the early finger picked and otherworldly Genesis mellotron moments, while 360 Degrees a song about Cornwall displayed a folk rock side to the band almost straying into The Whole Of The Moon in parts. A good but for me not captivating set. I felt the same about…

EMERALD DAWN.

If Pendragon had their epic moments, the bulk of Emerald Dawns set was extremely epic. Highlights included the 10 minute As Darkness Falls with its raw edged guitar and cinematic keyboard opening and slightly sinister and dramatic overtones and the similarly epic As I Stood Transfixed highlighting the multi-instrumental aspect of the band with the keyboard player doubling up on guitar, flute and echo laden vocals and the guitarist playing sax. However they concluded their set with a further 20 minute epic that for some was ideal to get lost in while for others, me included, there was a sense of wondering when on earth will this ever end. Like the curates egg, a set that was good in parts.

And so we come to the final 2 acts that I have included in the Good section and they both date back to the 70s, and are both seemingly in dispute with variations of what they are doing.

man

Man, led by original bass player Martin Ace, and including his son in the band, are playing much of the early material from the Welsh 70s Prog legends while the band Son of Man, featuring the son of original guitarist Mickey Jones are also on the live music circuit. I have to admit that due to the superb Zopp’s set ending about 20 minutes into the start of Man’s set I only caught the second half and felt sad that I missed a rendition of Banana’s as the set opener.

Like Soft Machine my introduction to the band came from a late 70s album The Welsh Connection which had seen them go in a slightly poppier direction with some great short songs. That however was not the order of the day here as their cross between an elongated psychedelic west coast freak out, a jam session in Merthyr Tydfil, and a pub rock band from Canvey Island merged perfectly on Get Up Come On and the classic Many Are Called But Few Get Up. They are most certainly keeping the spirit of early Man alive even if sadly most of the band members from that time are no longer with us.

the songs of wishbone ash

Similarly Martin Turner, the original founding member of Wishbone Ash is not able to call his band that as former band mate Andy Powell does. However he can still play the songs from his past that he wrote or co wrote and it is of course the one’s from the classic album Argus that most people want to hear. He doesn’t disappoint, and neither does his voice, which still sounds as strong as ever. With twin guitars faithfully replicating the sound that became their trademark and is said to have been a major influence upon Thin Lizzy. He introduced 2 songs from the album almost on 2 sides of the same coin in the call to arms war inspired Warrior and its counterpart in the subtler peace inspired Throw Down the Sword.

There were musical sojourns into other Wishbone Ash albums from the 70s that were hugely enjoyable but I think we all knew what it was building up to, and sure enough as a set closer, it was announced following a storytelling build up of Martin meeting a girl in Cornwall in the late 60s who inspired the song. One which became the stand out song on a classic album – Blowing Free. Faithfully delivered with twin guitars to the fore, and sing-along chorus many an audience member was mouthing the words and mimicking the guitars. A standing ovation followed, and quite rightly too.

and in conclusion…

And so folks those were my highlights, there were many other good moments and some low points of course, you can’t please everyone, and then of course the moments when you have got 4 old friends together round a table chatting away reminiscing, often as in our case about an era that we were too young to have enjoyed the first time around, but are now able to thanks to prog festivals like this.

A hugely enjoyable 2 days in a slightly strange location perhaps, but it works. Out of season, and perhaps to some extent out of time I had a great 2 days. Apparently HRH Prog have got Focus and Curved Air lined up already for next year. I think that there is a good chance that I might return.

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