I have no clue how the economics of the cruise worked for the musicians.
I sat next to Jimmy Keegan on an airport shuttle and I came THIS CLOSE to asking him that very question, but I chickened out.
I have no clue how the economics of the cruise worked for the musicians.
I sat next to Jimmy Keegan on an airport shuttle and I came THIS CLOSE to asking him that very question, but I chickened out.
The only awkward part was when someone who obviously didn't know who was who saw Trewavas and said "Oh, Gopher, can you help me with my bags?"
No, the quote to Pete actually was, "Oh wow, you were Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit AND you play bass?"Originally Posted by JKL2000
As for the other questions:
- the PoS band supplied the lead vocals for their set without Daniel. Did a very admirable job I'd say, and of course the crowd sang loudly to help them.
- the boat was beautiful, great rooms (not that I was in it other than for sleeping -- which was silent, dark and comfy beds so it was perfect). It's likely a smaller ship than Cruise to the Edge, so they didn't have regular guests on it.
- the first port stop (their private island) was great: secluded beach with many of the bands hanging out, and great snorkeling right there. They had excursions (extra charge) of all types available for both stops, which probably were great, but I passed on those which was a wise move because just hanging out and taking it easy was very needed given all the music we were experiencing!
- the food was excellent and varied. I'm a vegetarian and still had tons of options. The carnivores must have all gained 10 pounds each at least.
- I'm not sure what the "profitable for the bands" question specifically meant. But I doubt the bands get paid a whole lot (aside from the big headliners)...I think they probably got a modest stipend along with expenses paid for a great vacation. Most bands seemed to bring their families, and there was plenty of chill time for most of them because they usually only had to play a total of 2 hours on the cruise. And most all of the bands I interacted with seemed to think this cruise was the greatest thing ever and would love to be invited back.
Yeah, I know some people won't ever like cruises, which is fine, and perhaps a few still think it's cheesy. But I can say from my experience that this was the coolest, most brilliant offering ever and it went over amazingly well!
20 pounds if you count the booze.
Agreed. I think that even Devin Townsend was warming up to it by the end.
Oh, one more thing that nobody has mentioned yet, which is that Neal Morse held a worship session one morning. All denominations welcome, which I thought was cool.
I actually thought about attending even though I'm about as religious as a grilled tuna sandwich, just to see what a Neal Morse "yay God" thingy is all about. Alas, when I woke up I attacked the breakfast buffet (they had both crispy AND chewy bacon!) and forgot all about it.
Damn. Hope he's sworn off prog cruises by the time I get to go.
"Arf." -- Frank Zappa, "Beauty Knows No Pain" (live version)
Bacon is the one true god.
Ian
Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on progrock.com
https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-a...re-happy-hour/
Gordon Haskell - "You've got to keep the groove in your head and play a load of bollocks instead"
I blame Wynton, what was the question?
There are only 10 types of people in the World, those who understand binary and those that don't.
I went to both mornings that Neal offered his worship services. I was elated when I heard he was offering them. I'm not Christian, but Neal's spirit really does it for me. The services were awesome. Neal was at a white grand piano, playing several songs from his worship albums, and sometimes alternating with acoustic guitar. He had a couple of other people join him at times, too. Then he would talk a bit, giving his "testimony" about his life before and after finding the spirit in his life. He invited another friend each day to offer a bit about their lives, too. It was very inspiring, uplifting, and a great way to start the day. I can understand that it would turn some people off and that's fine, they can stay away. But if you have any strong connection to spirit in your life, no matter what you call it, I think you'd find inspiration from his enthusiasm. I am so grateful for the gifts Neal shares with us!
I am so jealous. What an incredible experience.
So glad to hear everyone had a great time! Anyone have the SB & Flower Kings setlists?
Sleeping at home is killing the hotel business!
Did any of you catch Beardfish? I have yet to hear anyone mention them. Only one of the BEST bands on the bill.
* Finally, Neal, who was dressed in a white robe, was slowly lifted, piano and all, about 30 feet above the crowd on a rotating pillar. White lasers from several different points hit his suit, which was then revealed to be covered in tiny crystals. Neal appeared, at that point, like a white-hot sun at the center of the universe. He raised both hands which were covered in white-crystal gloves, and directed the white lasers at the heads of various people in the crowd, chanting slowly in a deep voice "I am the one. I am the one. I am the one."
The platform then slowly lowered, and Neal walked to a white horse whose reigns were held by a roadie. Neal mounted the horse, and slowly rode away from the concert area, still chanting "I am the one. I am the one..." He allowed a few attendees to kiss the backs of his gloved hands as he rode through the crowd and soon out of site.
*Writer's embellishment.
I too attended both services (with my wife), and couldn't express it better than Scott. No matter what your religious beliefs, it was truly a magical thing to experience. And getting to chat with Neal afterwards was literally a dream come true. The man has brought so much joy to me over the years, and the opportunity to let him know that in person was surreal. Actually, when i think about the entire cruise, "surreal" is the word I keep coming back to. Not because I'm star stuck around musicians I admire, but because the experience was just so damn cool. My personal highlights: As far as shows, it was the TA performance of Kaleidoscope and Jon Anderson solo show on Tuesday, Spock's Beard and The Flower Kings back to back on Wednesday, Flower Kings again on Thursday (different set list, in a lounge), and on Friday, Spock's reunion with Neal and the Transatlantic finale with Jon Anderson. The finale really makes you miss Jon with a live band behind him. Who knows, it may be the last time it happens. Other highlights: Playing prog trivia with Mike Portnoy, Devin Townsend, Damon Fox of Bigelf, and Bumblefoot; attending the drum clinic with the two Matts (from Animals as Leaders and Periphery -- I am a guitarist, but it was insane to watch those guys play drums); and most important, the overal vibe of the cruise. Everyone was there for the same basic reason (the music), and interacting with the actual musicians we all know and admire was seamless, effortless, and natural. For me, speaking with Neal for a few minutes was the coolest, but equally fun was just bumping into them or passing them in the halls. I mean, here I am waiting on line for sherbert, and Pete from Marillion is in front of me. As I mentioned, I don't get starstruck, so it was the exact opposite. Like "Hey Pete, what flavor are you getting?" (It was pistachio, but they ran out by the time he got there. I also told him how much I like his section of Kaleidoscope -- heresy!) Everyone was so cool. From saying hello to Jimmy Keegan, Ted Leonard, and Alan Morse from Spock's, and Roine and Hasse from FK, to Billy Sheehan asking me how to get to the Stardust Theater. The other unreal part for me was watching my wife transform into a prog fan. When we got home, she asked me for a stack of TA, FK, and Spock's CDs. I guess that shows the power of live music. Sorry for the rambling, but I'm still trying to process it all.
Sounds very cool, especially the last part about your wife. This sounds a lot like some of the earlier, smaller prog festivals, where interaction with the artists happened a bit more.
So THAT's IT! No wonder most religions frown on pork. Bacon makes people forget about God stuff.
God did make bacon, though, so go figure.
If anyone, like, knows who books these things... 'cus IZZ is feeling a little left out.
Just imagine if they had done something similar during Prog's heyday: Yes, ELP, Genesis, Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant. But I guess those bands didn't like to fraternize back in the day.
Every one of those bands would have drawn 8 or 9 times the people that would fit on the boat back in the day
I'm curious about Beardfish as well. Anyone...
Regards,
Jon
Actually there are quite a few bands that I have not seen mentioned. Anyone hear any new discoveries, especially among the lesser known younger bands?
IZZ for PN15!If anyone, like, knows who books these things... 'cus IZZ is feeling a little left out.
Rikard posted on a FB thread I had today and we got to talking about the cruise and this is what he said-
"We did two sets, yes! First one was the sunny side up teenage boppin' version on pool deck which included:
And The Stone Said...
Sunrise
The Gooberville Ballroom Dancer
Hold On (new song #1)
The Hunter
Voluntary Slavery
Second set was a bit darker (maybe because it was inside the ship):
The One Inside (new song #2)
Destined Solitaire
Seventeen Again
Comfort Zone (new song #3)
Ludvig & Sverker
Note
Good clean fun at sea"
IZZ would have been a perfect addition to PN14! If there is a PN15, I don't see any reason why they shouldn't get a prominent spot on the roster.
I saw about a half hour of Beardfish's pool set. They sounded pretty good, though I am completely unfamiliar with their music, so I can't really say much more than I liked what I heard, and may look for more of their stuff.
There was a prog-metal band called Eumeria that was decent, their lead singer had great pipes but I think he's listened to WAY too much Dream Theater. He needs to de-LaBrie himself a bit. (Is there some kind of methadone equivalent for prog-metal lead singers who get a bit screechy?)
Another metal band from Brazil called Bad Salad had a very enthusiastic crowd supporting their set. (There was a sizable Brazilian contingent on the boat.) They mentioned that this was their very first performance abroad. Cool!
There was a band of kids (I swear, they looked liked high schoolers) called Zombie Frogs that had some great chops. They were all instrumental. It's always encouraging to see young people get involved in complex music.
A minor, trivial point, but why was anyone surprised? Anderson said in an interview that he was planning to perform "TRSoG" and two of the other songs they did. It was on my news site and everything...
Henry
Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/
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