Wiltshire Cider-Proggers Credo will be playing a launch party gig for their wonderful new CD Rhetoric (see review here) on Saturday 26 November 2005 at Stripes Bar, Brentford Football Club, Braemer Road, Brentford. Support will come from special guest John Young. Doors open at 8pm and the cost is just £5.00

F2 Records say: "Thanks to all of you that have supported this charity single, released by F2 Records in March 2005. We have updated the web site with the money raised up to mid October, and hope that you can continue to spread the news about this release to anyone and everyone! Our goal is to raise £10,000! The official ProgAID web site is at www.ProgAID.com"

Welsh proggers Ezra have finished recording their latest album, Songs from Pennsylvania, and will be mixing it during the month of December. A release date will be announced soon.

Grizzled Scottish proggers Abel Ganz are finally getting close to finishing the recording of their next album.

Chiltern Proggers Jump have been forced to cancel their gig in Berkhamsted due to the venue being double booked. As the band couldn't find a suitable venue, the live recording has been moved to the Limelight in Aylesbury on Saturday February 25th 2006.

Jump will instead be playing at the Lacey Green Sports Club on November 26th (the same date as the Berko gig) and at the Wheatsheaf in Leighton Buzzard on December 2nd.

Fish was a special guest on the James Whale Show on Talk Sport on Wednesday November 2. The Big Man spent a couple of hours chatting about life, the universe and his new double album, Boullbollaise. And plugging last Saturday's gig at the Mean Fiddler.

However, he disgraced himself by "pretending" to not remember Silhobbit and didn't put us on the guest list!

Shame on you, Fish!

"Isildurs Bane are proud to announce the start of what we hope will be an annual event: IB Expo.
The idea is to invite world class musicians to a musical meeting for a few days. During these days different constellations will improvise, compose, recompose and generally work collectively with different kinds of musical material.

On Friday, December 16, the results will be performed live at Kulturhuset in Halmstad. The concert begins at 21.00.

We are very proud to present the fine musicians involved in IB Expo 2005: Mick Karn, Jerry Marotta, Tom Griesgraber, Metamorfosi Trio, Sounds of Eternity and Isildurs Bane."

So, season five if ITV's smash hit series I'm A Celebrity, Don't Forget Me! is about to get under way, and as always, we'll be interested in it for the first couple of days. For what it's worth, our money is on Jenny Frost, 'cos rumour has it she'll eat anything, but the bloke from Blue looks like he already has.

Nick Barrett told us that he was livid that former Neighbours star Kimberley Davies, who played sexy Analice in the hit soap, is taking part. "It ain't fair" he told us "She's a bleeding Aussie, for Gawds sake. Eating bugs? It's their bleedin' national dish, it is"

Big news about Holiday Fun proggers Hybrid. During an exclusive telephone call with Dave Boland, he told Silhobbit that their 3rd album was in the process of finishing. He said further "Album recordings and release dates are a real pain in the a**".

The new release date is not an approximate date, but the genuine exact release day .

Dave again : "I am very happy to announce that Regeneration will be released at Wednesday the 31st of March 2010 at 13.30 hours GMT. We're all (Richard and Martin as well) looking forward to this day".

We are also happy with this news here on Silhobbit.

Ace - Weak Neck syndrome

We at Silhobbit are thrilled about this news and can't wait for the 31st of March 2010 . Thanks to Silhobbit Spy Littlethommie for this news.

Surferboy-proggers Pendragon will be touring next year in support of the wonderful Believe CD (review here). The first date to emerge is on the 17th June at The Boardwalk in Sheffield.

More details here as we uncover them...

We now have a review of IQ's recent concert at The Met in Bury on the 11th November up on the site (see here). Thanks to first time contributor Nathan Collins for his effort.

Also, there is a review of Eyestrings first CD - Burdened Hands here. The bands second CD should be with us soon.

If YOU have any reviews you think we'll be interested in, sent them to us here at reviews@silhobbit.com and we'll probably print them.

Jersey's indie-folk-rock-pop-acoustic diva Nerina Pallot will be playing a special concert at Jersey's Opera House on November 30th to support the launch of Help A Jersey Child. Tickets are on sale now. See www.channel103.com for details.

Nerina's one-off headline at Bush Hall on 28th November has now sold out. I've got my ticket so I don't care. Support that night comes from Graham Pattison and it is rumoured that Nerina will be backed by a string quartet for this occasion.

Nerina Pallot - Fresh as a Jersey Royal

Mermaid Kiss, a band from Herefordshire that we have never featured before, have announced that they've found a new singer. Kate Emerson (left), 26, from Cheltenham, joined the band on October 1st.

A 6 track ep (possibly entitled Salt On Skin)is planned for a pre-Christmas release featuring a track from their forthcoming album, and 5 non-album tracks (3 featuring Kate, and 2 - Hollow and Volcano - with previous previous singer Evelyn). Work continues on their second album, Aquamarine.

Check out the bands website at www.mermaidkiss.co.uk for more clues.

Dutch Proggers After Forever, featuring the incredible talents of Floor Jansen (right), will be playing a special gig at the 013 in Tilburg. The gig, on the 22nd December, will feature the band playing 9 songs along with Orpheus - a wind orchestra from Tilburg.

You can't read more here, unless your Dutch. www.013web.nl
 

Sonic Bond is a new CD sales website - but one that stock loads of current Prog!. And with free P&P on UK orders. For example, Anne Marie Helder's CD The Contact for £8.99.

"Sonic Bond is a music sales site with a difference. Each artist has been hand picked for their passion, for their quality and for their approach to their music. They are here because they are interested in the music they make, not in the fame or riches their music will bring them. So step inside - a whole world of music beyond the mainstream awaits..."

Go to them at this link www.sonicbond.com with our blessing!

Eddie Guerrero - Latino Heat - 1967 - 2005

WWE.com is reporting today that Mexican wrestler Eddie Guerrero was found dead this morning in his hotel room in Minneapolis, MN. The statement on WWE.com reads:

"WWE is deeply saddened by the news that Eddie Guerrero has passed away. He was found dead this morning in his hotel room in Minneapolis. Eddie is survived by his wife Vickie and daughters Shaul, 14, Sherilyn, 9, and Kaylie Marie, 3."

According to WCCO-TV in Minneapolis, Guerrero was found at the Marriott City Center hotel. Police arrived on site around 7:30 a.m. Attempts were made to revive Guerrero, according to a police spokesperson.

Dumb American wrestling fans have been signing the other Eddie Guerrero (a Texan musician) guestbook at www.eddieguerrero.net  all day, instead of his official site at www.eddicts.com/ which hasn't got a guest book. Though this post from fellow wrestler Mick Foley is poignant.

Our wrestling correspondent Roger Wilson was regrettably unavailable for comment.

Just in cas you hadn't noticed, there's a few new reviews up on the site, with a bit of a Canadian feel to them.

First of all, Canada's Dream Aria have their In The Wake CD reviewed here. Then we have Terry Tannenbaum's review of Steve Hackett in Ontario, Canada here. This was swiftly followed by Terry Tannenbaum's review of Porcupine Tree in Montreal, the following night. That's a 10 hour drive away...

Also there is a review of Blue Drift's new CD Mariner here.

Remember, you too can send in a review of any CD you enjoy, or any concert you have seen. Our email address for this is reviews@silhobbit.com. We'll do our best to publish all that we receive, free of charge, unlike other web-sites.

More hot news on the Aylesbury Proggers. Marillion have been lined up to appear in the second series of Extras, the sit-com written and staring The Office's prog mad creator Ricky Gervais. Sources close to the band tell us that Ricky's side-kick Steve Marchant approached the bands management after being turned down by David Bowie, Coldplay's Chris Martin and Bananarama. Our source told us that although no-one connected with the band has seen the first series (available now on DVD left), they are sure that it will put the band in a positive light and fire up the promotional drive behind their forthcoming single and album.

Fools.

Bob's mobile phone has been in the news more than once over the years! It has been dropped in cat food, dunked in dogs hit, been sick on and left in Tescos! Now, Silhobbit can reveal that his phone has finally died, along with the sim card.

Recently his phone was picked up by a baby and put into a cup of coffee. So, if you are expecting to hear from Bob and the call never comes through, it might be that your phone number overdosed on caffeine! Long live Bob's old phone.

We'll try to bring you details of his new one.

We received this worrying White House Communiqué regarding our Avian Flu article

"Official Press release from the White House (Oval Office) 11-07-2005 11.00 hours Washington DC.

Dear Friends,

I heard about the problems concerning the Bird Flu and also read the comments on Silhobbit.com. It made me realise that I needed to know more about this danger. The CIA and Republican scientists said to me that the Prok Rock (sic) community is in big danger (I carry a warm heart for Prok Rock). The danger is due to the fact that the bird flu virus is very contagious to people who carry Prok Rock jeans, this means fans, listeners and musicians. Luckily no problems for Fish this time.

So I say that all Prok fans, listeners and musicians should be put in quarantine to protect them from extinction. I know this sounds hard, but this is the only way, because otherwise the talents of Pank Floyd (sic), Jenesis (sic) and Cream Theater (sic) will be lost forever. The quarantine measures will take immediate effect.

Peace to all and God bless America.

Your caring friend,
George W Bush

PS : The Irak (sic) war will take a turn, because were going to drop Bird Flu infected Chickens from planes over Irak and also Iran. America will win.

This E- mail was sponsored by the American Weapons and Chicken Industry (AWCI)."

Our thanks go out to Silhobbit Spy Littlethommie for this information

The rumour on the street is that the ratboy has been asked to play keyboards for Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds tour next year.

The Moody Blues vocalist Justin Haywood is also looking forward to playing with an orchestra and playing with John Beck too.

Remember where you read it first!

Well, they turn up now and again, but it's always good to see these rare cassettes featuring tracks from Porcupine Tree, IQ, Shadowland, Grace, Moria Falls, La Host, Appletwig Cutter, Geoff Mann, Galahad and many many more, just changing hands for vast sums of money.

This time they're being sold by mik200099. If the do go for vast sums, I may sell my copies with the original booklets!

Check out the auction at this address

Bird Flu - Charlie does his best to stop these birds being cold

Scrotch Proggers Pallas are planning to launch an appeal after reading our piece on avian flu.

Wee Alan Reed told us after their Music Lice gig at the NEC on Saturday (See our exclusive review here now!) that the band want you to send them any spare blankets you have lying about.

"Galahad and bass player Mike Kneller have parted ways, Stu Nicholson reports.

The amicable split comes at a time when work on EMPIRES NEVER LAST reaches a critical phase, with Stu, Dean, Roy and Spencer due back at Thin Ice Studios with Karl Groom later next week.

So the band are urgently seeking a fresh face to take up 4-string duties and make an immediate mark on the new album! Naturally, enthusiasm, commitment and an open-minded attitude are pre-requisites. Please contact info@galahadonline.com if you think you fit the bill, or know anyone who might!"

Have YOU got the X-Factor?

Galahad - Several years / bass players ago

"Hard issues and Shakira can be nice"

Rumours of gossip hit Silhobbit Towers with chilling regularity these days and we fee duty bound to pass on these nuggets. Littlethommie wrote to us and said: "Although Roger (Wilson) is still down under, he mailed me that there is a slight possibility that Porcupine Tree will have line-up change next year. During a chat session with his brother, Steven told Roger the he was not satisfied with (the) turn up at the recent Deadwing tour, and that he blames John Wesley, because most guys consider him not sexy."

He goes on to say: "So to get more male visitors, he contacted the the Management of South-American singer Shakira. She seems to be willing to accept the offer, but money (as usual) seems to become a hard issue. Steven also said: "Hard issues and Shakira can be nice" . Steven told Roger also that he is still very worried about the Bird Flu, but Shakira didn't carry the virus (last medical check up), so that isn't a problem. More about this news to follow shortly."

Our thanks to Silhobbit Spy Littlethommie. YOU can become a Silhobbit Spy - email us YOUR gossip at news@silhobbit.com

After a Kate Bushesque break from the music business, Cider-Proggers Credo have a new CD out. Check out our review of Rhetoric here

IQ - concerned progstars

A newsfeed from IQ-HQ said this:

"IQ to contribute to the benefit CD for survivors of Hurricane Katrina

Mike (Holmes, IQ) is currently working on a piece for the benefit CD for survivors of Hurricane Katrina. It's a reworking of the track Subterranea taken from the album Oh Subterranea, Impala that you are. The track is called Chemical Rain and is 5 minutes and 25 seconds long."

Reading Progsters Kino and Norse Scando Proggers Gazpacho join arms along with Swedish band Nightingale to play an all-night gig on Norway soon. The concert, organised by the Web Scandinavia, will take place at the John Dee, in Oslo, Norway, on the 17th December from 8pm onwards. Tickets cost a reasonable €32.

They also promise some "Very Special Guests". Who can that be? Obviously we can't say (cos we don't have a clue) but it'd be a pisser if it wasn't some form of a certain Aylesbury based band...

So here it is, our review of Kate Bush's first album in 12 long dry and barren years. Check out Aerial here

Check out our review of Pure Reason Revolution's mini album Cautionary Tales For The Brave here.

We also hope to have a review of Kate Bush's new double CD Aerials here very soon!

Tickets for the UK Genesis Convention 2006 at The Astoria, London on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 May are now on sale from www.seetickets.com  and here (SeeTickets Progline: 0870 264 3333) and www.meanfiddler.com (Mean Fiddler Progline: 0870 060 3777).

Prices are £15 per night, or £25 for the weekend (plus booking fees £18.50 each or £29.60 each + £2.00)

This sorry looking bunch of criminals is actually Prog's newest Super Group - Neo. Comprised of Andy  Edwards (IQ), Mark Westwood (McDonalds, Pizza Hut), Clive Nolan (Arena, Pendragon, Strangers On A Train, Shadowlands, Nolan-Wakeman, NO, Cast ...) and Two Jags Jowitt (IQ, Jadis).

The band have formed primarily to play at ROSFest next April. They will play the cream of British prog to Yankee ears including tracks by IQ, Arena, Pendragon, Shadowlands, Pallas, Yes and many, many more. They will also feature guest musicians, such as Nick Barrett (Pendragon), Wee Alan Reed (Pallas) and Peter Banks (Yes)

Canadian melodic proggers Saga have signed to German Uber Prog label InsideOut.

Their press release states:
"SAGA, well-known for their 1981 mega-hits, On The Loose and Wind Him Up have recently signed a worldwide deal with InsideOut Music. On November 8th InsideOut Music America will release the band's latest studio album, Network, and the live 2CD set, The Live Chapters. The North American version of Network will contain an exclusive bonus DVD with a 5.1 mix of the entire album. There are also plans for a live DVD and double live album release of some special Worlds Apart concerts that will be filmed in Europe later this year. The band is also entering the studio in October to begin work on their new album, to be released in early 2006."

Saga

See www.insideout.de for more details

This month Stu Galahad has assembled a notable list of Prog Celebs on his many sofa's to discuss the imminent Avian Flu pandemic that is likely to sweep through Europe, wiping out about 25% of the adult prog-loving population!

Click here to read the transcript of the debate

"The fear, after the Turkish and Romanian findings, is that H5N1 will spread across Europe.  Because it is carried by birds, there is no way of preventing its spread unless you put up a great big fuckoff net! I'm worried about domestic flocks. Experts say proper poultry controls - such as preventing wild birds getting in to poultry houses  - which are present in the UK, should prevent that happening." says Stu Nicholson.

Catch up on some of our other features here

The Prog Pop Princess returns this week with the wonderful King Of The Mountain single, which looks set to scale the peak of the Top 40 this weekend. The single, taken from the forthcoming Aerials double album is available in CD single and very limited edition 7" Picture Disc.  The pic disc is already going for crazy money on eBay, as can be seen from this, this and this.

You can see the video to King Of The Mountain here. The album, Aerials, will be Album Of The Week on Radio Two next week, so tracks will be played on the Ken Bruce and Janice Long programs.

The Progster Presents, the promoters behind the Summer's End Festival, have decided that next summer is too long to wait for another prog extravaganza and so there is to be a Christmas bash - "The Progster's Christmas Ball" - on December 15th at the Bristol Bierkeller.

The line-up is Credo, Also Eden and The Oliver Wakeman Band and all for the measley sum of £10.

A new website for "The Progster Presents" will be up and running in the next few days with venue and box office details. Check back here for more details!

Huw Lloyd-Jones from Also Eden has emailed us here at news@silhobbit.com to say that his band are playing at The Hayfield, 156-158 Mile End Road, Stepney, London on Sunday November 6th.

The band also play at The Progster's Christmas Ball at the Bristol Bierkeller on Thursday 15th December along with Credo and The Oliver Wakeman Band where tickets are a tenner.

Band details at www.alsoeden.com

Also Eden in frenetic montage action shocker!!

Art Of Infinity are in the studio again to work on their next album Endless Future. Like on the first two albums, the masterminds Thorsten Sudler-Mainz and Thorsten Rentsch collaborate again with the singer Eva Wolf. A new collaboration they start with Mexican singer and composer Alquimia (Landmarq), she sings two songs of the forthcoming album. On Endless Future the drummer Wolf Simon is one more top musician on the guest list of Art Of Infinity.

See the bands website at www.art-of-infinity.com for more details.

Progs great young hopes, Pure Reason Revolution have announced some rescheduled dates on their current tour.

The new dates are:

12th December 2005 - Fibbers York with Lyca Sleep, ILikeTrains
13th December 2005 - Barfly, Glasgow with Lyca Sleep, ILikeTrains
14th December 2005 - Brickyard, Carlisle with Lyca Sleep

The band have their new single The Intention Cafe out this week.

See www.purereasonrevolution.com for more

Finnish Doom-proggers Nightwish have parted company with their vocalist. The band, who have just finished recording their End Of An Era live album sacked goth-babe Tarja Turunen, not by turning up at her house one Sunday morning, nor by pretending to disband the group, only to reform later, not neither by pinning her up by the throat in a blind fury, but by means of an open letter posted on their website! You can all read the open letter here.

Now THAT'S how to fire a troublesome band member, Marillion, Landmarq, Porcupine Tree et all take note!

Blimey, they're like busses, ain't they! Hot on the heels of Claus Lienen controversial review of Arena in Germany (see here) we have three more!

Read Peter Fitzwilliams' review of Mostly Autumn at the Brook here

Read Jo Kinghorn's review of Pure Reason Revolution in Milton Keynes here

Read Marie Davies' review of Magenta at The Borderline here

If you have a review you want printed, send it to us at reviews@silhobbit.com and we'll print them. Don't be afraid to send photo's too!

Brash young proggers Pure Reason Revolution have their new single The Intention Cafe released today (Monday 24 October). The single, taken from their mini album Cautionary Tales For The Brave, is backed with a couple of non-album cuts, namely Sound of Free and Asleep Under Eiderdown. The CD single also contains the video.

Talking to the band on Friday, they told me that they'll be starting work on their new CD "soon" and that the Grandfather of Prog, Rick Wakeman, will be guesting on it!

Mark Radcliffe will be creaming himself!

The Pendragon boys are busy resting on their laurels presently but will be organising a tour to promote their latest album Believe in May.

We have a review of Believe here.

Nick threw a piece of chewing gum in my kitchen bin on Sunday. Expect to see it on eBay soon.

Roger Wilson has taken time out from his "Round The World and Back Again" self-awareness trek to write in to us here at Silhobbit. Roger, our WWE wrestling correspondent learned of ace wrester The Undertaker's latest demise, and said "Undertaker died again? The poor guy keeps dying. It seems very unfair. He never even gets a proper burial as his body keeps mysteriously vanishing. Mind you, he is the Undertaker so maybe there is nobody around in WWE to reliably carry out undertaking duties when he's died."

We hope to have a full column from Roger in the near or far future, or even earlier.

Porcupine Tree are touring in the USA at the moment. Catch them in a city near you soon.
 

To stand a better chance of winning £10,000 (conditions apply) we've made it easier to complete this exciting puzzle. Simply fill in the missing squares - each 3 x 3 box must contain each of the nine Marillion members, then each nine-row must contain each member horizontally and vertically with no duplicates.

Click on the image opposite which will take you to an enlarged image, print out the image, remove it from your printer, fill in the cells, scan in your completed Sil-Doku, attach it to an email, send it to us at this address and we'll contact you with the chance to win £10,000*

1. Mick Pointer
2. Diz Minute
3. Steve Hogarth
4. Pete Trewavas
5. Mark Kelly
6. Ian Mosely
7. Steve Rothery
8. Fish
9. Childhood Boy

WARNING! - avoid handling/fondling all poultry

Stuart Nicholson has urgently invited a group of fellow intellectual musicians for a discussion group on his sofa in Bournemouth for an emergency session to prepare everyone for the outbreak of the avian flu pandemic which is set to kill millions of humans worldwide which will have a knock-on affect to prog, Silhobbit.com can exclusively reveal today.

"Eating poultry or having unprotected sex with poultry can only add to the possibility of infection" warns Stu, the voice of coastprog. "If you're going to have sex with a chicken, I suggest you rubber it up!" warns Stu.

Stu has invited Steve Wilson, Karl Groom, John Mitchell, Steve Hughes and German porn star Gina Wild.

Silhobbit.com will print a transcript from Stu's Sofa Forum within the next week.

Silhobbit.com would like to point out that a recent Arena review implied that top-notch Arena guitarist John Mitchell played a concert whilst "under the influence of drugs".

What should have been pointed-out was that the drugs were medical and not illegal/recreational (like the ones Silhobbit.com staff might take). Silhobbit take this opportunity to add that John was ill at the concert and medical-drugs prevented the band from cancelling what turned out to be an excellent concert which can be read about here

Thankfully John has fully recovered and recommends the band "Four Day Hombre" who he knows. The band are not un-similar to the excellent 'The Urbane'. To see why John is excited at his mates' band download the 'Four Day Hombre' video clip by clicking here

"Don't touch, it's still got the price tag on"

Saturday 19 November - ABC Glasgow, Scotland
Monday 28 November - Elysee Montmartre, Paris, France
Friday 2 December - 013, Tilburg, Holland
Saturday 3 December - Vredenburg Muziekcentrum, Utrecht, Holland

The band are also hoping to play somewhere in Oslo on Saturday 17 December 2005

"Lock up yer daughters, we are coming!"

Tumulus was formed in 1997 in the city of Yaroslavl by the musicians of the Russian cult Viking/doom metal band Scald, which was disbanded due to the vocalist's death.

The art of Tumulus is influenced by slavic rituals and traditions as well as by the music of Amorphis, early The 3rd And The Mortal, Bathory, Fates Warning, Yes, Jethro Tull, early Genesis, Pink Floyd and the Russian folk bands Sedmaya Voda, Raznotravie, Kalinov Most and Inna Zhelannaya. The band describes their music as "art progressive folk metal". The band sings in Russian, old Slavonic and English.

After two demos; Krada in 1999 and Vo Luzeh in 2000; the band recorded a full studio album Winter Wood, released by the Russian label Wroth Emitter Productions in 2004.

Tumulus occasionally do live shows outside the CIS in the Eastern Europe countries.

Tumulus is one on the few Russian metal bands with its original style and concept.

Line-up
Kuchma - lead & back vocals, flute
Velingor - bass, gloomy voices, percussions, vargan
Vigdis - keyboards, lead vocal on 8th track
Kurbat - guitars, back vocal
Ottar - drums & percussions

Guest musicians:
Marina Sokolova (Sedmaya Voda former member) - all female vocals (except 8th track), ocarina
Ilya "Radim" Nikolayev (Ros' member) - gusli on 6th track

Total playing time 35:33

Finally, the much sought-after "Live From London" concert is to be released on DVD. The show, from the old Camden Palace way back in 1985 was filmed for a short-lived "Live From London" TV series, battered and tattered VHS copies of which have been floating round for years.

The 60 minute long DVD, released by Voiceprint, has the tracks Awake And Nervous, Outer Limits, It All Stops Here, Just Changing Hands, The Wake, The Magic Roundabout, Widows Peak, The Thousand Days and Corners.

Also on the DVD front, the bands recent Burg Herzberg and NEARfest appearences were profesionally filmed, and the band are hoping for some sort of release. Indeed, some tracks from the Burg Herzberg show have already turned up on the bootleg market. And "Forever Live" may yet see the light of day. That day may be in 2006.

Finally, Martin Orford is nearing completion of his third solo album "The Old Road" and hopes to get it out in May or June 2006

The Welsh Progging superstars of tomorrow are putting the final touches to their "The Gathering" live DVD after a few nasty hiccups along the way. The DVD should be available for sale at their forthcoming gig at the Herringthorpe Leisure Centre, in Rotherham on October 29th. It is also available for pre-order at www.progrock.co.uk .

Before then, the band play a concert at The Borderline in London, surely one of the best venues in town, next Saturday 22nd October.  Tickets are available from See Tickets.

Both gigs sound like there going to be unmissable, as the band are adding new tracks to their set-list in the form of a four track medley from their new Home CD as well as the whole of Seven.

The Coastprogging maestros hope to have their new CD out in early 2006, Gazza is currently banged up whilst knob-twiddling and working on the album.

Meanwhile Gazza and Steve Thorne will be supporting Perfect Alibi at the Southampton Guildhall on November 11th. They'll be playing some Jadis stuff and some Stevie stuff, along with some predictable Crowded House and Stereophonics covers. C'mon, "Weather With You" anyone? I'm sure it'll be top notch though. Maybe they'll let some Tears For Fears stuff slip in there...

Gaz. U knows he luvs u

More It Bites news here first!

We've heard reports here that there are major problem's with the forthcoming It Bites at Montreaux DVD that is due to be coming out on Inside/Out Records. It seems that there are some problems with the licensing of the material, probably because it was originally screened on TV.

For up-to-date It Bites news click here

More Arena! German fan Claus Lienen has sent us a review of the bands gig in Karlsruhe last Saturday night. You can read it here now!

If YOU have been to a gig recently and want to tell the whole world about it, send it to us at reviews@silhobbit.com, and if it meets our incredibly high standards, we'll publish it for free!!!

The Stockbroker-Belt Proggers have added an extra date to their fully featured and sell out tour. The band will be playing at Riff's Bar in Hook, near Swindon this Friday, 14th October. Support comes from the incredibly strong Credo, and there's sure to be some local Prog celebs in the crowd

Yorkshire Proggers Evolution have more dates in the pipeline, They're playing at The Silver Fox in Stocksbridge, Sheffield on 24th December.

They'll also be back at the same venue throughout the next year. See Gig Guide for more details

Genesis In The Cage is one of 4 Genesis UK tribute bands that will be headlining the UK Genesis Convention 2006 at the London Astoria on the 27th and 28th May 2006.

The bands are:
Genesis In the Cage
ReGenesis
G2
Face Value

The bands will be playing an enormously wide variety of Genesis and solo material. There will be other very exciting musical events to be confirmed. Rare footage, album signings, very special guests - all the usual stuff.

The London Astoria
157 Charing Cross Road
London
WC2 8EN
Box office: 0870 534 4444

Nautilus are an instrumental Prog band from Canterbury (where else) who released their debut album "What Colours the Sky In Your World?" late last year, and have had good words from fellow Cantabrians Hugh Hopper and Richard Sinclair. They take their influences from King Crimson, Genesis and Deep Purple amongst others, and have even had their single "Garden Gnomes" played on Radio 6.

The band are hoping to take themselves out on the road, and are looking for instrumental prog-friendly venues around the country - if you know one near you, drop us a line here and we'll let them know.

Yes' Chris Squire and Stephen Nardelli reunite in The Syn for first new album from legendary prog pioneers in 40 years.

As one of the most well-respected bands of the swinging ‘60s, The Syn were a regular at London’s famed Marquee Club, where they opened for the likes of The Who, Pink Floyd, Cream and, most memorably, Jimi Hendrix's first-ever performance in the U.K. That night, The Syn played before an audience that included all four Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and Pete Townshend, among other rock royalty.

Chris Squire's Umbrello label, set up with The Syn co-founder Steve Nardelli, issues the 2 CD Original Syn, 1965-2004 on 12 September. It includes their hits and unreleased rehearsal cuts, alternate takes, and a version of The Who's "I Can't Explain". The second disc features a 2004 version of "Grounded" and a 10-minute version of Yes' "Time And A Word", re-recorded with original Yes guitarist Peter Banks. It's followed on 3 October by an eponymous White album, featuring Yes' Alan White and former colleague Geoff Downes, and on 31 October, The Syn's new Syndestructible.

The Syn tour the UK later this year, with ex-It Bites' Francis Dunnery joining in on vocals and guitar.

Check out their website here