SYMFORCE : Europe’s largest indoor prog festival !

Flower Kings (Sweden) - Pendragon (England) - Riverside (Poland) - Focus (Holland) - Lazuli (France) - The Aurora Project (Holland) - Lady Lake (Holland) - Isopoda (Belgium) - The Pineapple Thief (England) - Beardfish (Sweden) - Bootcut (Sweden)

Saturday 15th september sees the start of what promises to become Europe’s largest indoor prog festival. Spread over three different stages, each with a different capacity, the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland, plays host to eleven of the best bands from the current progressive rock scene. Known as one of the best venues what sound, lights and service is concerned the 013 will offer a unique opportunity for prog bands and proglovers alike to witness both well known names as well as discover quality upcoming bands all in one day. Prog past, present and future if you like.

We all know how difficult it is for upcoming bands to get a chance to perform in front of a decent audience in a professional setting. Although their albums might get rave reviews it isn’t a guarantee to pull large crowds. After Crying in front of 47 people is a true disgrace and bad vibes for band, promoter and audience. The only possibility is to link new talent with famous names and have them perform during the same festival. So similar to the famous Roadburn festival which focuses on stonerrock, spacerock and psychedelica, also at the 013 venue, SYMFORCE is there for symphonic, progressive rock. The idea is to make it an unforgettable day for artists, fans and organization alike, an event which will become a yearly highlight for the prog community, kind of a European version of NEARfest or BajaProg if you like !

Let’s shine a light on the bands that will perform during the first edition of SYMFORCE on Saturday 15th September 2007 at the 013 in Tilburg, Holland :

LADY LAKE : the Dutch city of Deventer in the year 1973 marks the birth of the wonderful melodic instrumental band Lady Lake named after an album by Scottish band Gnidrolog. Huge fans of Gentle Giant the Lady Lake music nevertheless became a cross between early Camel, Focus and Finch. It was the CD-reissue of the band’s album “No pictures” which started a worldwide interest in this band which outside of Holland was virtually unknown. The band went on to record a brandnew album in 2005 called “Supercleandreammachine” followed recently by some old recordings under the moniker of “Unearthed”. A concert by Lady Lake always is a feast and SYMFORCE will be no exception ! More info : http://www.ladylake.nl

ISOPODA : in the seventies this band was referred to as “the Belgian Genesis”. They ended on a high note having performed with a full philharmonic orchestra in their hometown of Aalst. Bassplayer and founder Arnold De Schepper tried a solo career but that’s as far as it went. A couple of years ago Musea re-issued both albums “Acrostichon” and “Taking root” on CD which made the name Isopoda known throughout the world. The band has reformed especially for SYMFORCE and performs for the very first time outside Belgium. Expect material from both their seventies albums as well as one or two surprises !

BEARDFISH : offering a cross between Flower Kings and Zappa, Beardfish is one of those new bands which puts a lot of humor in both it’s lyrics as well as it’s music. Their brand new album “Sleeping in traffic part one” has just been released by Inside Out which should give them some well deserved exposure all around the world. Their presence at SYMFORCE also marks their debut in the Benelux.
More info : http://www.myspace.com/beardfishband

BOOTCUT : take Beardfish’s keyboardplayer Rikard Sjöblom and add another drummer and you get Bootcut. Hammond and drums is all you need in order to get this progressive Booker T & MG’s. Bootcut will be kind of SYMFORCE’s afterparty
More info : http://www.myspace.com/bootcutband

LAZULI : if you know this band has been asked to perform at the legendary Baja Prog festival in Mexicali for the third consecutive time in 2008 you know they are incredible as no other band before them has ever had the pleasure to perform at Baja Prog three times in a row. Lazuli also performed at the world famous Montreux Jazz festival where they were voted best rock band in 2005 ! The only band in the world to play the léode, a cross between a stick and Jordan Rudess’s continuum, they also throw in a warr-guitar and marimba to make it extra special. This is absolute world class and certainly not to be missed !
More info : http://www.lazuli-music.com

The PINEAPPLE THIEF : after the underground success of Vulgar Unicorn, Bruce Soord started his new project Pineapple Thief. Their blend of Radiohead and proggy sidesteps soon gave them international recognition and a breath of fresh air entered the prog community. With a string of albums under their belt The Pineapple Thief plays it’s Benelux debut at SYMFORCE and will surely surprise all of you
More info : http://www.pineapplethief.com

The AURORA PROJECT : a home match for this up and coming band from Holland which delivers it’s original compositions and arrangements with a slightly harder edge live. Their debut album “Unspoken words” received praise from all over the world as their mix of Porcupine Tree, Tool, Anathema and Riverside reaches the world. For sure a band to watch
More info : http://www.theauroraproject.com

FOCUS : legendary and without any doubt one of the ten most important progacts of all time. Next to original members Thijs Van Leer and Pierre van der Linden they also have Bobby Jacobs on bass and newcomer Niels van der Steenhoven on guitar. Expect all of the Focus classics next to new material from their latest “New skin” album
More info : http://www.focustheband.com

RIVERSIDE : their third album “Rapid eye movement” will just be released when they visit SYMFORCE. For sure they will perform lots of new material pulled from the final part of their ambitious trilogy. Fans of Porcupine Tree, Anathema and Dream Theater already love this band to bits so it’s high time you get the Riverside virus as well !
More info : http://www.riverside.art.pl

PENDRAGON : SYMFORCE welcomes one of the bands that has delivered quality for as long as you can think of. Barret & C° will pull a greatest hits selection from their impressive catalogue showing once again just how good a band they really are. Great compositions, fabulous arrangements, superb melodies, ace guitar playing, in other words a guaranteed stunning performance by one of the world’s absolute prog leaders
More info : http://www.pendragon.mu

FLOWER KINGS : on 26th September the band’s new studio album “The sum of no evil” will be released. SYMFORCE will be the very first time some of the new material will be played live. Expect new stuff, classics and some surprises from the closing act of the very first edition of SYMFORCE. Flower Kings always deliver an incredible show which this time around will be the icing on the cake ! Their performance also welcomes the return of Zoltan Csörz on drums !
More info : http://www.flowerkings.se

All of the bands will have their own space to sell their merchandise whilst we’ll try to arrange some signing sessions as well

As you can see the first edition of SYMFORCE promises to be one hell of an experience. We expect all of you on Saturday 15th September at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland. Spread the word as SYMFORCE street force and make prog famous again. See you there !

More info at : http://www.myspace.com/symforce and at http://www.013web.nl

Jethro Tull, the eclectic British group known for epic conceptual pieces like “Aqualung” and “Thick As A Brick,” are unplugging (mostly) for a major-league world tour that will see them on the road through the end of the year.

The band will kick off the year with a five-city swing through Brazil before returning to Europe where they’re booked to play 37 dates so far including shows in Brussels, Berlin, Athens.

JT’s calendar is also heavy with festival appearances this year including gigs at the Lovely Days Festival in St. Polten, Austria, the Hohentwiel Festival in Singen, Germany, the Wickham Festival in Wickham, U.K., and the Crozon Festival in Brest, France.

The North American section of the tour gets rolling September 24 at the South Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary, and includes 20 dates in theatres and auditoriums across the U.S. and Canada, including the Royal Theatre in Victoria, B.C., Seattle’s Paramount Theatre, the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, Calif., Denver’s Temple Buell Theatre and New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom.

Ticket information for all shows is available at www.j-tull.com.

Besides frontman Ian Anderson and long time Tull guitarist Martin Barre the tour will feature a revolving line up of musicians including John O’Hara, David Goodier, James Duncan, Doane Perry, Florian Ophle, Anna Phoebe and Ann Marie Calhoun.

Apart from some of the festival dates, most Tull shows in 2007 will be either all acoustic or a mixture of acoustic and electric.

For those who still want their Tull loud, Anderson explained the motivation behind staging the shows with his typical wry sense of humor in a message on the band’s web site.

“As you might guess, my old ears have been ringing for most of the 39 years of Tull touring and, although we are far from being the loudest band in town, it has still been pretty punishing over the years,” Anderson wrote.
“The pleasures of the many quieter shows (on stage that is - still pretty loud for the audience) which I have been doing more recently has meant no more fuzzy hearing and headaches after the shows. The difficulty in hearing myself in the midst of relative cacophony has been replaced by a much nicer way of doing business with you. Kept me in better humour too as some have noticed. Not that I’m cranky or anything. Who, me?”

Available September 12, 2007:

Dream Theater’s keyboard player and, without argument, rock’s premier keyboardist. Jordan has been influenced by classic progressive acts such as Genesis, Yes and Gentle Giant. On “The Road Home”, he revisits some of the great songs from those bands with his own special Jordan Rudess touch. Assisted by a great group of guests such as Nick D’Virgilio (Spock’s Beard), Kip Winger (Winger), Rod Morgenstein (Winger), Ed Wynne (Ozric Tentacles), Bumblefoot (Guns’N'Roses), Marco Sfogli (James LaBrie), Ricky Garcia (Lafee) and several others.

KAMELOT, one of the planet’s top purveyors of melodic metal mastery, are pleased to announce the debut of their new video for “Ghost Opera” on MTV2’s Headbanger’s Ball.

Kamelot has also made their video available on their newly released limited edition album, “Ghost Opera”, now in stores. Additional footage includes a brilliantly done “making of” for the Ghost Opera video. The video can also be seen online at Youtube.com/SPVAmerica.

After the successful release of “The Black Halo”, “Ghost Opera” maintains the band’s reputation as a band truly bound to reach new heights. In support of the new album, Kamelot will be gracing the states with a full US tour from August through September.

Headbanger’s Ball airs Saturdays at 10:00pm EST on MTV2

Threshold have announced the first part of their Live Reckoning tour with a stunning support package featuring Communic, Machine Men & Serenity.

2007 Summer Festivals

20/07/07 Metal Camp 07, Tolmin, Slovenia
21/07/07 Earthshaker Fest, Kreuth, Germany
04/08/07 Subtacto Progfest, Oslo, Norway (second headline)

2007 Live Reckoning Tour (part 1)
With special guests Communic, Machine Men and Serenity.

31/08/07 Die Halle, Reichenbach/Fils, Germany
01/09/07 Plato, Helmond, Holland
02/09/07 Boerderij, Zoetermeer, Holland
03/09/07 Matrix, Bochum, Germany
04/09/07 Colos Saal, Aschaffenburg, Germany
05/09/07 Der Hirsch, Nürnberg, Germany
06/09/07 Markthalle, Hamburg, Germany
07/09/07 N8, Osnabrück, Germany
08/09/07 Retro Music Hall, Prague, Czech Republic
09/09/07 Schiff A38, Budapest, Hungary
11/09/07 Transbordeur, Lyon, France
12/09/07 Roxy, Saarbrücken, Germany
13/09/07 Z7, Pratteln, Switzerland
14/09/07 Biebob, Vosselaar, Belgium
15/09/07 TBA*, London, England

(* London details and supports to be confirmed)

2007 Autumn Festivals

06/10/07 ProgPower USA, Atlanta, USA
26/10/07 Firefest IV, Nottingham, England (festival headline)
03/11/07 CRS Autumn Rokfest, Rotherham, England (festival headline)
09/11/07 ProgPower Scandinavia, Copenhagen, Denmark (second headline)

Dutch progressive power trio Songs Of The Exile (S.O.T.E.) finished their 4th album called “Reasons.”

Containing 13 tracks and lasting almost 80 minutes, it will take the listener through compositions with the varied mix S.O.T.E. is known for: Heavy and soft, wide and small, dense and open, tiny and bombastic, in which the song and melody play a leading role.

The album will be released on Musea Records (just like the previous album “Time to End”). Release is planned for September.

Jerry Marotta (USA) is one of the most renowned drummers today. His recording with Peter Gabriel; Paul McCartney; Tears for Fears; King Crimson; Sheryl Crow; Sean Lennon; Suzanne Vega; Hall and Oates; Tony Levin; Ani Defranco; Joan Armatrading or Indigo Girls to name only a few, brought him recognition as the drummer distinguished by his power, musicality and intricate tribal rhythms. A producer, singer and arranger, he has composed and recorded music for numerous albums and movie tracks, making a valuable contribution to the music industry.

Cides has played in various projects as well as his solo performances. He has been a guest artist at the shows of Emmerson, Lake & Palmer; Rick Wakeman (Yes); Jethro Tull; Fish (Marillion); Roger Hodgson (Supertramp); California Guitar Trío; John Wetton; and recorded with such musicians as Tim Alexander (Primus), Trey Gunn (King Crimson) and Emmett Chapman. He has released three albums, including the brilliant “The Bach Tribute”, the album of Bach music performed solely on the Chapman Stick.

Orleansky is a classically educated musician. She participated in many diverse musical projects - from directing the choir of Gregorian and Renassaince music in the monastery in France to playing and singing in a popular band in Russia. Though in general Irene’s style can be quilified as pop music, her ethnically influenced tunes and multilingual lyrics create the spicy atmosphere of the Middle East.

Pepe Bao is the bassplayer more knowledge in Spain, popular for his technique on the bass. Bao have hundred of fans through his band O’Funk’illo, and actually he play with the flamenco singer Raimundo Amador and Medina Azahara band.

Undoubtedly, a luxurious combination!

TOUR 2007
13 June: Spain/Alabacete/sala Heartbreak/c.Tinte 35 (with Pepe Bao) 9pm
14 June: Spain/Valencia/sala Wha Wha/c.Campoamor 52 (with Pepe Bao) 9pm
15 June: Spain/Castellón/sala Terra/c.Ramon Llull 19 (dúo Marotta/Cides) 9pm
19 June: Spain/Madrid/concert Spain television broadcast (with Pepe Bao)
20 June: Spain/Madrid/sala Clamores/c.Alburquerque 14 (with Pepe Bao. Band guest Psicotropia) 9pm
21 June: Spain/Tres Cantos/sala Hog Destiny/Avda. Viñuelas 17 (with Pepe Bao) 9pm
22 June: Spain/Colmenar/Casa Juventud/Ctra.Hoyo de Manzanares 16 (dúo Marotta/Cides. Band guest Sr .Morfus) 9pm
23 June: Spain/L’Startit/sala Mariscal/c.Barcelona 51 (dúo Marotta/Cides) 22h
27 June: Spain/Barcelona/clinic Bateria-Stick/Esc. JamSession/c.Sant Germà 8 (Marotta) 7pm
28 June: Spain/Barcelona/sala Bikini/c.Deu i Mata 105 (with Pepe Bao. Band guest Y3 + Icebend) 7:30pm. Entradas anticipadas www.20gr.com [-]
30 June: Spain/Zaragoza/Festival Tea07/Auditorio de Zaragoza (dúo Marotta/Cides)
04 July: Spain/Santander/sala BNS/Avda. Reina Victoria 46 (with Pepe Bao) 9pm
06 July: Swiss/Basel/sala Cuturium/Gempenstrasse 60 (with I. Orleansky)
08 July: Italy/Schio/Vanilla Café/C. Commerciale Summano (with I. Orleansky)
09 July: Swiss/Tesserete/Irish Club Alpino, via Fraschini/ (with I. Orleansky)
11 July: Spain/Mallorca/Vilafranca (dúo Marotta/Cides)
14 July: Spain/Mallorca/PortoCristo (dúo Marotta/Cides)
16 July: France/Juan les Pins/47ºJazz Festival Juan les Pins (with I. Orleansky)
18 July: Spain/Jaén/Sala Fogo/c.Virgen de Guadalupe 9 (with Pepe Bao) 10pm
20 July: Spain/Santander/festival Mar Sessions (dúo Marotta/Cides)

Geoff Downes, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer, and John Wetton, the four original members of ASIA, return to the US and Canada for an extensive summer tour. The tour is a continuation of the group’s 25th Anniversary celebration, which began in August of 2006, with a highly successful 19 city US tour. ASIA is about to launch its fourth leg of the tour, since getting back together to mark both the anniversary of the band (2006) and the anniversary of its landmark debut album, ASIA. That album was released 25 years ago in 1982, and remains one of only 4 albums in history to stay at the Billboard album chart position of #1 for a staggering nine weeks!

Formed at the dawn of the MTV era, ASIA was the first supergroup of the 80s, featuring members from Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer, King Crimson and The Buggles. The videos from the band’s first two albums were a staple part of the historic music channel’s initial programming.

The 2007 ASIA North American tour will launch on June 13th in Sarasota, Florida and will continue through the US until July 6th, when the group performs in Detroit. After a return to Europe to perform at outdoor festivals, ASIA continues its trek with a swing through Western Canada and the remainder of the United States, in August and September.

Performing material from the band’s first two albums (the only ones to feature this line-up), as well as rock classics made famous from the member’s other bands, ASIA has quickly become one of the most sought after tickets for the current summer season.

“It had to be all four of the original members if we were going to do a reunion, and here we are,” says John Wetton, of the band’s decision to re-form in 2006. Adds Geoff Downes: “It is the sum of the four parts that makes up what is ‘the ASIA sound’. That made for something very special because we are all very different in our own musical style.”

“It’s good to get back together and pull out that old repertoire,” says guitarist Steve Howe. “It’s a wonderful repertoire that sounds better if we play it than anyone else…”

“We have had the good fortune of being featured lately in some pretty hip films, including, The 40 Year Old Virgin,” says Wetton. “And that exposure has given us a whole new fan base of younger people. Now, at our shows, you see a spectrum of ages from teens to middle-aged adults. And, why not? The more the merrier.”

The group returns Stateside after successful, sold out tours of Britain, Japan and Latin America. The band has recently begun recording new material once again in the UK, and is about to release FANTASIA: LIVE IN TOKYO; a double live CD recorded this past spring in Japan. A DVD companion to the live album is scheduled for release in the fall of 2007. Both titles are on Eagle Rock.

The near two hour show features all of Asia’s biggest radio hits (“Heat Of The Moment,” “Only Time Will Tell,” “Sole Survivor,” “Wildest Dreams,” “Here Comes The Feeling,”), as well as several songs from its second album, including “Don’t Cry” and ”The Smile Has Left Your Eyes.” The band will also include some rare songs, such as “Ride Easy,” which was not originally released on any album. In addition, the fans have been treated to classic YES, ELP, King Crimson and Buggles hits, giving the show a full retrospective feel.

“The first ASIA album had this progressive rock side but it also had a commercial side,” says drummer Carl Palmer. “The music still holds up today, and that is something we are very proud of.”

“We had a window when we could make this happen, in terms of all four of us being available,” says keyboard player Geoff Downes. ”So, we just decided to go for it. We are very excited to being making music as the original ASIA, once again.”

2007 ASIA NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

Jun 13 Sarasota FL - Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Jun 14 Clearwater FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
Jun 15 Hallandale FL - Gulfstream Park 

Jun 16 Fort Pierce FL - Sunrise Theatre
Jun 17 Orlando FL - Hard Rock Live (Universal Studios)
Jun 20 New York NY - Irving Plaza
Jun 21 Albany NY - Alive At Five
Jun 22 Glenside PA - Keswick Theatre
Jun 23 Atlantic City NJ Trump Marina Hotel Grand Cayman
Jun 24 Ridgefield CT - The Ridgefield Playhouse
Jun 26 Alexandria VA - The Birch mere
Jun 27 Glen Allen VA - Inns brook Pavilion
Jun 28 New Brunswick NJ - State Theatre
Jun 29 Jim Thorpe PA - Penns Peak
Jun 30 Westbury NY - North Fork Theater at Westbury
Jul 03 Mason OH – Corwin Nixon Park
Jul 04 Milwaukee WI - Summerfest
Jul 05 Chicago IL - House of Blues
Jul 06 Detroit MI - General Motors Renaissance Centre

Aug 17 Edmonton AB - Winspear Centre
Aug 18 Calgary AB - Jubilee Auditorium
Aug 20 Vancouver BC - Commodore Ballroom
Aug 21 Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater
Aug 23 Agoura Hills CA - Canyon Club
Aug 24 San Diego CA - 4th & B
Aug 25 Cerritos CA - Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts
Aug 26 Corazon CA - Morongo Casino - Ballroom
Aug 27 San Juan Capistrano CA - The Coach House
Aug 29 Phoenix AZ - The Dodge Theatre
Aug 30 Tucson AZ - Fox Tucson Theatre
Sep 01 Las Vegas, NV - Mandalay Bay Hotel & Resort

More Dates To Be Announced.

For all things ASIA, please visit: www.originalasia.com

Storybook Farm will be transported into the realms of inner and outer space on Saturday, September 1, when Nik Turner’s Space Ritual takes the stage. Turner is best known as one of the founding members of the seminal British progressive / space rock outfit Hawkwind. Turner was a member of the band during their heyday in the 70’s and again in the mid 80’s and is responsible for many Hawkwind classics including “Master Of The Universe,” “Brainstorm, ” “Sonic Attack” and “Silver Machine.” In 1994 Turner formed Space Ritual for further explorations into space rock. The ProgDay lineup will feature Turner along with ex-Hawkwind member Paul Rudolph (bass and vocals), Mark Powell (guitar), Sam Lohman (drums), and Galaxy Girl (keys and effects). Space Ritual has put out several albums and performed numerous memorable live appearances in the last decade. The band will be releasing a new live DVD entitled “Satiricon” in the near future. Nik Turner’s Space Ritual tours mainly in Europe, so this will be a special opportunity for fans in the U.S. to catch a rare stateside appearance. The band will perform a mix of classic Hawkwind and newer material that feature Turner’s unique brand of musical mayhem. Check out the Space Ritual website at www.spaceritual.org.

ProgDay 2007 happens at Storybook Farm near Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on September 1 and 2, 2007. Visit the website at http://www.progday.com for more details.