A Pregnant Pause

If I start by saying something like: “I always try and plan every show …” you’ll probably want to give me a slap.  The amount of times I have said this or used words like it is phenomenal.  So, for once, I am going to say something very different: “I didn’t plan the last show at all, it just happened as the night unfolded!”  That’s right, the show on the 22^nd of December, my Christmas special, was nearly all off the cuff as far as music was concerned.  What bliss!

I sense a pregnant pause from you.  Okay, I’ll come clean.  I had “planned” the, erm, unplanned approach, if that makes any sense.  I had some Christmas progressive rock albums to play by way of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, a couple of other festive ditties and a host of other great prog as well.  Okay, not all of it was festive, but there’s only so much fluffy-treacle-ho-ho-ho-ness that can be taken in any given amount of time without people retching.  Indeed, I hit the edge of the comfort zone as the show progressed for a few people listening.  Luckily, though, I had some hard hitting prog-metal to cleanse the pallet between the sweet courses being proffered. 

So, what did I play?  Well, as far as I can remember, here’s the playlist:

Artist : Album : Track

Chinese Firedrill : Circles : Circles

Chinese Firedrill : Circles : Automatic Fantasy

Project Creation : Dawn on Pyther : Dawn on Pyther

Project Creation : Dawn on Pyther : Voyage of the Dragonfly

Beardfish : (no album) : A Very Terry Christmas

Mostly Autumn : Christmas Special : Merry Christmas

Trans-Siberian Orchestra : Christmas Eve and Other Stories : Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24

Trans-Siberian Orchestra : The Lost Christmas Eve : Wizards in Winter

Trans-Siberian Orchestra : The Lost Christmas Eve : What Child is This

Trans-Siberian Orchestra : The Lost Christmas Eve : The Lost Christmas Eve

I might have played some more but I can’t remember.  You see, my mind was elsewhere that night.  I know, I know, the wags amongst you will say that my mind is always elsewhere but this time I had an excuse.  My second eldest daughter went into labour the night of the show, and you can imagine where most of my thoughts were!  She eventually gave birth on Christmas Eve to a daughter so I’m more than a little chuffed.  They’re both doing fine and are enjoying the attention.

When I was able to concentrate on the music during the show I have to say I was quite pleased with the overall package put together.  In particular, the Beardfish Christmas track.  You see, a member of The Tangent forum put out a little “cor, have you heard this?” message to all the members.  So I browsed on over and had a listen.  It was smile on the face wonderful which prompted me to contact the band to see if I could get a copy to play on the show.  Rikard, the keyboard player got back and said he would get a copy over to me.  Later, though, he got back in touch and said he was going to open up the download option in MySpace if I wanted to grab a copy from there.  Which I did, playing the entire track on the show later.  Thanks Rikard!

I received two albums during the week from ProgRock records: Project Creation and A Chinese Firedrill.  Both of these albums were a delight to listen too and I felt that even though I was trying to concentrate on a Christmas themed show I just had to play a couple of tracks for you.  That Joey Vera, the creative force behind A Chinese Firedrill, is one hell of a talented musician.  The only thing he didn’t do on the album was play the drums.  I have to admit to being impressed.  The other album from Project Creation, while still the work of one person, was populated by a host of excellent musicians that lifted the music right up there with the best of them.  I particularly like the scifi theme attached to the album’s concept.  I have to be honest, though, I have only had a chance to hear this album once all the way through and even then it was on a car stereo so I haven’t been able to do the album any justice at all.

Anyway, that’s enough from me for this week.  I’ll see you all again, hopefully, for the end of the year special this Saturday, from 10pm through to midnight, UK time.

All the best,

DaveO.

Making Saturday nights worth staying in for.

www.myspace.com/daveoprogshow