The day-long showcase for top-class Scottish prog rock

The Herald Scotland

4 days ago

Headlining the Wha's Like Us one-day event will be Comedy of Errors, pictured, top a bill that also includes The Wizards of Progg, Long Earth and EBB. The Wizards of Progg released their debut album, Dooking for Apples, only last year despite being able to trace their roots back to the seventies. Long Earth's third album, An Ordinary Life, was released in 2024. EBB have twice received 'best new band' accolades, while [[Comedy]] of Errors, whose first gig was in 1984, are poised to release their seventh album.
A fifth band, Machinary, has had to withdraw: their slot will be taken by Alan Reed, frontman of the celebrated prog group, Pallas. He will be accompanied on at least two songs by Machinary's singer Euan Lowson, Alan's predecessor in Pallas.
Euan said: 'I believe the plan is that I will be singing 'Shock Treatment' and 'Arrive Alive', from my time with Pallas, with Alan. These were the two songs that Machinary had planned to include with Alan as a special guest before our unfortunate withdrawal'.
Plans for the festival began to take shape late last year, after an story in the prog fans' Facebook community, BedsideYellowFoam, in which Long Earth discussed the difficulties of Scots prog bands in relation to London and the south.
Béla Alabástrom, manager of Comedy of Errors, who also co-runs the Facebook page, suggested staging a Scots prog festival, and the Wizards of Progg's founder, Charlie Kilgour, began putting together the bill.
Bela, the festival's co-organiser, said: 'Scottish bands suffer from what I refer to as the 'geographical penalty'. Prog's heartland is in the south of England and this is where most festivals are held. It is also where most resources are concentrated. In the past, bands had to travel to London to secure a record deal. Now they have to incur huge losses to travel down to play at festivals.
"I recently applied to one festival down south on behalf of a band. The organisers explicitly asked in the questionnaire if the bands applying would be willing to waive their fee and whether they required expenses. Basically, if a band ticks the box that they require expenses, the implication is that this will count against them. It seems to be taken for granted that obtaining a slot at a festival is recompense enough. Another question was: what can you offer the festival by way of publicity?
'In a nutshell, the bands are expected to invest substantial time and effort in publicising a festival, in engaging and mobilising their fan base and putting it at the festival's disposal, while at the same time appearing for nothing and making a loss. This automatically puts Scottish bands at a disadvantage.
'Promoters need to be more aware of the disproportionate costs for Scottish bands compared to their English counterparts. Some seem to turn a blind eye to this and expect Scottish bands to jump through those extra hoops. The sacrifices are just that much greater.
'Having said that, Scottish promoters could do a lot more to recognise and provide opportunities for the wealth of talent at home. Wha's Like Us is being organised by a fan (me) and Charlie to compensate to the extent we can for the lack of opportunities available to Scottish prog bands.
'Since I published my Facebook post, which is where the idea of the festival originated, I have been going through a crash-course in festival organisation. It's been very challenging, but also very rewarding'.
Do English promoters just need to be nudged? 'The picture is quite nuanced, as several English promoters are open to booking Scottish bands. Apart from the aforementioned cost factor, which may deter them from taking Scottish bands into consideration in the first place, they may not always be aware of the bands.
'Again, this is why providing an opportunity for them to travel to Glasgow to see the bands perform is so vital. In my personal experience, they have been very open to the idea of booking more established Scottish prog bands. All they needed was a gentle nudge to convince them it would be a risk that would pay off'.
Jim Johnston, keyboard player with Comedy of Errors, gives an insight into prog music's diversity.
He said: 'The musical genre of prog tends to be (though not exclusively) the province of the older music fan, having its roots in bands of the early seventies, such as Yes and Genesis.
'It has to be said that some current Scottish bands have taken that prog influence and developed it to varying degrees, e.g. classical, folk, heavy rock, psychedelic.
'This gives each band an individuality maybe not seen in other genres. If the fan numbers can't match current pop trends, the fans' individual passion for this music more than makes up for it.
'Regionally, the south has been more the last bastion of prog (a form of music that fiercely fell out of favour in the late seventies). On the other hand, Scottish prog bands have suffered because of their relatively remote home location and the difficulty of Southern promoters in paying Scottish bands to travel south, book hotels and perform in venues which are so often far more convenient for bands from the south'.
He added, however, that there has been a recent revival in Scotland, especially among the more mature fans, with 'a willingness to seek out local prog bands, meet up with and make new like-minded friends at gigs, and to buy and enjoy self-produced CDs and vinyl at these gigs – and not just tribute bands, but original bands with their own take on the genre, producing original material.
'What has brought on this revival? It is likely that social media has brought fans together – 'I'm not alone after all!' – so that now they are more aware of local gigs and self-financed album releases.
'It can also be surprising how many make the trip from Europe to see these peculiarly Scottish prog gigs. A chance to meet up with members of this 'club' has given those who feel excluded from contemporary musical trends the chance to enjoy the music they are most passionate about. The Scottish bands who make this generally more complex, ambitious type of music need no longer apologise in their own country for the previously outlawed four-letter word of 'prog'.
For his part, Alan Reed, of Pallas, said: 'It's really important to provide a regular platform for musicians. In these cost-conscious times there needs to be a regular gig north of the border.
'It costs so much to travel with a band these days that it amazes me that there isn't already a festival that supports this kind of music. There are a lot of venues in, for example, Glasgow that are relatively easy for tribute acts to get booked into'.
He added: 'I think promoters need to be aware that there is still an appetite for good bands playing their own music too. Both Lazuli (ex France) and RPWL (Germany) did good numbers on recent gigs that I attended. And both of those bands are as Prog as they come.
'In England and Wales they have Winter's End/Summer's End in Chepstow, they have regular spots in Leamington, Leicestershire, London, Southampton and other places. Why, given the undoubted talent you have in Scotland. don't you have more than just the occasional support for the same few acts?'
Alan said: 'I'd very much like Wha's Like Us to become a regular event. That way you'll see more bands coming through. And they won't have to travel so far to make a name for themselves'.
He regretted that Euan's band Machinary have had to withdraw. 'I would have very much liked to see him and them perform. Not least because his keyboards player, Hew Montgomery, was part of Abel Ganz, the band that I left to join Pallas. It would be like I've come full circle'.
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Alan was diagnosed with Parkinson's at the end of March and will be embarking on an epic journey, walking the West Highland Way, beginning in mid-September, to raise funds for research into the disease. He will be doing the walk with his partner Anne, his long-time musical partner, Mark Spencer, and his partner Esther.
Euan Lowson, who sang with Pallas between 1979 and 1986, and was part of the line-up that made such well-received albums as The Sentinel, observed that Scottish bands in general need to voyage South for gigs that get any worthwhile media attention and crowds.
'Whilst money is not the driver for gigging, these are financially unviable for most bands. I particularly feel for young up-and-coming musicians as these sojourns usually incur large financial losses. Not just for 'prog' bands – it has always been an issue for Scottish bands to get any traction in the music industry unless they have 'serious' contacts or are prepared to relocate. The music industry still is very London-centric.
'It does have to be said that prog fans are very loyal and determined', he added. 'There have been many tickets bought from our European fans who are travelling to, and spending time in, Scotland for this event'.
* Tickets: £29 (advance), £32 on the door. Wha's Like Us can be found on Facebook.