TA, our own Prog God

Started by Pedro, September 02, 2016, 07:16:16 AM

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Pedro

"Putting food on the table is more important than 7/8"

owen

No, all I get is "Prog was live" but I'm guessing it's died now then. RIP :'( :'( :'(

Pedro

Oh.
I see the text "Prog was live" but the image below that is a playable video...

"Putting food on the table is more important than 7/8"

MikeEvs

Link worked for me I found TA, thankfully without having to watch an 1hr 48 minutes of award show.  I'm now really glad that the magazine I get published in doesn't invite me to this long ass show  ;D

D S

Good of TA to give Jem a name check.  Must have been really weird for him to be on stage with so many 'prog gods' in the audience though!
Come on, you\'re a lion!

ich_bin_besser

Did I get the quote right (around 34:20)?

"Jon Anderson is the only person [...] who's trying to understand this universe while living in another one."??

If so:  8)

Keep prog alive - see it live!

Meine Musikliste

owen


Trapezium Artist

Thanks, Pedro; thanks, all. Quite the evening indeed  8)

I mean, it was very nice to be invited to the event, as I've been working with Alex Milas at TeamRock on various things, but it was a surprise and an honour, as well as not a little daunting, to be asked to present the Band of the Year award.

I do give lots of talks around the world to diverse audiences, but to be faced with a room full of my prog heroes, not least Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman (and, as it turned out, also Trevor Horn and Trevor Rabin), with them sitting listening to me on stage for once ... well ...  :o

When I arrived, I was given red carpet treatment as a presenter, involving a bunch of photographers snapping pix in front of a Prog banner: all very glam, if slightly peculiar: I'm sure the photogs were thinking "Who's this bloke?"

Then into the main room where, while I certainly recognised many faces, I didn't know very many of them personally, so I was very happy when I spotted Nellie in full ballgown glam mode. Dahling ...  :-* Also saw Jerry Ewing (editor of Prog) briefly, but he was fully in his element and whizzing around the room.

I'd decided that if I was going to be semi-coherent on stage 3 hours later (!), I'd better not drink (although didn't seem to be a problem for many of the other presenters, including Steve Hogarth  ;)). So I found myself at the orange juice end of the bar chatting to someone else who seemed a little lost: turned out it was Jon Anderson's nephew, so we had a good natter.

For the Yes fans among you, he pointed me to this utterly, utterly amazing rendition of Jon singing "Awaken" with Todmobile, orchestra, and choir in the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik  ;D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_Va3e_52TE&feature=youtu.be

(Coincidentally, I've given a talk to 1,000 people from the same stage: stunning venue)

I digress ...

Anyway, the evening continued with dinner, and I was seated next to Alex on one side and Mike Howlett, bass player from Gong, on the other: what a raconteur he is, so many stories about so many musicians, both as a player and producer. Also a genuinely nice guy: a pleasure.

I have to say I knew of course who the winner of the Band of the Year Award was going to be, as I'd been asked to write them into my speech a little. So it was a tad awkward when I met the Boss during the evening: he was a little surprised to see me first off, but even more so when I said I was presenting that award, particularly since Frost* were up for it. Nothing would have pleased me more (I think you all know that  ;)), but it wasn't to be this year. More voting next year, you lot!!!

At one point, I went for a wander to re-read my words again, and I bumped into Anthony Phillips reading his, who seemed horrified at the idea that I was trying memorise mine, instead of reading it out from paper. He had a couple of pages of text for his award  ;) Another lovely fellow.

I also doorstepped Matthew Wright, the compere, in the loos, to tell me how to pronounce my name properly, but the less said about that moment, the better  8)

The moment came, I bumbled up on stage, did my spiel, including my Anderson-Wakeman anecdote: as others have said, it may originally have been "Jon is the only person trying to save this planet while living on another one", and judging from the look on Anderson's face, it didn't necessarily go down very well anyway, but, hey, it was my moment, and he's told the odd awkward story from a stage, as has Wakeman  :P

Big Big Train were surprised to get this award, I think, as they'd won the one for Best Live Event earlier, and Dave Longdon, Greg Spawton, Nick D'Virgilio et al. were very gracious and friendly when they came up on stage and backstage after, when we had photos together. Lovely folk and jolly good winners of the prize (even though they didn't get my vote  ;)).

Met some more people, albeit unfortunately none of the Yessers, as I'd hoped, and also bumped into Mitchell as he left (only to come back again and be seen chatting with one of the Purson singers). Met Dave Brock from Hawkwind and also met the folk promoting the Anderson-Rabin-Wakeman gigs next year, so I'm hopeful for a little more ligging then  ;)

After the event ended at the Globe Theatre at 01:00, we retired to the Crobar near Tottenham Court Road: absolute horror of a pub, crowded, seedy, noisy, but filled with the great and the good of the prog music business (big shout out to Matt Stevens: how did you even fit in that room?!), as well as me and Nellie.

'Cos, in the end, it all comes down to Nellie, doesn't it? What a goddess  :-*

All good fun and a real privilege for me, just some bloke from a space agency, to be part of it.

rogerg


Pedro

Thanks for that TA, an interesting read.
"Putting food on the table is more important than 7/8"

Nellie

I have to say that I think Frost* were in the wrong category. If the album had been in album of the year, I think it would have won. I have no idea why they were in Band of the Year.
I am invited every year because The Merch Desk sponsors the letters page. I know some people get upset about not being invited but it's largely a corporate event and the sponsors and labels have to "buy" tables. It's then down to them who gets invited, not the magazine. The magazine invites the winners and even then the tickets are limited.
TA did very well with his speech and even better to tag along to the Crobar. It was a great night and hopefully the boys will get a gong for the next album.
BTW, I was wearing an evening dress, not a ballgown! ;-)
It's in the post!

Mikey

What a tart  ;D ;D ;D ;D

Grats TA, Top man 8)
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