Marillion, Steve Hackett, Flying Colors & Big Big Train headline the biggest prog cruise ever!
Cruise To The Edge, progressive rock’s largest festival at sea is set to return in 2024 with its biggest cruise ever! The 9th voyage of the prog festival at sea sails from Miami, Florida, March 8th – 13th, 2024, aboard the Norwegian Pearl visiting Ocho Rios, Jamaica and George Town, Grand Cayman.
Headlined by prog legends Marillion, Steve Hackett, Flying Colors and, for the first time, Big Big Train, the event features some of the world’s greatest prog-rock musical artists. The lineup includes returning acts Adrian Belew, Martin Baare, The Flower Kings, Haken, Protocol, Queensryche, PFM, Airbag, and Baraka, alongside cruise debuts by Gryphon, Lonely Robot, and legendary prog metal group Symphony X. More bands are expected to be announced in the coming months. The event is once again hosted by Jon Kirkman and Roie Avin.
Beyond the sun, fun, and exquisite dining, there will be artist/cruiser photo experiences, Q&A sessions, special theme nights and other events designed to optimize the artist/fan experience. The cruise will once again feature the unprecedented CTTE Late Night Live, where fans can sign up to showcase their own musical talents.
Cruise to the Edge is truly the greatest prog-rock show on earth and is a can’t-miss event for prog enthusiasts throughout the world.
Poland’s pioneering and leading Progressive Rock band RIVERSIDE finally returns with a new studio album entitled “ID.Entity”, to be released via longtime international partners InsideOutMusic on January 20th, 2023. “ID. Entity”, the group’s 8th studio album was recorded and mixed in two studios – The Boogie Town Studio in Otwock with Paweł Marciniak and in Serakos studio in Warsaw with Magda and Robert Srzedniccy -, mastered by Robert Szydło and produced by RIVERSIDE’s Mariusz Duda himself. The “ID.Entity” artwork (Front cover to be seen above!) was created by Polish artist Jarek Kubicki.
Today, the first single off “ID.Entity” is being released via the track “I’m Done With You”, which can also be seen here in a video-clip animated and directed by Thomas Hicks / www.thomashicks.co.uk
RIVERSIDE’s Mariusz Duda checked in with the following comment about “I’m Done With You”: “We live in times of anger and helplessness. In times dominated by Big Techs, populists, conspiracy theories, hatred, and greedy corporations causing the planet and human nature to die at an accelerated speed. We live in times when one country can attack another out of the blue just because they think they are more deserving of something. These days it’s simply hard to sing only about love, friendship, and escapes into imaginary worlds. “I’m Done With You” is about anger and frustration!”
RIVERSIDE – “ID.Entity” (53:11) Tracklist: 1. Friend or Foe? (07:29) 2. Landmine Blast (04:50) 3. Big Tech Brother (07:24) 4. Post-Truth (05:37) 5. The Place Where I Belong (13:16) 6. I’m Done With You (05:52) 7. Self-Aware (8:43)
The bonus material appearing on “ID.Entity” includes the instrumental tracks “Age of Anger” (11:56) and “Together Again” (06:29) as well as “Friend or Foe? (Single Edit)” (05:59) and “Self-Aware (Single Edit)” (05:29).
The album will be available in the following formats:
•Ltd. Deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook (Disc 1: Album, Disc 2: All 4 bonus tracks, Blu-ray: All main 9 album tracks in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 and 24bit HighRes Audio mix versions) •Ltd. 2CD Mediabook (Disc 1: Album, Disc 2: All 4 bonus tracks) •CD Jewelcase •Deluxe Digital Album (Including all 4 bonus tracks) •Digital album
The album’s vinyl version comes as Gatefold 2LP (With the bonus tracks “Age of Anger” and “Together Again” on Side D) in the following variants:
Black vinyl: All outlets Orange vinyl: All outlets White vinyl: 500x copies via JPC & Burning Shed Yellow vinyl: 500x copies via EMP & Just For Kicks Sky Blue vinyl: 600x copies via Laser’s Edge & CM Distro/Webshop Europe
“ID.Entity”, an album that extends and expands RIVERSIDE’s characteristic sound, but all in a revamped and more dynamic formula, follows 2018’s widely acclaimed ‘Wasteland’ album, which entered the charts in Germany at # 13, The Netherlands at # 28, Switzerland at # 23, Austria at # 39, UK at # 83, Finland at # 30, France at # 97, Czech Republic at # 59 and Poland at # 1.
Most recently, RIVERSIDE released the special 20th anniversary Digital Single “Story of My Dream”, which can be checked out in a video clip directed by Tomasz Pulsakowski / Sightsphere here: https://youtu.be/-s7fedFOP88
Additionally, RIVERSIDE also released two digital “best of” compilations to showcase the comprehensive and rich back-catalogue from across the last two decades of band activity. Featuring material all especially remastered by Magda and Robert Srzedniccy (Serakos Studio) for this occasion, “Riverside 20 – Vol.1, The Shorts” includes 19 tracks and “Riverside 20 – Vol.2, The Longs” includes 14 songs. Both individual “Riverside 20” compilations as well as a bundle are available here:
Riverside – Live 2023: 15-16. April 2023 Eindhoven (The Netherlands) – Prognosis Festival 22-23. April 2023 London (UK) – Prognosis Festival https://www.prognosis-festival.nl/
More RIVERSIDE live show announcements and further details about “ID.Entity” coming soon…
RIVERSIDE line-up: (From left to right on photo by Radek Zawadzki) Michał Łapaj – keyboards and Hammond Organ Mariusz Duda – vocal, bass Maciej Meller – guitar Piotr Kozieradzki – drums
SiX By SiX is the exciting new trio formed by Ian Crichton (Saga), Nigel Glockler (Saxon) & Robert Berry (3; Emerson, Berry, Palmer), and their eponymous debut album is set for release on August 19th, 2022 via InsideOutMusic/Sony Music. This hugely accomplished trio of musicians is also pleased to announce their first single ‘Yearning to Fly’, and you can watch the video now here:
The roots of SiX By SiX can be traced back several decades to when Glockler and Berry were together as part of Yes guitarist Steve Howe’s continuation of the band GTR. Then there’s the Asia connection, where Crichton and Glockler contributed to sessions and recordings, while Berry was the link for his guitarist friend Pat Thrall joining that band.
Time marches on, paths cross and fate brings these three musicians together, born from a conversation with an industry insider in the UK who connected Ian Crichton in the Toronto area with Robert Berry outside San Francisco, who in turn reached Glockler at his home on the south coast of England.
Powered by Glockler’s dynamic drumming, the result is an expansive guitar-driven pallet, paired sonically with the unique flavour of the Crichton/Berry songwriting collaboration, which they are very excited to present on this debut album.
Ian Crichton comments: “Throughout my career, I’ve been very selective about what to get involved in outside Saga and when opportunities have arisen, I have said ‘no’ far more often than I have said ‘yes’. When Robert’s manager contacted me in 2020 and explained what Robert was seeking to do creatively and how my guitar could be central to the musical vision, I was intrigued. Now it’s over 18 months and many Zoom calls later, but crucially Robert, Nigel and I have also spent plenty of time together at Robert’s base in northern California. We’re three experienced players from three different countries, and with our six hands, we’re here to break the rock music mould. SiX By SiX is a band that we’ve built together and nurtured into a unique style that I’m very proud of.”
Nigel Glockler continues: “When Robert and Ian first approached me about becoming part of this band, I felt very honoured to be asked and absolutely thrilled to be working with a couple of guys I’ve admired for a long time. Robert and I first met during GTR days and we’ve kept in touch ever since. My path has crossed with Ian many times on the road over the years, so once the three of us got together in California it was like a meeting of old friends. Musically it immediately clicked and working within the framework of a three piece allows us to branch out in all directions and really push ourselves. I’m best known as the Saxon drummer, but I’ve always been a massive fan of progressive rock – Genesis and PFM are amongst my favourite bands! SiX By SiX is just the beginning of an exciting journey – bring it on!!”
Robert Berry adds: “After working with the genius of Keith Emerson and losing that musical partnership in 2016 following Keith’s death, I faced a daunting question: whether to bring down the curtain creatively or seek something inspiring which would reach new musical heights. My intuition was to lean into a dramatically more guitar oriented direction. But which guitarist is as impressive as Keith was as a keyboardist? At my manager’s suggestion, an incredible meeting of minds, style and future goals was struck with Ian Crichton. Was it luck, timing or destiny? I think it was all three because 3 is my lucky number. Ian and I were determined to keep this a 3 piece band (there’s that number again) and needed a drummer with a similar mindset and who is a solid, heavy hitter. My friend Nigel Glockler was the perfect fit. And with this extraordinary combination of friendship, musicality, and humor, a Brit, a Canadian and an American have come together as the brand new band SiX By SiX.”
Ian Crichton is best known as one of the founding members of Saga, alongside his brother Jim. Saga went on to sell roughly 10 million albums world-wide and continue to perform around the world. As the driving force behind SiX By SiX, Ian takes a cunning turn, in assembling another potent band but one that focuses on his guitar prowess. This time with established players, each with a celebrated past, refined skills, and unlimited potential.
Nigel Glockler began his career in 1980 as the drummer for the British band Krakatoa. In 1981 he found an opportunity with singer Toyah. By the end of the year, he joined metal legends, Saxon. Except for two brief absences, Nigel has been behind his massive drum kit as an integral part of Saxon ever since. His powerhouse drumming is the engine that drives SiX By SiX’s songs forwards relentlessly.
Robert Berry first gained international attention with San Francisco-based Hush, releasing well-received recordings and then touring the USA. In the mid-1980s Berry’s first solo album garnered positive reviews in the most influential trade publications and attracted the attention of several major labels. At the suggestion of one of those labels, Robert moved to the UK to work with guitarist Steve Howe (of Yes fame) along with drummer Nigel Glockler in an effort to revitalize GTR. When GTR stalled, Robert partnered with British rock legends Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer to form ‘3’. With Emerson and Palmer, Robert achieved a top ten charting single and toured the USA. Robert’s melodic sensibilities complement Ian’s extraordinary guitar and Nigel’s signature drumming perfectly.
Set to make their worldwide live debut at ProgPower USA XXI on June 3rd, Jason Bieler and the Baron Von Bielski Orchestra have released a heavy new single appropriately titled “Sic Riff”. The track is the second single to be released in advance of an upcoming album due out later this year.
Jason Bieler had this to say about the new single: “It is about time for the musical high wire act of the Baron Von Bielski Orchestra to take the stage this week for our worldwide debut at the Progpower Festival in Atlanta! In keeping with a long history of storied prog traditions, we will be wearing sequined capes and playing versions of songs that sound nothing like the ones from the record. In fairness, we couldn’t figure out how to get the backing track machine to work…so we said…let’s just leap the breach and plow through the music like an Amish run farm! We also won’t have in-ear monitors…again not because we don’t have them…but sticking with BVBO tradition, we couldn’t figure out how to get them to work either.
“Ohh, yes…to the point, we are going to be playing two new songs from the unreleased record, “Postcards From The Asylum”…because if I know one showbiz thing, nothing pleases music fans more than new tunes, especially live! So to attempt to remedy this blasphemous display of self indulgence we’ve ( when I say “we” I mean “me” and the “voices”) decided to release one of the songs June 1st…it is called “Sic Riff,” it is technically in 12/4, which is really 4/4…but you have to admit for a sec you were like…”this Baron Von Bielski cat is entirely off the mental reservation!” I don’t like to really discuss my lyrics…but this tune is not about “Monkeypox”…although there is a new song on the upcoming record, called Flying Monkeys…which has Marco Minnemann on it, and to my knowledge, as of this writing at least, he has no primate based illnesses…for that matter he doesn’t even own a monkey.
“I personally would love a monkey…but I digress. New tune out everywhere June 1st! Featuring the brilliance of Andee Blacksugar on guitars and noises and Edu Cominato on drums, he is from Brazil and I’m not really sure he actually knows that he played on the record, as I used google translate to chat with him, but it was accidentally set to English to Uzbekistan…so in hindsight all he knows I said is “does your goat have global entry” or something to that effect. If you see Edu, please tell him thanks and that I was referring to the TSA, not his goat being a hussy.”
ProgPower USA will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, June 1-4, 2022. Please visit www.progpowerusa.com for further details.
ason Bieler & The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra recently shared a lyric video for a new track titled “Human Head.” It features a return guest appearance by Andee Blacksugar (KMFDM, Peter Murphy, and Blondie).
Today sees the release of the animated video for PROPER JACK FROSTER, the latest single from BIG BIG TRAIN, taken from the forthcoming WELCOME TO THE PLANET album. Proper Jack Froster is based on a story from Gregory Spawton’s childhood in the Midlands in the UK in the 1970s.
Work on the video by Swedish animator Love Andreas Gson Fagerstedt began before the untimely, tragic passing of Big Big Train’s singer David Longdon on 20th November 2021. David’s partner and the band have decided that the video should still be released to help to promote the forthcoming album to the fullest extent possible.
Watch the video here:
Big Big Train’s March 2022 UK tour will now not take place; ticket holders should contact their point of purchase for information on refunds. Prior to David’s death the band had been on the verge of announcing a North American tour consisting of over 20 shows in May and June 2022. This projected North American tour will also not be taking place.
The band will be making an announcement next year about its future, including regarding the September 2022 shows that are scheduled to take place in the UK. Ticket holders for these September shows are encouraged to retain their tickets for the time being pending that further announcement. No further comment will be made about the band’s future before next year.
As with COMMON GROUND, WELCOME TO THE PLANET sees Big Big Train retain their progressive roots but also take influence from all spheres of music. The four recent singles “Proper Jack Froster’, ‘Made Of Sunshine ‘The Connection Plan’ and ‘Lanterna’ are also included along with keyboard player Carly Bryant’s first Big Big Train writing credit and lead vocal on the captivating title track. The album is completed by the delicate acoustic ‘Capitoline Venus’, the beautiful ‘Oak And Stone’ and a pair of dazzling instrumentals, ‘A Room With No Ceiling’ and ‘Bats In The Belfry’, written by guitarist/keyboardist Rikard Sjöblom and drummer Nick D’Virgilio respectively.
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