Anyway, the Old Marquee is gone, the New Marquee is a pub, and Pallas are back!

But first we had to drink through the support band. Now, Fragile, for it was they, may be good. Indeed they may be the best Yes covers band around. Some say they are. Many say "Who?", but never mind. But if you don't like the original band, you ain't gonna like a covers band... So I didn't like them.

Anyway, soon enough it was Pallas's turn. But they started badly, mainly because they didn't use the Theme from Bladerunner, but I guess times move on (even in the Prog world). Then they stopped. I guess something that was supposed to happen, didn't, so they stood there looking like lemons. Fine start to their first gig in London for 12 or so years. I seem to recall the same thing happening in their "first gig for 5 years" in Uden in 1993! Hmmm, shame I can't remember their Whitchurch gig the same year.

Enough crap, what did they play?

Ok, they started off with "A Call To Arms", but picked the vibe up with "Cut And Run" and "The Executioner". They dropped it back down again with "Hide and Seek" before giving me the chance to have a slash and get another beer in during "Rat Racing". "Beat The Drum" came up next, and not having the album, I didn't know it, but I must say I was pleasently surprised by it. So much so that I may get the CD. Or if Pallas want a Silhobbit review, they could send us a copy (hint!). A couple of other tracks followed this, which I've since been told are "Insomniac" and "Blood and Roses", before they launched into the wonderefully magnificent "Atlantis Suite". They finished off with the incredibly brilliant "Eyes In The Night" (surely the only song ever to extoll the virtues of cats eyes!), and "Imagination" (another beer/slash break) and finally "Queen of the Deep". I think they also did a new song in there somewhere. One thing I knew for sertain was that they ended the nights procedings with a stonking version of Deep Purples' "Black Night". Luverley keyboards..

We managed to get a quick chat to wee Alan Reed at the after gig party - there'll be more gigs next year when the new album "The Cross and the Crucible" comes out next year (April May June... 2001, 2002, 2003??)

Charlie O'Mara