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A proper essay on Prog Rock has to be like the music: long and full of details. Get in the mood and put on your favorite twenty-minute song as a soundtrack!
A proper essay on Prog Rock has to be like the music: long and full of details. Get in the mood and put on your favorite twenty-minute song as a soundtrack!
Roberto Gutierrez
I had never been on a cruise before. The idea of being cooped up, with no option to leave whenever I felt like it (except for some more radical "man-overboard!" type of thing), held hostage by forced companionship (with a group of people whose interests weren't always aligned with mine) and an excessive gastronomic offering – practically an out-of-season Christmas! – sounded unappealing to me. My reluctance only increased when these themed cruises started popping up, adding an "experience" (oh, what a trendy word!), usually musical, linked to some well-known figure – like Roberto Carlos or Father Marcelo.
And so it went, until a message popped up (I still don't know where it came from, I swear!) talking about this "Progressive Nation at Sea." The message almost ended up in the junk mail, but I decided to give the text a chance. And I must have read it about eight times before I understood it properly. Yes sir, it was a themed cruise – oh my! – but instead of Roberto Carlos singing "Detalhes" (an unprecedented event), the fortunate passengers would have the privilege of witnessing what would possibly be one of the most surreal line-ups in the recent history of Progressive Rock. Absolute living legends (Jon Anderson and Adrian Belew) and the most representative current bands of the style (Transatlantic and Spock's Beard), side by side with icons of so-called Prog Metal (Pain of Salvation and Devin Townsend) and even "not-so-Prog" artists, but equally beloved by fans of the genre (King's X and Anathema), among many others. All of them – who would have thought? – crammed together on the same ship.
Suddenly, this fan of intricate music forgot his prejudice and – favored by a series of coincidences that made the dream of participating in this adventure a very real possibility – soon after, he was already booking a cabin and plane tickets, since there were only a few days left before the start of this madness.
All Aboard
After two weeks of pure anxiety, there I was at the port of Miami, along with three friends and over a thousand other fans from all over the world who had had the same idea. Even there, you could feel that it would be, at the very least, a different kind of experience. A few meters away, Billy Sheehan was checking in his equipment. Derek Sherinian was right behind him. Oops, and that old guy over there, isn't that Neal Morse? People exchanged glances, little knowing that the next few days would be filled with this kind of chance encounter with their idols.
Settled in my cabin, the first thing I did was plan my day's itinerary. Yes, because we're talking about five stages in total (some larger, some smaller), with shows running concurrently. This means that sometimes you have to decide, for example, to see band X instead of band Y, who are playing at the same time on different stages. However, the system is so clever that even if this happens, you still have a chance to see band Y again, since practically all of them play more than once during the cruise. This is also interesting for fans who want to follow their favorite band, as in most cases the setlists vary from show to show. Another great thing is that all the shows last a maximum of one hour – regardless of the band's size. It seems like a short time, but at the end of a day with eight or nine shows, it will have made a huge difference in your level of fatigue.
Mike Portnoy, sort of a curator for the festival, didn't hide his excitement
Mike Portnoy, sort of a curator for the festival, didn't hide his excitement
Day One – Tuesday, February 18th
Around 6 PM, with the ship setting sail, the “dream team” of the Transatlantic (which can be considered the “headliner” of the event) took to the main stage – on the ship's pool deck! – to perform, under a beautiful sunset and with the Miami buildings already disappearing into the horizon, their brand new album “Kaleidoscope” in its entirety. The atmosphere couldn't have been better, as possibly all the passengers were gathered there at that moment – after all, the opening act had no competition. Mike Portnoy, a sort of curator of the festival, didn't hide his excitement. With his drum kit positioned to the side – therefore aligned with the other musicians – he stood up and spoke to the audience even more than usual. The setlist, previously unreleased (since the album had just been released), featured the two parts of the beautiful title track.
Next, it's time to find the Stardust stage, actually a beautiful amphitheater, to see who was probably the biggest individual name in Progressive Rock on board: Jon Anderson. Since his somewhat turbulent departure from Yes, the vocalist has dedicated himself to a solitary, acoustic, and intimate format, more suited to his slightly aged voice – though still full of brilliance and pitch. The repertoire is similar to that of similar shows that Jon recently performed in Brazil, accompanied practically only by his guitar: a mix of songs from his prolific solo career and "economical" versions of classics from his former group (which he always refers to, modestly or ironically, as "a band called Yes" ), such as Roundabout, I've Seen All Good People , and Owner of A Lonely Heart – interspersed with picturesque stories from his career. Speaking of which, Jon never misses a chance to take jabs at his former bandmate Chris Squire, like when he showed the version, supposedly vetoed by the bassist, of Time and a Word , in a reggae rhythm (!) – which, between us, sounded great.
Next, I decided to return to the deck for one of the shows I was most looking forward to: the English band Anathema, who recently gave an unforgettable performance in São Paulo. Increasingly distant from the heaviness of their early career, the band has been creating a quite original "persona" with their hypnotic and poignant music, having released two wonderful albums in succession ("We're Here Because We're Here", from 2010, and "Weather Systems", from 2012) that form the basis of the current show – and the soundtrack of my recent life. The beginning with Untouchable (I and II) and Thin Air is breathtaking, gives you palpitations, and we would still have gems like A Simple Mistake (which made many grown men cry, including this writer) and, closing the set, Closer – with its vocoder that is both sinister and exciting. Although not usually labeled as Prog, the band's current sound draws heavily from that source – as evidenced by the sophistication of their arrangements and the emotional nature of their melodies – while also being influenced by artists from outside that universe, such as Sigur Rós and Massive Attack.
To close the night, I stayed on deck to check out one of the most talented artists of recent times – yet still relatively unknown in Brazil, unfortunately: the Canadian Devin Townsend. You might notice: many people still remember the bald guy for his work with Steve Vai on the classic “Sex and Religion,” but ignore his prolific and varied work of the last twenty years, whether with Strapping Young Lad, his solo career, or with DTP (Devin Townsend Project) – the latter being the focus of the festival performances. The vocalist-multi-instrumentalist-producer-performer delivered a powerful and intense show that managed to shake an audience known for its relative passivity. On stage, Devin seems possessed: he provokes the audience, talks a lot between songs, and gives himself completely. The band accompanying him is highly competent, and featured the graceful presence of the Dutch singer Anneke van Giesbergen, a frequent collaborator on his recent works – who would also perform her own show on the ship. At the end of the performance, considered by many to be the best of the festival, Devin remained by the side of the stage for almost an hour, attending to fans one by one – showing that, in addition to being a unique musician, he is also a real gentleman.
Second Day – Wednesday, February 19th
The day would be full of opportunities to meet new artists. On the Atrium stage, I watched a good portion of Felix Martin's show, a guitar phenomenon who has transcended the internet
The day would be full of opportunities to meet new artists. On the Atrium stage, I watched a good portion of Felix Martin's show, a guitar phenomenon who has transcended the internet
The second day would be a real marathon, as the shows would start at 1 PM. With the sun high in the sky – and many people from the audience strategically positioned by the pool and hot tubs, lending a certain surrealism to the occasion – the Londoners from Haken kicked things off. Do you know Haken? Me neither. Or rather, I didn't. And I'm still regretting ignoring the existence of this excellent band, for me the biggest revelation of the festival. Haken follows the traditions of Prog – thematic albums and complex songs, full of changes in tempo, rhythm and harmony – but with a much more modern approach and a superb singer, Ross Jennings. The group focused their performance on their most recent work (“The Mountain”), highlighting the song Cockroach King and its beautiful Gentle Giant-esque vocal arrangement, masterfully executed by the entire band.
The day would be full of opportunities to discover new artists. On the Atrium stage (a kind of lounge in front of the ship's reception area), I watched a good part of Felix Martin's show, a guitar phenomenon who has transcended the internet. For those who don't know him, he plays a double-necked instrument – with a total of 14 strings – using and abusing the "tapping" technique (percussing the guitar necks with both hands). Accompanied by two equally monstrous musicians – a drummer and a kind of "bassist," but who plays an instrument similar to Martin's – the Venezuelan presented songs already known from the web, especially Tango . Later, on the same stage, I was able to check out the show by the Brazilian band Bad Salad – a band from Brasília that started out doing very competent Dream Theater covers and then went on to pursue an original sound (influenced, as could not be otherwise, by the Americans) that caught the attention of curator Portnoy and earned them a place at the festival. At that time the Atrium was packed, after all the Brazilian audience was the third largest contingent on the ship (behind only the USA and Canada). But the band from Brasília put on a great show and certainly captivated fans of other nationalities as well. There I also discovered another Brazilian band, this one from Porto Alegre, called Daydream XI, who would represent us on the Bar City stage, but whose show I unfortunately didn't have time to see.
Between those two shows at the Atrium, I caught a bit of Beardfish (a band that incorporates an interesting sixties sound into Prog) and a bit of the Polish band Riverside, who were playing under a scorching sun (wearing long-sleeved black t-shirts, it should be noted). The band is already well-known to the public, and their more melodic than complex sound has won over many fans worldwide. It's a shame that, on stage, the band suffered from technical problems that diminished the brilliance of their performance.
The former Gathering member is, if you'll pardon the expression, the complete package: beautiful, incredibly talented, possessing a unique timbre and impeccable taste in her choice of repertoire
The former Gathering member is, if you'll pardon the expression, the complete package: beautiful, incredibly talented, possessing a unique timbre and impeccable taste in her choice of repertoire
As a bassist myself, I was also eagerly awaiting the opportunity to attend a workshop with none other than Billy Sheehan, a true master of his instrument. With nearly four decades of service to rock, Mr. Sheehan – who was traveling to perform with Portnoy, Sherinian, and Tony Macalpine – demonstrated on the Spinnaker Lounge stage, a kind of American bar on the ship, the enthusiasm of a beginner in every note of his bass and in every conversation with the audience. As he himself said, the workshop wouldn't just be a free demonstration of technique (which he has in abundance), but mainly a chat about "whatever you want." With high doses of friendliness and simplicity, he talked about everything: his theoretical background (which, incidentally, is almost nonexistent), his training habits, his perspective on life on the road, his experience accompanying top-tier musicians. He even borrowed (and played) a beautiful Alembic from a young man in the audience. After an hour, it became clear that we had received much more than a music lesson – it was a moving life lesson in (and through) music.
Still on cloud nine, I stayed for Anneke van Giersbergen's first show (or just Anneke for close friends, OK? haha), in my opinion the best rock singer today. The former The Gathering member is, if you'll pardon the expression, the complete package: beautiful, incredibly in-tune, possessing a unique timbre and impeccable taste in her choice of repertoire. As if that weren't enough, she's incredibly friendly: instead of waiting in the dressing room for her turn to go on stage, she stayed right there, comfortably seated in the bar stools, chatting with her audience. When the time came, she made an irresistible invitation: "how about everyone sitting on the floor?" – a configuration certainly more suited to the acoustic guitar-and-voice format of her performance. We obeyed, of course, and within seconds, we were all there, enchanted by her charisma. His set began – hold on to your hearts – with My Electricity , from his former band, and continued with gems from his solo career (like the touching Beautiful One ) and surprising covers (like the beautiful Drowning Man , from a still early U2). At one point, he called Danny Cavanagh (Anathema), a longtime friend, to the stage to join him on The Blower's Daughter and Jolene . It was difficult to gather the strength to stand up at the end of such an honest and delicate show.
But I still needed to compose myself in time to see the Hard Rock legend King's X in the amphitheater. At first, it seemed like the band would be a fish out of water in the festival lineup – that is, until we saw musicians from other bands, like Vincent Cavanagh (Anathema), in the front row of the audience, raving about every note from Doug Pinnick and his fine company. Incidentally, the bassist and vocalist of King's X, already in his sixties, is in great shape – physically and musically – more like an Iggy Pop with a soulful voice. His Lemmy-esque distorted bass led a show made with a lot of grit and talent, winning over even the (still) skeptical of this Rock'n'Roll institution.
The night would end with another Prog legend, Adrian Belew and his Power Trio. For the uninitiated – yes, there were some who didn't know him – Belew was a key member of Robert Fripp's King Crimson for many years and, even today, lives up to the band's experimental reputation. Despite his unusual appearance for the context – bald, more like a bank manager – the guitarist simply demolished the canons of Rock'n'Roll in an hour with an electrifying performance full of improvisations – courtesy also of the two stupendous musicians who accompany him, especially bassist Julie Slick, who looks young but plays like a seasoned pro. It was possible to gauge Belew's relevance by noticing that several musicians from the other bands were there to revere the master, who closed the night with all the authority he deserves.
Third Day – Thursday, February 20th
Bigelf sounds like a more modern and progressive Black Sabbath (from the Sabotage era), injecting a good dose of psychedelia and seventies vibes into the festival's sound
Bigelf sounds like a more modern and progressive Black Sabbath (from the Sabotage era), injecting a good dose of psychedelia and seventies vibes into the festival's sound
The itinerary for the third day included a strategic stop at Great Stirrup Cay beach (the cruise company's private island) – a very welcome stop, by the way, to recharge our batteries. We were already in the Caribbean, as evidenced by the stunning blue-green (or was it turquoise?) typical of the region's waters. It was curious to observe fans and idols – many looking like they hadn't seen a beach in ages – sharing the same patch of sun, sea, and sand. And it was also fun to see that the same sound system from the ship extended to the beach excursion: speakers strategically placed along the strip of sand played things that I will possibly – and unfortunately – never hear again on a beach, like Rush, Genesis, and King Crimson (!).
We returned to the boat prepared for another musical feast, which (re)started with Bigelf, Portnoy's "darling" band – who even opened for Dream Theater in Brazil. Led by the unique figure of Damon Fox and his arsenal of keyboards and electric organs, the band sounds like a more modern and progressive Black Sabbath (from the Sabotage era), injecting a good dose of psychedelia and seventies vibes into the festival's sound. They delivered a very energetic and competent show, even featuring the godfather – lending a hand on drums in a couple of songs.
From there, I went to see the English band The Safety Fire, another band from the new wave. Their sound, simultaneously complex and heavy – courtesy mainly of the insane guitar duo – suffered a bit from the muffled sound of the venue. A shame, because they make quite creative music – a mix of Opeth and Mars Volta is my ungrateful attempt to define them – and they are more good-humored (attention: English humor, OK? Don't say I didn't warn you) than the average artist of the genre, as can be seen in the band's unusual music videos.
The anticipation for the Pain of Salvation show was high, especially since weeks earlier the news of the hospitalization of guitarist-vocalist-composer-founder-and-born leader Daniel Gildenlöw (due to a fairly serious infection) had jeopardized the band's participation in the cruise. In fact, several shows on the tour were canceled, which is understandable – after all, it's like Megadeth without Dave Mustaine. But for PN14, the band managed the feat of finding a replacement capable of performing Daniel's parts (something far from trivial) in the form of the Icelandic Ragnar Zolberg. The young man is talented and has a rather peculiar, somewhat feminine voice, and competently performed classics like Used and Iter Impius , which moved the fans. Perhaps due to the circumstances, the band played with extra enthusiasm and literally made the small Spinakker Lounge tremble.
I couldn't resist watching the diva Anneke again (and I'll spare you further praise to avoid seeming redundant), as well as a good chunk of the Flower Kings (a Swedish band led by Roine Stolt, also from Transatlantic, but which, I confess, never really appealed to me). I also couldn't avoid seeing Devin Townsend in action again in yet another breathtaking show – only to then return to the booth and fall asleep.
Fourth Day – Friday, February 21st
Four stars don't always make a great team, but in this case, PSMS really outdid themselves. Those guys have a kind of telepathic connection with each other
Four stars don't always make a great team, but in this case, PSMS really outdid themselves. Those guys have a kind of telepathic connection with each other
Unfortunately, the last day arrived (I was so afraid this would happen!), and we had another scheduled stop, this time in the Bahamas. Unlike the previous day, when the ship remained at sea and we reached the island by tender boats, here the ship would anchor in the port and we would each be free to do whatever excursion we wanted. After a quick stop at Taino beach (very beautiful, by the way) and a few sips of the local Kalik beer (very bad, by the way), we returned to the ship, such was our eagerness to enjoy the last day of good music.
However, the program that day would be much more "light" – perhaps as a way of gradually readjusting to the ordinary life of the outside world – but no less bombastic. The show opened with the project of Portnoy, Sheehan, Macalpine, and Sherinian (or PSMS for short). Well, there's very little to say about these four guys, other than the fact that they master their respective instruments and have a respectable track record in the world of Rock'n'Roll. Four stars don't always make a great team, but in this case, PSMS excelled. The guys have a kind of telepathic connection between them, it's the only explanation, given the precision and complexity of the themes they play. They won over the audience with Dream Theater classics, such as the instrumental introduction to "A Change of Seasons " (I almost had a heart attack!), and, taking advantage of the Sherinian/Portnoy duo, they dusted off sounds from the controversial "Falling Into Infinity," such as " Anna Lee" (sung by Ted Leonard of Spock's Beard), Burning My Soul " (by Devin Townsend, who deconstructed the original melody), and "Lines in the Sand " (by Tony Harnell and, as in the recorded version, Doug Pinnick). Forgive me, DT fans – among whom I include myself – but I confess I was thrilled to hear the versions with Sheehan on bass and Macalpine on guitar. It was like breathing new life into these compositions, somewhat forgotten nowadays by Petrucci & Co. And when the quartet played the stupendous " Shy Boy " by David Lee Roth, the game was already won.
I couldn't resist and saw Anathema's show again, which cost me (forgive me, Proggers) nothing less than seeing Spock's Beard in action. That'll have to wait for another cruise (?!). But I was "rewarded" by the superb performance of A Natural Disaster , which had been left out of the previous set. During this song, Danny asked that all the lights (yes, all!) in the amphitheater be turned off. It would possibly have been one of the most incredible experiences of my life, if it weren't for the bunch of people in the audience who didn't understand the message and raised their illuminated cell phones (like the old lighters) – which ended up, admittedly, giving the situation a different kind of charm.
Next, a rather curious episode occurred. We spotted Portnoy and Morse in the reception area, overwhelmed, running from one side to the other, like kids hatching some cunning plan. In a way, that's exactly what it was: we followed the movement and "discovered" a secret show, arranged at the last minute (typical of hyperactive Portnoy), which consisted of an "all-star" tribute to the Beatles, with guitars and whatever else was available. I felt fortunate to capture this moment, which ended up delighting a few passersby. Then came the cornerstones of modern music, such as Eight Days a Week, I'm a Loser, Nowhere Man , and Please Please Me , among many others. The jam session brought together figures from various bands, and impressed by demonstrating how well they had read (or rather, listened to) the Rock/Pop Bible, since everyone improvised the vocal harmonies (which, even with the informality of the occasion, sounded sensational).
It was great to see the stage being invaded by musicians from various bands present, creating the most cathartic moment of the festival.”
It was great to see the stage being invaded by musicians from various bands present, creating the most cathartic moment of the festival.”
The "it's almost over" feeling was already making itself felt as we settled in to watch the closing show: Transatlantic with Jon Anderson. Unlike the other performances, this one would last more than an hour. In fact, it would last as long as Mr. Portnoy felt like – in the style of the fondly remembered "An Evening with…" from his former band. The "normal" set was already killer: instead of playing the new album in its entirety, the band decided to pick the most memorable songs from their small discography. They started with Whirlwind – which gave everyone present chills, since the original version is, believe it or not, 80 minutes long (!!!) –, but common sense prevailed and the song was played in its edited version, of "only" half an hour. Following that, the band welcomed Adrian Belew for the sensational – and bizarre – cover of Indiscipline , by King Crimson (a bonus track from the new album "Kaleidoscope"). Then, three magnificent original pieces were performed, such as We All Need Some Light, All of the Above , and Stranger in Your Soul .
However, the best was yet to come: after a short intermission, Jon Anderson appeared on stage for a final jam session of Yes classics. Everyone expected this. But some almost had a heart attack when Jon began, in his low voice, a rather familiar mantra: “Dawn of light lying between a silence and sold sources…” Yes, gentlemen, it was the introduction to Revealing Science of God, one of the four songs from what is possibly the most ambitious work in Progressive Rock, the album “Tales from Topographic Oceans”. Recognized today as a landmark of the style, it was quite controversial at the time for being considered somewhat exaggerated and for being the trigger for the dissolution of the classic Yes lineup. But the song is a practically forgotten classic, and if there were a Prog betting pool, whoever bet on it would have made a good amount of money. The audience seemed hypnotized, such was the general disbelief. Continuing the surprises, a personal favorite was chosen: Long Distance Runaround , a relic from the album "Fragile," but also absent from Yes's shows for some time. Then came And You And I – beautiful, but this one would pay little in my imaginary betting pool, since Transatlantic recently re-recorded it. The closing, with Starship Trooper , wasn't exactly a surprise either – the song's apotheotic ending is ideal for the occasion – but it was cool to see the stage being invaded by musicians from several of the bands present, forming a true "forward chain" (excuse the cheesiness of the term, but I couldn't resist) and provoking the most cathartic moment of the festival. You could see how happy they all were, but Jon was especially radiant, as his music was, after all, being celebrated at that moment. There are moments that define (or redefine) the importance of an artist's career – and this was definitely one of them. It was thrilling to be a part of it in some way, crowning a feeling of ecstasy and communion through good music (I know it sounded cheesy again) that punctuated these four unforgettable days.
* * * *
As a friend aptly put it, if that ship had sunk, Progressive Rock would have ended. Exaggeration aside, it helps to give an idea of how relevant the lineup of bands was, and how ecstatic everyone was sharing their passion for this much-maligned – but, for those who love it, so special and unique – form of Rock. Unfortunately, I couldn't see all the bands (besides Spock's Beard, I missed Periphery, Animals as Leaders, The Dear Hunter, Tony Harnell & Bumblefoot, Mark Mikel, etc.) and others were missing from the lineup (Steven Wilson, Opeth, Fates Warning, etc.), but the experience was indescribable nonetheless. Returning from this true "Fantasy Island" (the older ones will understand!) of Rock wasn't easy, and for me, writing this text, besides expressing and sharing everything that happened there, is also a form of therapy for readjusting to the "real world." And bring on Progressive Nation at Sea 2015!…
About the author: Roberto Gutierrez is the bassist and vocalist for the Brazilian progressive metal band Hollowmind and still hates cruises, but now he makes exceptions sometimes.
*This text was written by a Wikimate and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the site's authors.
