Once In A Lifetime

By the early 80s, much of the British music press had turned their backs on prog, dismissing it as old-fashioned and out of touch with the youth of the day. But in the UK’s shires a grassroots scene was beginning to grow, spearheaded by Marillion, whose successful debut album Script For A Jester’s Tear paved the way for a sound inspired by the 70s classics but infused with modern pop hooks and poetic lyrics. Members of Pendragon, Pallas, IQ, Solstice and more share the story behind the rise (and fall) of a movement that would set prog on a new path.

Dave Everley

“In the early days, we used to wear these stupid kaftans with a big eye on it. We’d walk down the street in them before the show, publicising the gig. Whatever it took.”Mick Pointer (ex-Marillion) All things must pass, and prog’s imperial early-to-mid-70s phase was no exception. By the end of that decade, many of its chief protagonists were either seemingly spent as creative forces (ELP, Yes), about to undergo radical transformations (Genesis, Yes again) or absent (King Crimson, albeit temporarily). The upstarts of punk may have been commercial minnows in comparison, but their jibes about ‘dinosaurs’ hit where it hurt. Yet as the 80s got underway, something unexpected was happening. Across the United Kingdom, a wave of grassroots bands set about reviving this seemingly moribund genre. A scene was…

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Prog Italia (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 146

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