Tag Archives: joey eppard

Fish @ B.B. King Blues Club (6/18/2008)

Logo - Fish

Artist: Fish
Venue: B.B. King Blues Club (New York, NY)
Opener: Three
Date: 6/18/2008
Label: Chocolate Frog UK

If you are one who considers themselves a true connoisseur of Progressive Rock bands from our not too distant past then I am sure that the first few releases by the band Marillion hold a special place in your heart. Let’s face it, the music that these guys were dishing out on “Script For A Jester’s Tear” called to mind the early heyday of Peter Gabriel era Genesis and at the time this was a sound that was missed by legions of Prog fans and somehow, someway this band was bringing a little bit of that back to the foreground. The reason for this was very simply a man they called Fish. Fish aka Derek Dick was the bands singer for four outstanding albums and his voice had a lot of similarity to that of Gabriel but what added strength and appeal to the man was his profound ability to weave a tale that snared you from the first words he would sing. This made the album “Fugazi” a clever ride into new territory and made “Misplaced Childhood” an absolute masterpiece that is still as powerful today as it was when it was released some twenty three years ago. Fish would record one more release with the band before moving on to his solo career and this would be “Clutching At Straws”, an album that some fans argue as being more poignant than “Misplaced Childhood” was, but that is an argument for a different time. Both Fish and Marillion would continue on and travel slightly different roads with the former singer being replaced by Steve Hogarth who would take the band on a slightly more commercially viable road while Fish would continue to delve into our innermost frailties and pour his own heart out in song. Fans took sides and while some remained with Marillion after his departure there were just as many who decided to follow Fish down the long road of human psyche that he would be travelling. As a song writer he proved he still had what it took and gave us “Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors”, “Internal Exile”, “Sunsets on Empire” and many, many more.
Continue reading Fish @ B.B. King Blues Club (6/18/2008)

Three @ Mercury Lounge (8/6/2007)

The band Three or “3” were in NYC promoting their new album with an appearance at The Mercury Lounge. These guys really intrigue me so I could not resist the chance to be there. To read more about it and to see a lot of photos from the gig just scroll past the logo below to see it.

Logo - Three

Artist: 3
Venue: Mercury Lounge (New York, NY)
Opener: n/a
Date: 8/6/2007
Label: Metal Blade Records

For most of the world, Monday is very simply the first workday of the week and nothing all that eventful is happening for you after you leave the office. You finish your office tasks and then you go home, map out your appointments for the coming days and generally plan for your weekend in the hopes that it holds something fun or at least interesting for you to do. Those who live in NYC know that this is never the case for its residents and that there is ALWAYS something brewing – especially if you are a fan of music. Tonight would be the perfect example of this statement as Metal Blade Records artists Three would be stopping by The Mercury Lounge to perform a set of music that would feature material from their forthcoming release “The End Is Begun”. The group would also throw in about a handful of numbers from their Blade debut “Wake Pig”. If you have never visited the Mercury Lounge before let me give you a quick description of the place. Located in Downtown Manhattan on Houston St., the club features a sizable bar in the front and when the patrons go towards the rear they find a roomy area and raised stage that can accommodate a band with several members and their equipment.
Continue reading Three @ Mercury Lounge (8/6/2007)

Porcupine Tree @ Nokia Theatre Times Square (5/19/2007)

Porcupine Tree is a great Progressive Rock outfit that is led by Steven Wilson and it would be my first time ever catching them in concert. The sold out show was done at the Nokia Theater and would find the band Three as their openers. PiercingMetal’s Peter Parrella was in the audience and documented the show while I was in the photo pit trying to capture some great visual moments under difficult conditions. To see and learn more just scroll past the logo below.

Logo - Porcupine Tree

Artist: Porcupine Tree
Venue: Nokia Theatre (New York, NY)
Opener: Three
Date: 5/19/2007
Label: Atlantic Records

Returning to New York City a mere 6 months after they offered fans a pre-completion listen to music that would become their latest release “Fear of A Blank Planet”, Porcupine Tree hit the Nokia stage and launched into an airing of the now familiar songs. Amid video projections illustrating the album’s theme the band spun out the entire six-song cycle as the first part of the concert.

Touring “Fear’s” songs in advance of recording has had its advantages; in fact much of it works better on stage than in studio rendering. It’s a great pay-off for a band courageous enough to open their set with 60 minutes of new material. Whereas “Fear” plays as a nearly seamless musical block its nuances and musical nooks and crannies all lay within familiar Porcupine Tree territory. The brutality of the guitar riffs shared by Steven Wilson and John Wesley, tempered by the ethereal wash of Richard Barbieri’s keyboards are part of the galvanized-progressive style PT has cultivated over their last few albums. It’s always a treat to hear the tight, powerful, poly-rhythms supplied by drummer Gavin Harrison and bassist Colin Edwin in a live setting.
Continue reading Porcupine Tree @ Nokia Theatre Times Square (5/19/2007)