It's been a long time since I got to go to a music festival, almost two years. I've had tickets for different events which have been rescheduled numerous times. I've had tickets for a gig where the artists has sadly died before the gig took place (RIP Lee Scratch Perry :( )
So I was more than happy to drive 5-hours across the country to Sheffield in South Yorkshire for a weekend event at the O2 Academy, a festival of progressive rock called HRH Prog X. The event featured two days of back to back bands, some classics from the 1960's and 70's, as well as some newer contemporary acts.
I met with a few friends, staying at a hotel in the city centre, and were lucky to be entertained by a jazz band performing in a sunny courtyard as we ate pizza before the main event, a lovely way to kick things off. I only managed to grab a snap from backstage as we ate...
We then moved on to the main event! There was a band playing as we went in, which I won't trouble you with details of, they were't that great. Next up were a band called Bram Stoker, an improvement, but not setting my world alight.
Following these were 'The Crazy World of Arthur Brown', a band most popular setting the charts alight in 1968 with their hit 'Fire'. I wasn't sure what to expect from what could be a 79-year old one hit wonder, but he was spectacular, definitely one of the highlights of the weekend. Here's a few pics...
Next up were Atomic Rooster, another band from the late 60's and early 70's. They oozed quality and charisma, and justified there reputation as one of the great underground rock bands from the classic rock era. Solid, professional, blues-ey and very entertaining...
After Atomic Rooster we were entertained by Threshold, a newer prog outfit, who were good, but didn't quite hit the mark for me. Here's a pic of them in action...
Completing the evening was The Enid. The Enid are a band created in 1973 by Robert John Godfrey, who had previously worked with Barclay James Harvest. It was a fascinating performance with Godfrey as the kingpin of the performance, with a wonderfully tight accompaniment of guitar, drums and percussion. It was a surreal kind of performance, with Godfrey's eccentricity shing through, and something I won't forget in a hurry...
A great day of music from some very diverse acts! We left the venue feeling a little hungry, we walked a little from our hotel and found a road that was lined with bars, with Sheffields finest youth spilling out into the pavement, with plenty of police on hand to address any issues.
We find a takeaway who assumed we were as inebriated as everybody else, trying to short change with both food, and money. We got out of that area and vowed never to return. (There were street cleaners scrubbing blood stains off the street the next day, I hope it was nothing serious).
And that was day one. A lot to take in so I'll be returning soon with day two, thanks for reading...