Trying to
organize some thought unto (electronic) paper about my last holiday, the now
infamous progressive Nation at Sea 2014 on the Norwegian pearl featuring more
prog bands you can shake a … I dunno what but indeed a lot of bands.
I’ll try to
sum this incredible experience.
Arriving at
the airport of Miami on the Friday night, I had the
pleasure to see Danny Cavanagh waiting for the arrival of Lee Douglas before my
mate can realise his backpack was missing.
The next
day we arrived to embark… at the same time as Jon Anderson and his wife. Starting
queuing for the customs service to enter the boat.
Next to us
was Jonas Reingold, Devin Townsend and Hasse Froberg.
The check
in is a bit long but we’re doing fine and finally after some photo shoot over
green screen and some high five by Sixthmen Jennifer we enter the boat.
Straight to
the free buffet (man to sum it up free food, great choice, good quality- kinda
surprise everybody) dessert, free ice cream arghh… !! even 2 “real” restaurants
were free… imagine dinning with the view on the rear of the boat and the endless
sea gently disturbed by the slowly rotating propellers.
After some
nice lunch and the first annoying attack of an artist, (sorry Ted... I’ve been
asked to say hello) we head for the small room where we’ll crash after the last
concerts. Nice and comfortable but really tight.
Let’s
explore the ship and run around watch the many stages inside and outside.
The pool
deck bathing in the hard Florida
sun, the Stardust theatre complete with drapings, the Spinnaker with its beds and
comfy seats, the atrium and Bar city.
Then it
begins. To see the sound check Ryo and Neal laughing, to pass by some great
musicians (Vinnie Cavanagh, the guys from Riverside,
Jimmy from Spock’s Beard) even non playing artists: like John Wesley (met at
the evacuation drill) and Randy George.
Ha ! The
joyful pleasure to have a beer and the sun in my eyes and listen to the full
performance of Transatlantic’s
Kaleidoscope.
Then it
went on and on concerts at night on the cool night breeze listening to
Anathema.
Despite the
jet lag waking you at 4.30 am, up at 6.30 for a morning jog among the very few
already up (Hey Pete, you’re really a light sleeper).
Then sun
bathing, eating, meeting guys from bands walking around, in the jacuzzi (Hi
Ryo, Jonas) and talking to lots of people (from everywhere, Norway, Brazil,
Costa rica, England, Canada, Germany US of course…)
The fact of
day 2 is that never sits down no matter what the hour is… you’ll probably
always fall asleep. Poor Riverside
with some microphones problems.
Second day
is great stirrup bay, island with fishes in the sea, great music (snorkling and
lifting the head to hear lamb lies down, operation mindcrime, perfect circle,
smashing pumpkins… how cool can that be!)
Loosing to Costa Rica and Brazil on the second turn of the
battleshots (damn those were light shots…)
Taking pics
with part of Jolly and Riverside.
Playing on inflatable rafts close to the shore (and getting a bleeding knee for
the trouble).
On the down
side it seemed that they were medusas around sadly… some people got sting.
Back for
some more music. And the infamous 30 minutes gig. (the schedule was so that
beside the opening act of Big Elf you could spend the first 30 minutes of every
show and get to see everybody… that I almost try… went to see Anneke full time
(with mike staying a couple of songs), went to the Flower kings only to
discover the first 26 minutes song was the same as the day before… so there
went the FK and I went back catch a glimpse of the Periphery (Hi John Wesley !
and oh hi Anneke and Julie !).
Then full
time Devin Townsend (because it rocked!) and spent the rest of the night trying
again to stay awake for The Dear Hunter.
Third day
off to the Bahamas
Island… And found the
trick to escape the Washy washy happy happy mantra (but I did washy washy don’t
worry).
Man did
these reek of touristic industry… Parked into cars to either shop or beach,
dollars dollars everywhere…. Managed to get to a small beach (very hot) and
sunbath with Mister Macalpine and the Damian Fox family… reminded me of the
Osbourne one… Funny seeing the singer of Big Elf in bathing shorts.
Then the
grand finale.. seeing Anathema again and Spock’s Beard with Neal…. On the light.
Catching a
glimpse of Thank You Scientist. And then Transatlantic, with some King Crimson
and Yes with Jon Anderson.
Great
moments… after that not enough will to go on partying... as the wake up call
was at 6.30.
But even
after disembarking, the dream continued as we saw Ryo and his wife in the
streets if Miami
as we were eating at a restaurant.
So many
good memories and pics,
On the down
side.
Sunburn
sunburn !
Having to
sneak out to try to do a jogging and either forgetting one shoe or the pass. L
Various
small problems of technical problems, the worst being Riverside
10-15 minutes with microphones problems.
Staying
awake on seated venues.
Some
scheduling problems… too much bands on the same timetable... A friend couldn’t see
Pain of Salvation because he had to tuck
the kids in.. so no concert before 9pm… and the Dear Hunter were only around midnight…hard
to stay awake for them.
The new
millennium stage….It was at first hard to see lots of the main bands so to put
small groups at the same time… lots of them seemed very empty as I pass by the Bar city.
Could have
been great to schedule them a bit earlier... If people did not wanted to see
them all the same but we may have time in the morning or early in the evening
to watch some of them new comers.
Flower
kings set not very different especially when starting with a 25+ minutes song
for an hour set… but I guess poor Roine did not have time to do much
rehearsing.
The revealing
science of god. For the start of a set, that was hard, especially past
midnight.
Jellyfish
in the waters not advertised.
On the plus
side (I mean besides the awesomeness of it all ?)
Neal
singing again with Spock’s beard with tears in his eyes… The Morse brothers
together… I discovered SB with V, missed them live.. I was expecting the Snow touring (and we did get the start of the album !) then the
split…
Max Portnoy
being admonished by his aunt to run at his sound check pronto.
Jon
Anderson, with Transatlantic. Hearing that wonderful voice live. Pure Magic
Big Elf‘s
Damian Fox’s family on the beach.
Seeing
people from bands everywhere, eating between Periphery, the Dear Hunter, Randy
George and Rob from Haken. Sunbathing next to Riverside. Meeting people on elevators,
lounges, almost colliding with Devin in the Garden Palace.
Discovering
King’s X and the great feeling of musical peace distilled throughout the show.
Climbing up
the stairs and falling face to face with Anneke, trying desperately to remember
how to speak, even in broken English.
Talking
Leprous music with a beautiful girl from Atlanta
and being thankful for being red faced already from sunburn.
Most of all
it is the joy and good spirit overall. Feeling to be among family, people who
were here for the joy of music. Easy access to speak and mingle so that one day
someone asked me what band I was with…( Considering I had no beard, no long
hair, no tattoo, I really came on the short end of being a stereotype of a band member but
well…) One nation under Prog. One family
under Prog
And always
remember… washy washy to be happy happy, smily smily all the tiiiiime ! (of all
the sentences in all the songs in this boat, I have to only remember this one…)
Now of
course as much as I want this to happen again, I must muse a bit on the
possibilities and all.
First it
was not full and I wonder how much was it possible to make it happen without
loosing (too much) money.
Even
thought the good word to mouth should help filling more empty slots, it might
help to have a big name to sell it more. No offense to Transatlantic or Jon
Anderson, but a bigger name (even for the poor secluded genre of prog could
help.) like say, King Crimson or Rush or that band Mike left…
After that
some adjustment in schedule could be done (see a little bit up for that)
Maybe a
combo pack with T shirts and goodies can help secure reservations and satisfy
the thirst for T shirts of the event (as they went sold out the Wednesday or
so)
It’s a
feeling that it will or may not happen again or at least not a second year in a
row. Conflicting schedules and all that.
Good news
is that the word to mouth was so great that lots of people would jump at an
other shot at that.
The headliners
were very great but really being sponsored by insideout, (besides anathema and
some smaller bands) it seems the roster will pretty much be the same again and
again (of course opening to Roadrunner, Kscope would help.)
So it would
be nice but it would be a bit the same and the novelty may wear off the second
or third time. Let’s hope and wait and see…
