Classic Reunion - Exclusive!
Exclusive - The latest Reunion Tour artists will be the eighties supergroup Emerson Lake and Powell.
A spokesman for the band and forthcoming tour produced the following statement:
"Emerson Lake and Powell will be touring and performing classic numbers from their hugely successful album of 1986 as well as songs from the individual artists' solo works & other band careers.
Unfortunately, as the older fans will be aware, legendary drummer Cozy Powell (one of the rock immortals) sadly died in 1998, but as we know that is hardly an issue in these re-imagined reformation days of rock and roll, and indeed is usually a pre-requisite.
The band are delighted to announce his replacement - a solid drummer in his own right but probably an unknown to the newer, younger rock fans - Carl Palmer.
As luck would have it, Carl has the same initials as his predesessor, and with a lot of rehearsal work and practice it is hoped he will be able to perform the more technically difficult pieces that were such a mainstay of the band’s repertoire - something Carl is probably not accustomed to.
He will not however, be attempting the classic 'Powell Solo' spot which involved fireworks, light shows and orchestrated backing tapes, and will instead be performing a drum solo.
Coincidentally, Carl has also worked with Keith and Greg in the past in such acts as ‘3’ and ‘Asia’ respectively, as well as an even earlier band that most of the newer younger generation of rock fans will not be overly familiar with, nor have seen first (or second) time around, so doesn't bear repeating here.
To fill out the set list, other numbers from the illustrious careers of the band members will be featured, including songs from the aforementioned ‘3’, classic Asia tracks such as ‘Go’ and ‘The Day before the War’, and of course at least one 'King Crimson' number (a band who originally featured Greg Lake) which will almost certainly be 'Starless...'”
Although this announcement will clearly meet with a lot of interest, the spokesman was challenged on a number of comments including the fact that the Asia songs mentioned didn’t feature either Lake or Palmer, and in at least one case neither.
We were also confused with the King Crimson song chosen as it was recorded/ sung by John Wetton, who joined Crimson well after Lake’s departure…
“Are you sure? Wetton sung 'In the Court of The Crimson King' didn’t he?
He certainly performs it with the reformed Asia."
And as regards Greg and Asia...?
"Mr Lake did perform live with the band for a very short time and Mr Palmer was an original founding member, so that clearly gives them the right to perform any Asia material they may wish to...cover.”
It was after the above reply that questions arose regarding the validity of the statement and the knowledge of the spokesman, but this 'exclusive' will still no doubt excite many fans intrigued by the news contained within this statement.
First announced on April 1st, 2009.
Afterword.
I prepared the above 'statement' as a tounge in cheek retort to the whole Reunion Tours bandwagon (or Pension Fund Top-Up Tours for the cynically minded) as described in my original 'Classic Rock Re-imagined' article, and posted it on specific sites as well as sending it out to a number of Internet music sites and music magazines. Some acknowledged, and some understood immediately - but you wouldn't believe (or maybe you would) the replies I received asking if I knew if they were playing a particular country, or could confirm specific dates, when clearly the only significant date was the one on which the 'announcement' was posted.
As it turned out however, my joke became prophetic irony...
Only a month later, in May 2009, Keith Emerson confirmed cancellation of the Keith Emerson Band summer tour dates due to an ongoing right hand injury, which subsequently led to the cancellation of proposed but never scheduled 'late year' dates which were being pencilled in to accommodate a reunion tour.
By Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
Who will now, it seems, reform to headline the inaugral 'High Voltage' Classic Rock Festival in London, July 2010, with this one-off appearance also doubling as their '40th Anniversary' concert...
Ross Muir November 2009 (after the original April 1st 2009 post)
Exclusive - The latest Reunion Tour artists will be the eighties supergroup Emerson Lake and Powell.
A spokesman for the band and forthcoming tour produced the following statement:
"Emerson Lake and Powell will be touring and performing classic numbers from their hugely successful album of 1986 as well as songs from the individual artists' solo works & other band careers.
Unfortunately, as the older fans will be aware, legendary drummer Cozy Powell (one of the rock immortals) sadly died in 1998, but as we know that is hardly an issue in these re-imagined reformation days of rock and roll, and indeed is usually a pre-requisite.
The band are delighted to announce his replacement - a solid drummer in his own right but probably an unknown to the newer, younger rock fans - Carl Palmer.
As luck would have it, Carl has the same initials as his predesessor, and with a lot of rehearsal work and practice it is hoped he will be able to perform the more technically difficult pieces that were such a mainstay of the band’s repertoire - something Carl is probably not accustomed to.
He will not however, be attempting the classic 'Powell Solo' spot which involved fireworks, light shows and orchestrated backing tapes, and will instead be performing a drum solo.
Coincidentally, Carl has also worked with Keith and Greg in the past in such acts as ‘3’ and ‘Asia’ respectively, as well as an even earlier band that most of the newer younger generation of rock fans will not be overly familiar with, nor have seen first (or second) time around, so doesn't bear repeating here.
To fill out the set list, other numbers from the illustrious careers of the band members will be featured, including songs from the aforementioned ‘3’, classic Asia tracks such as ‘Go’ and ‘The Day before the War’, and of course at least one 'King Crimson' number (a band who originally featured Greg Lake) which will almost certainly be 'Starless...'”
Although this announcement will clearly meet with a lot of interest, the spokesman was challenged on a number of comments including the fact that the Asia songs mentioned didn’t feature either Lake or Palmer, and in at least one case neither.
We were also confused with the King Crimson song chosen as it was recorded/ sung by John Wetton, who joined Crimson well after Lake’s departure…
“Are you sure? Wetton sung 'In the Court of The Crimson King' didn’t he?
He certainly performs it with the reformed Asia."
And as regards Greg and Asia...?
"Mr Lake did perform live with the band for a very short time and Mr Palmer was an original founding member, so that clearly gives them the right to perform any Asia material they may wish to...cover.”
It was after the above reply that questions arose regarding the validity of the statement and the knowledge of the spokesman, but this 'exclusive' will still no doubt excite many fans intrigued by the news contained within this statement.
First announced on April 1st, 2009.
Afterword.
I prepared the above 'statement' as a tounge in cheek retort to the whole Reunion Tours bandwagon (or Pension Fund Top-Up Tours for the cynically minded) as described in my original 'Classic Rock Re-imagined' article, and posted it on specific sites as well as sending it out to a number of Internet music sites and music magazines. Some acknowledged, and some understood immediately - but you wouldn't believe (or maybe you would) the replies I received asking if I knew if they were playing a particular country, or could confirm specific dates, when clearly the only significant date was the one on which the 'announcement' was posted.
As it turned out however, my joke became prophetic irony...
Only a month later, in May 2009, Keith Emerson confirmed cancellation of the Keith Emerson Band summer tour dates due to an ongoing right hand injury, which subsequently led to the cancellation of proposed but never scheduled 'late year' dates which were being pencilled in to accommodate a reunion tour.
By Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
Who will now, it seems, reform to headline the inaugral 'High Voltage' Classic Rock Festival in London, July 2010, with this one-off appearance also doubling as their '40th Anniversary' concert...
Ross Muir November 2009 (after the original April 1st 2009 post)