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...here's a few photographs from a wonderful evening of humor, music, nudity and copious quantities of white powder...



Wot, no Leon?  
He had a date with Peggy Sue, apparently.  The stand-in was none too shabby, but couldn't quite replicate Leon's repertoire of profanities


Rob finally remembers where he stashed his emergency supply of coke


...but not before Paul


Someone wake James up


Jim gets in some practice for his next Peel appearance; at the "bar" next door


There was also a special Geordie rendition of the "Spoon Jar" song




Full set can be found here:

//http://www.myspace.com/neilpalfreyman/photos

I have a set of photographs from the wonderful Summer's End performance up on my MySpace page:

//http://www.myspace.com/neilpalfreyman/photos

Here's a few previews:

I haven't been as excited about an album release in a long, long time as I am about the forthcoming "We're Here Because We're Here" by Anathema.

It's their first release of new material since 2003, mixed by Steve Wilson who describes it as "among the best albums I've ever had the pleasure to work on."

Register at the KScope mini site

http://www.kscopemusic.com/anathema/wer ... ewerehere/

to get a brand new track "Thin Air" - I'm listening to it right now and it's bloody awesome!

Jadis and Shadowland played a double-header at The Peel on Saturday 27th and I was lucky enough to be on hand to capture the event on camera.  Here's a sample of photgraphs from the gig.

Full set on //http://www.myspace.com/NeilPalfreyman

Jadis











Shadowland











Full set on //http://www.myspace.com/NeilPalfreyman

This live version of the hauntingly beautiful Karda Estra composition "John Deth" was recorded in my studio aka - "the back lounge" just last night!

//http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWpq7W6b2k0

...okay, all the gear is Richard's, but its our piano and I made the tea!

For those that don't know Karda Estra is the musical face of a certain Richard Wileman who's been composing and recording his own very unique blend of prog and classical music for over a decade.

//http://www.kardaestra.co.uk/
//http://www.myspace.com/kardaestra

Richard uses talented local musicians to help out with the recording. This is the first time my daughter Jemima, who's studying Piano at the RNCM, has recorded piano for Richard (she's previously recorded her other instrument - Tuba!)  The clarinet is played by Amy Hedges and that's Richard on guitar.

I think it sounds really good!

Some pictures from the Esoteric evening at the Globe, Cardiff on the 8th Nov.  Not quite up to the standard of Mike's awesome pictures and a little (!) late  :oops:

as ever the full set is here:

//http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewAlbums&friendID=328159521

Hi all!  

I'm a long time John Mitchell fan (from Arena, Kino and of course Frost*) but I'm pretty new to It Bites - last Sunday was my first It Bites gig.  Boy did they rock!

As well as live music one of my other interests is gig photography and I got some particularly special pictures on Sunday which I thought you may enjoy.  Here's a few samples:













The complete set (and sets from loads of other gigs/bands) is posted up on my MySpace page:

//http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewAlbums&friendID=328159521

Enjoy and have a wonderful Christmas!

...is at #2 in the Amazon UK Rock Album download charts:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rock-MP3-Music-Downloads/b/ref=amb_link_81027465_33?ie=UTF8&node=78166031&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=left-1&pf_rd_r=1ZFG2BRZ1PXR0SQ4GR1P&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=473961493&pf_rd_i=77197031

Do yourself and this superb prog band a favour and download it - only £1.69 for all three versions (which are all brilliant!)

 

Those generous Big Big Train guys are posting their "Goodbye to the Age of Steam" album for free download - one track per week - follow the link below.

http://www.reverbnation.com/bigbigtrain

The first track is up - check back once per week to get the rest!

This band are incredibly good - if you haven't heard any of there stuff here's a chance to do so for free!

...if you haven't done so already get a free copy of an epic track off of their next album "The Underfall Yard" (which Jem guests on) here:

http://www.bigbigtrain.com/

I have a set of photographs from last weekend's awesome Pineapple Thief gig at the Orange Box, Yeovil up on my MySpace site.

//http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=328159521&albumId=1208537

Here's a preview:











Full set is here:

//http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=328159521&albumId=1208537

This gig was particularly memorable for a number of reasons -

It was a charity gig in TPT's home town in support of the Piers Simon Appeal //http://www.pierssimonappeal.org/
I won a rare copy of  a 2006 Concert only promo CD  in the charity auction  
The boys played two sets - one acoustic one full band
They played "Remember Us" for the first and possibly only time live!        

Brilliant evening from a band that just go from strength to strength!

Mrs P and I  went to Leamington Spa this weekend for the all-weekend Fish convention.

The Assembly Rooms in Leamington is a top-notch venue - I'll be going back for The Enid and Pendragon later this year.

We met up with some great people and saw 5 excellent sets in two days - 3 from Fish, one from The Reasoning and one from the mighty Pendragon.

I have photographs from 4 of the 5 sets on my MySpace page:

//http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewAlbums&friendID=328159521

and here's some previews:

Acoustic Fish - magical!




Pendragon, who were on top form



Pendragon are playing a marathon 3h set at the same venue - the Leamington Spa Assembly rooms - on 12th December!

The Reasoning, first time for me - enjoyed them!




And Fish again on Sunday Night.  He opened the set with "Script for a Jester's Tear" and the roof nearly came off!





----------------
Listening to: The Reasoning - Talk To Me

It was so good to see Arena again - last time I saw them was in Jan 2008 at Reading.  

Clive had told me in the week before Loreley that they had a few nerves but they must have just put them on top of their game; the performance was absolutely top notch (though as other forum members have noted the keyboards could have been higher in the mix.)

Full set of pics at: http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=328159521&albumId=1176356











...the set even included a cover of Billy Jean in tribute to Michael Jackson (I kid you not!)

Well, what a blistering gig that was!  

Brilliant songs played by very talented musicians who are right on top of their game.  But what "made it" for me is that they obviously enjoy what they do so very much and that excitement and enthusiasm rubs off on the crowd.  That also makes them one of the most enjoyable bands to photograph!

Anyway, on to the pics - here's a sample:
























As usual the full set (including some great ones of Tina playing a guitar solo) are up on my MySpace page:

//http://www.myspace.com/neilpalfreyman

It's the first album under the pics link.

If you like them feel free to leave a comment or two!

----------------
Listening to: Magenta - Children of The Sun iii - The Battle

The Pineapple Thief went back to the Half Moon, Putney (London) last night for their fourth gig at the venue.  Having just returned from gigs in the Netherlands and Canada they were on top form, particularly Bruce Soord, who's blistering feedback-heavy guitar solos which seem to get better each time I see them.

The setlist included Tightly Wound, Siners, Different World, So Say... and Too Much to Lose from the latest album "Tightly Unwound."   Too Much to Lose was made for live performance - dark, brooding, atmospheric and a great showcase for everything that makes The Pineapple Thief such a good live band.

It also featured a healthy dose of classics from previous albums including God Bless the Child, Snowdrops, We Love You from the much under-rated album "Little Man" which Soord announced as the first in a series of KScope re-mixes/masters of the back catalogue - great news for new fans who can't get hold of the Cyclops editions!

The two new tracks - 3,000 days (the title track of the K'Scope compilation to be released later this year) and Preparation for Meltdown went down well and becoming great favourites with fans.

Anyway, on to the pics:













As ever full set and sets from many other bands/gigs on my MySpace site:

//http://www.myspace.com/neilpalfreyman