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Well the dust's settling on the Clann Tour and the first thing that must said is a huge thank you to everyone who joined us along the way!
In fact, there were some who joined us the whole way!.. but more on that later. Suffice to say the tour was a wonderful experience and literally every night was a special one for us. Thanks to our Guardians, a new album and the support of so many, we even came out the other side without losing a small fortune.... result!
And so to a brief review of the shows...
Oundle
Myself and promoter, Bob Cheatham, were worried about this one. Early sales were thin but rallied over the last week making it a very respectable audience and the seated Queen Vic Hall looking full. This was the first of five 'planned' shows with the insanely talented Leoni Jane Kennedy and her brilliant solo set was the perfect way to open the show each night.
Pix- Howard Rankin and me |
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The 1865, Southampton
Again, I was sweating over this show. We'd originally booked the usual Sunday evening Solent Area Prog event but Geoff was railroaded by a bigger promoter who knew he could ram the place out with a tribute band. Such is life for a medium weight originals band.
I need not have worried, turns out 150 or so good folk were happy enough to come out on a Wednesday night. They even opened the balcony which was a first for us!
Here's Guardian, Simon Arnold's hilarious thoughts on the night along with a few of his superb photos including Leoni in full flight by the second show!! |
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"Last week one of the mostly hotly anticipated nights of the Solent Area Prog calendar was finally upon us. We all headed to that grand bastion of prog venues, the 1865 in Southampton. I know, I know, they still haven't installed the open fires that I've long suggested and even now there is no sign of the recommended rental slippers and pipes to be seen anywhere but I am sure they are coming. Actually, it ended up being even more hotly anticipated than expected as there was a delay opening the doors. Originally we were told that this was due to the brand spanking new sound board that the venue had just invested in and a problem with one of the channels - man, what a venue - the sound is already legendary but they still want to improve! Anyway, Andy Glass later admitted to me that the real reason for the delay was that he had forgotten to do his hair and apparently tying it up is really, really difficult. Fair enough I thought, what I wouldn't do to have enough hair to warrant tying it up!
Anyway, unfortunately that wasn't the end of the issues with the evening. No, indeed it was obvious that Andy and his band are clearly no respecters of our grand prog traditions and they had brought their troop of young female caterwaulers with them again! What's more said young ladies were wearing scandalous attire! What were they thinking wearing such short mini skirts? I'm not exaggerating but it was obvious before they even took to the stage that there was going to be a wanton display of ankles during the show! Why weren't we warned in advance? Geoff Tuckerc needs to investigate before High Inquisitor Charlie Bramald shuts the place down! We just had to hope that Jess and her ladies had been diligent with their standing still and posing demurely practice to keep things on a more even keel.
Obviously sensing trouble the venue rushed to put up crush barriers at the front in case the angry crowd tried to lean on the stage in protest. The crowd at The 1865 can cut up pretty rough when their blood is up I can tell you, none of us are going to forget the great bare midriff disaster of 2022 when Andy's Kimono malfunctioned and several members of the audience had to be treated for Werthers sapnel wounds!
Anyway, finally Andy's hair is in place and the band take the stage. They open with the quite scintillating Firefly from their new album, Clann, this is a track that simply screams "I AM A PROG SONG AND YOU HAD BETTER BELIEVE IT" at you from the blistering opening keyboard riffs and is a fabulously hi-tempo way to open the show. Jennie's fiddle soon joins in and the song has a now suitably bouffant Andy plus Robin and Pete giving it a fine groove. It has everything about modern Solstice that we have come to love and then some, including great bouncy vocals. I do love it when a band shows confidence in the new music they have produced and let it come to life as major parts of their live shows.
They quickly follow it up with "Shout" which has become a feature of their sets in recent years. By now, as you can imagine, those crush barriers are under a bit of pressure and in quiet moments you can hear frantic Werthers abuse as they are crunched rather than sucked! Solstice really don't care, it's almost as if they have no shame at all. Actually, what I love about Solstice is that as soon as they take the stage then that previously unsuspecting, inanimate and innocent piece of venue infrastructure suddenly seems to become a seething, roiling sea of pure joyetic energy. And it pretty much stays that way, okay with occasional more tranquil rolling moments, from start to finish. Just never still . . .
The set rolls on, the stage creaks and groans in time with the joyous music, dancing breaks out, despite the best efforts of security. Andy demonstrates an entirely new use for a plastic water bottle, suffice it to say, the poor thing will never be the same again. He then chooses the wrong guitar and Jess hands him the right one, not sure what she was muttering at the time but using my rather basic lipreading skills I think it was something like "One Job Andy, you only had one job" . . .
Adding further to the utter chaos that Solstice bring to the stage, Ebony was missing due to other touring commitments, well that's what they said. I suspect she's finally seen the light and up and done a runner myself. Anyway, no way were they going to leave Dyane on her own, they actually brought in Leoni Jane Kennedy to deputise and keep her company! And you're probably thinking, thank heavens, a serious musician to bring some semblance of order to proceedings? Did she heck? They had obviously cast some deviant Solstice spell on her because she was straight into it with the rest of them like a mad thing! What a talent she is too, managing to add significantly to both the vocals and with backing guitars. Then to top it all she strode out, very much the modern day warrior with a mean, mean stride to have a good old guitar battle with Andy. She didn't just line up with the playing but also with the general yoga and facial gurning workouts that are the hallmark of Andy's solos! It was actually a bit scary all round to be honest. In fact, the one island of restraint in this band, Robin, even joined in at one point. Talk about the Highway to Hell.
The set was a great balance of the new album and previous set staples like Wongle No.9 and Mt Epaim and of course a completely stunning Sacred Run. When Solstice take the stage then any venue is transformed by the sheer energy, spirituality, talent and joy that the band infuses into their shows. If you haven't caught them live yet then just do it, the turnouts at the 1865 have steadily increased with each show which is no mean feat for a prog band of such vintage. Andy Glass has kept the Solstice flame burning for decades but each member of the band just tows their own essence into it such that it burns more brightly now than it ever has before.
As ever photos below, with more (far too many more) on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/.../frag.../albums/72177720325077033/
The great thing about photographing Solstice is that there is always something going on, the problem is that no matter how many good photos you get of them you know that you missed at least another 100. It is just glorious technicolour chaos!" |
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The Earl Haig, Cardiff
This one was booked by our agent, Glenn Povey, and we had absolutely no idea what to expect. We arrived to what looked like a 20th century working men's club from the outside which raised a few eyebrows.
Once inside, we immediately loved it! Intimate, cabaret style with great production and a superb house crew. Having grown up in South Wales, I would later meet friends I haven't seen for a wet long time, Welsh followers and fellow musicians who'd been teatening to come to a gig for years plus Guardians, Jeff Cooper and Jo Dover who came to our rescue by manning the merch stall. Thank you Jo! X
Another Guardian, Ayush Newatia, took some great shots of the show you can view here
But these are taken by the band, Bryan Taylor and Jeff Cooper. |
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The Old Cold Store, Nottingham
This nice little venue's part of the Castle Rock Brewery right in the heart of Nottingham. The show was organised by another Guardian, Gary Blick, and whilst we were feeling '3 nights on the trot', a couple of long hauls and bit of a squeeze on the small stage, it turned out to be a cracking night!
This is Jenny's Nottingham merch stall. As soon as we loaded in every night she would put this together and break in down afterwards. Thankfully Shane joined us here for the rest of the tour to handle sales. Total legends both! |
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| Pre showtime yoga stretches quickly became a thing. Although Steve appears somewhat reticent 😁 |
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The Parish, Huddersfield
And so to The Parish Temporary venue in Huddersfield. The second via our agent and, once again, arriving with little idea of what we'd find. Apparently, after building The Parish into a tiving live venue since taking it over during lockdown... quite an achievement in itself... as leaseholders they've been held accountable for an historic power bill run up by the previous occupants and, without notice, the supplier pulled the plug. Sounds like a lose, lose particularly as legal council and common sense says they can hardly be held responsible. Undeterred, the young team have completely revamped a disused brewery around the corner into a vibrant little venue and bar full of character and welcome.
Here's Steve Pilkington's excellent account of the evening....
"It’s astonishing to think that in 2025 the idea of crossing the Pennines to head to a Solstice gig would even be a possibility, never mind a hugely enticing one. The first time I saw the band live had been 42 years earlier, as a 21-year old student, in Brixton supporting The Enid. It was a show I thoroughly enjoyed, still remembering it quite well over four decades later, but if anyone had told me that night that at 63 years old, with an entire working life in between times, I would still be travelling to see that same band, the idea would have sounded too far fetched to even contemplate. And yet, here we are – not only with the band still active, but enjoying a remarkable late-career renaissance which reflects what could very convincingly be argued to be their best line-up yet. With tee new studio albums in the past five years, as against five in the previous 37, this period of artistic creativity itself reflects not only the enthusiasm for the band to create this new material, but also crucially of a loyal audience to listen to it. This batch of live dates reflects something quite different however, with a string of shows up and down the country representing a full-blown tour, complete with van travel, the rigours of consecutive shows and the hope that the audience would be strong enough to make it a success. After a long time where the band’s live schedule has tended towards more isolated shows and festival appearances, the subsequent strong attendance numbers and joyous audience receptions must surely have been a marvellous vindication of a life chasing the eternal brass ring of musical creativity for founder and creative hub Andy Glass and his cohorts – and it could not be more deserved, as this Solstice incarnation is a band you simply have to see live in order to grasp the special magic which binds band and fans together.
There really is nothing quite like a Solstice live show, certainly in 2025, and a look at this performance should hopefully cast some light on the many and varied reasons why that is.
Before the band even appear, the small yet quite well-appointed ‘Parish Temporary’ venue is crowded with expectant punters. It is billed as ‘temporary’, because the actual Parish venue at which this show was scheduled to take place has been closed for a short time for refurbishment, and has moved to the very nearby location of what was an old brewery building – this meaning that we find things such as barrels dotted around the wooden floor, back rooms filled with non-gig-going patrons playing traditional bar-room games, and several small sets of steps which become tricky to see in the dark – so much so that, even without a drink, I manage to fall down one! This is so far removed from today’s often increasingly smartened and disinfected music venues that it enhances the atmosphere even without any music to back it up. The band were to be supported by an acoustic set from member Ebony Buckle, but with her being away elsewhere for the first part of this tour, her shoes – both as support and band member – are filled superbly by Leoni Jane Kennedy. A very talented musician (as we shall see more of later) and splendid singer, she opens proceedings with a nicely judged solo set containing among its highlights a nice arrangement of the Rush track Tears (from her all-acoustic Rush covers album New World Woman), and also a song she wrote during lockdown which has the audience entranced by its melancholy gravitas. A good curtain-raiser indeed, and an excellent idea to have the support spotlighting the solo material of someone from within the band (even if this is, in this case at least, a temporary position).
When Solstice do arrive, they walk onto the stage from the crowd area, there being no side-of-stage access to this rather cozy performance area – and anyone not prepared for the make-up of the band must have wondered when people were going to stop appearing, as no less than eight musicians trooped onto the stage like a scene from The Simpsons in which a stream of clowns disembark from the back of a car! Made up of four male and four female members, this was a line-up which would seem to have difficulty fitting onto this stage, and yet they not only did so, but also made the intimate surroundings work for them, interacting with each other and the audience in a way which only enhanced the way the atmosphere of the show played out. Having said that, I remain baffled as to how drummer Peter Hemsley managed to reach his drumstool without somehow either ascending tough the floor or being lowered from the ceiling! Bereft of any backdrop or much in the way of stage lighting, proceedings were dominated by the large and very orange neon sign proclaiming that we were indeed in Huddersfield – and working unconventionally yet somehow effectively as a bizarre chunk of stage lighting. Already, this is very much not like other gigs…
The other thing to notice immediately about Solstice, apart from their sheer number, is their unmistakeable stagewear. The band have always harked back to the gloriously free-spirited ‘hippie’ days of free festivals (or bands like the Pink Fairies and Hawkwind turning up to play for free outside a regular one), and they embrace that spirit openly and with pleasure. There have been other bands in recent years who have adopted a retro, ‘hippy’ vibe as their image, but with Solstice this is simply who they are, and it is wonderfully unpretentious to see. Their marvellously colourful attire may resemble a band being kitted out by Neil from The Young Ones after he has finished painting his Astrological Star Chart, but it’s hard to imagine this music being played in any other surroundings. If you want a band in trainers, jeans and T-shirts, or in some kind of expensively designed suits, you should look elsewhere, because Solstice always have and always will appear determined to Party Like It’s 1969, and everybody wants to join in. This is a band and audience who are connected and fully in the zone for the show before a note is even played, and you can’t help feel as if the first skirmish has been won even if the battle has yet to be played out.
Happily, the music backs this up, with Firefly, the opening track from the most recent Clann album, getting things underway. The first thing to notice is the sheer joy that the band take in what they are doing, their love for the performance and playful nature with each other communicating itself infectiously with the audience and strengthening that bond still further. Clann, indeed. The second thing is the number of different roles performed by the band members, and the way they all dovetail both musically and physically. Andy Glass, as always, is on guitar, while bassist Robin Phillips completes a tight rhythm section with the still apparently trapped Hemsley. The keyboards are manned by the permanently smiling Steven McDaniel, while Jenny Newman contributes some of the most impressively integrated rock violin that I have heard in quite some time. Diminutive vocalist Jess Holland may be petite in stature, yet her voice and sheer presence makes up for that in a way that no previous Solstice singer (and there have been several) has quite managed, to my mind. At the back of the stage (which is to say, about six feet away!) are the backing vocal duo of Leoni Jane Kennedy and Dyane Crutcher, but such is the nature of the show that a third place in that line is occasionally filled at various times by Holland, Newman and even Glass, with the two or tee people there towing in some enormously enjoyable semi-synconised moves, like a surreal sort of prog-rock Four Tops who simply want to have a good time and don’t care who knows it. This palpable sense of enjoyment in what they are doing imbues the material with a whole extra dimension not present on the studio recordings, as Shout from the Sia album transcends its original form to become a celebration of groove-laden audience-participatory party time. It’s at this point that you begin to understand what the live incarnation of this band have which sets them apart, and you have no choice but to join the flow.
Following this is the only trip back to pre-Millenium times, with the sublime Guardian from 1993’s New Life album getting a very welcome airing. Indeed, it is a song which regularly appears in contemporary set-lists, and is particularly satisfying to me as it was played as a new song in that long-ago 1983 set that I witnessed – little did I know that it would take almost a decade for it to appear on record, and even less would I have suspected that I would see it played over four decades later. This is not a show for over-reliance on past laurels, however, as the band are on such a strong roll with the recent albums, and obviously want to showcase the Clann release in particular. This leads on to tee more songs from that album being played – first is Life, complete with stunning instrumental conclusion, and then the two funkiest tracks from the record, the bizarrely named Plunk and Frippa. Like Shout before them, these two latter pieces take on an entirely new quality on stage, feeding off the enthusiasm of the crowd to create a funk-prog hybrid which is sinuously captivating and very hard to resist.
It is at this point that the set begins to enter something of a triumphant home straight. The lengthy closer from the Light Up album, Bulbul Tarang, is a very welcome addition to the set – it means that Twin Peaks – an epic highlight of the Clann album – is regrettably dropped, but as far as the set pacing goes that is probably a logical decision. It’s crowd favourites all the way after that, with the violin-driven Mount Epaim providing a great showcase for Jenny Newman, and the strangely named Wongle No 9 providing a superb platform for Leoni Jane Kennedy to step forward and display her electric guitar chops, exchanging lead lines with Andy in a real showcase for her talents – it’s another song which is elevated hugely from its studio original by the sheer exuberance of the band’s performance. New Day, a regular set closer for good reason, ends in a powerful and genuinely uplifting conclusion to send the applause ringing into the rafters. At this moment, more than any other, band and audience are one. There would have to be an encore – though on this occasion it’s hard to accomplish that when there’s no way off the stage, so the band just head straight into Sacred Run without any pretence – and it’s the perfect closer, powerful and energetic and leading to a more than deserved bow.
Anyone who has heard Solstice on record and is remotely interested in the music simply has to see the band live. It’s an old trope that bands love what they’re doing, genuinely live for the time they can spend playing to their audience, and that general sentiment, but one has to say that if these guys didn’t mean that then they would need to be the finest troupe of actors ever to grace a stage. Prog rock shows are very, very often magnificent musical experiences, but there are some occasions when the appreciation of the brilliance of the playing and the material can lead to a slight clinical detachment. Solstice absolutely do not want any part of that – they want a show to be a shared celebration of the music, a party to which everyone is invited, and most importantly where the lesson is to remember one’s youth and simpler times and show that things can simply be a whole lot of fun. And isn’t that a reminder that we could all benefit from at times in this modern world that we inhabit?
Solstice once said, in the lyric from their song New Life, that ‘You are the music, we’re just the band’. This evening demonstrated that sentiment in one of the strongest ways I’ve witnessed, and I – along with most of this crowd – will definitely be back.
More excellent photos from Ayush here
Pix - Ayush Newatia |
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| I was chatting to Guardian, Martin Jenkins, before the show who told me his daughter was going into labor!! He seemed surprisingly relaxed about it but by the time we took the stage the elated Martin had become a Grandad for the second time! How special is that! He still stayed for the show mind 😁 |
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The Corporation, Sheffield
And so to our last show with Leoni. What an extraordinary young woman, musician, guitarist, songwriter she is! An absolute pleasure to work with!.. and those guitar battles were a total blast every time! 😁 We definitely haven't seen the last of Leoni though. She's joining us for Midsummer Prog festival next month and at The Stables in August. With Ebony's solo career taking off I'm tilled to know this wonderful artist’s keen to step in wherever she can.
The gig itself was a cracker, oooh and that lovely chap, Charlie Bramald, joined us for a second night along with Cis and Paul from Haze and Johanna Stroud who used to sing with us and now works with Pendragon.
Unfortunately this was show where I was sweating the tech right up to showtime and, on top of that, I'd arranged for a film crew to capture the show only to discover that the promised multitrack audio from the desk would not be forthcoming. It pissed me off to be honest, having gone to some length and expense to arrange for what I’d hoped would be an excellent concert film. Hey ho.
Anyway, the footage looks good as you can see from this version of Wongle No9... just camera audio though of course. |
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Colchester Arts Centre
After a couple of days rest it's back in our cars and off to the stunning Colchester Arts Centre, having last played there in 2023 with our old mates Trilogy. For the next few shows, Ebony and Nick join us fresh from a hugely successful tour in The Netherlands. What a venue!! And what a wonderful, welcoming and helpful crew!
I popped out before doors to find a queue of friends forming up alongside some more new faces. Jess made a point every night of asking how many of those in the audience had never seen the band before... I have to say the numbers were incredibly encouraging! By the time Ebony took the stage every seat appeared to be taken, and there were even some standing at the back by the time we came on. What a buzz!!
Again, I'd arranged to film and record the show and this time it all came together. I'll be working on the audio mix and video edit over the coming month or two but, meanwhile, here's a VERY rough cut of Firefly just using 3 of the 8 angles that were captured. I'm confident it's going to make a really nice concert film and document from the tour. |
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It was a wonderful show! Barrie brought cakes (again) which was timely as there was a birthday in the house. He also brought Spiney the hedgehog causing general pandemonium 😁
Guardian and epic photographer, Howard Rankin, took the photos below and you can find the full set here. |
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The Craufurd, Wolverton
Back on home turf it was great to see Guardian, Jon Hoare and Debbie among so many others who made it along to the show.. even a bunch of Rock School students turned up! Happy days! |
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| Also brilliant to see youngsters in the house supporting my son Laurie's band, Ocular. Bloody hell they were good! |
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Mark Patrick made the mistake of standing right in front of me in his Marillion shirt which sparked this whole ridiculous 'what on earth were you thinking of' diatribe. Fortunately he took it in the spirit intended and went directly to the Marillion Weekend in Girona wearing his Solstice shirt. Priceless! 🤣
Here he is with that legend, Steve Rothery, who doesn't look like he's about to take any shit from me or anyone else🤪 |
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| Love this shot of the Craufurd from celebrity photographer, Joe Payne. Nice one Joe! |
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Downstairs At The Dome, London
Billed as 'The Final Gathering' I'd venture this was the most enjoyable show of all for the band. Our thanks to Cis Parkins of London Prog Gigs for promoting this one. There's no doubt the sense of 'clann' was strong toughout the whole tour but this one really brought it home for us.
There were two people who'd attended every single show and one whose extraordinary support just had to be acknowledged. So tonight was a celebration of many things.
I dug out my last remaining copies of the Prophecy and Sia vinyls and had the band sign them as a gift of appreciation to these guys. Here's Clive Hewes, Ayush Newatia and Shane Field getting some love.
Thanks again to Howard Rankin for capturing the moments! |
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Crazy Things that happened while we were away!
First up Alison Reijman wrote a fabulous article for Prog Mag. Thank you to Jerry Ewing for all the support and to Alison for doing the hard work! If you don't already, please consider subscribing to this excellent mag! |
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| And Leoni gets a 'Limelight' feature in the same issue! |
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Not only all that but Jerry decided it was time for a Solstice 'Collectors Edition' of the mag!! I was blown away by this, it feels like a real affirmation for us!
It comes as a bundle with a Solstice front cover, an exclusive 'Prog' Solstice T-shirt and a signed 'Twin Peaks' lyric sheet printed on heavy card. Of course we're super excited to get a copy and if you'd like one of these very limited editions (I reckon I signed 100 sheets) just follow the link for all the info.
https://bit.ly/prog159_solstice |
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And finally...
Some gig news. Next show for us is Midsummer Prog and getting that feels like another real validation for the band. Just to let you know that our Stables show is selling fast so, if you'd like a ticket, please don't delay too long. Look here https://stables.org/boxoffice/ticket/359001
And our show the next day at the now defunct 45Live in Kidderminster has moved to the nearby Jellyman's Mill. All gig info on our website here https://www.solsticeprog.uk/gigs/upcoming-gigs
Phew! Well done if you've made it this far!
With huge love and thanks from us all for your continued support and hoping to meet you somewhere soon.
Andy 🌞🙏🧡 |
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