Rocket Scientists Plan Coast To Coast Tour In June

 Los Angeles, CA - Acclaimed American progressive rock legends Rocket Scientists with special guest symphonic rock diva Lana Lane have scheduled two concerts at opposite ends of the country with their first show at the 2nd Annual Bay Area Rock Fest on Friday, June 27th, 2008. The two-day festival will be held at The Independent, 628 Divisadero Street in San Francisco, CA. Tickets are available at http://www.tickets.com. For more information about the festival, please visit http://www.bayarearockfest.com.

Rocket Scientists' second concert, also with special guest Lana Lane, will be at the 1st Annual Power of Prog Festival in Clinton, NY on Sunday, June 29th. The three day fest kicks off on Friday, June 27th and runs through Sunday, June 29th with Rocket Scientists in concert at 7PM. The event will be held at the Kirkland Arts Center, 9-1/2 East Park Row in Clinton. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit http://www.myspace.com/powerofprog.

Rocket Scientists' core members Erik Norlander, Mark McCrite and Don Schiff will appear in concert along with select guest musicians including symphonic rock diva Lana Lane and guitarist Jim Williams. This concert follows on the heels of three very successful shows in Mexico, Cleveland, and the UK; and the recent release of Rocket Scientists' ambitious 5-disc multimedia box set "Looking Backward" through Think Tank Media and ProgRock Records. 

Rocket Scientists was formed in the late 1980s by keyboardist Erik Norlander and vocalist / guitarist Mark McCrite. The two released their first CD, "Earthbound", in 1993 joined by then - session bassist Don Schiff. Schiff quickly became a part of the band for their second release in 1995, "Brutal Architecture", and the three toured in the US and Europe in 1997 culminating in the live CD, "Earth Below and Sky Above: Live in Europe and America". In 1999, Rocket Scientists released "Oblivion Days", raising the bar on already high expectations. At the turn of the century, Norlander, Schiff and McCrite all worked on solo projects in addition to backing symphonic rock vocal icon Lana Lane on several tours around the world. After an eight year hiatus, Rocket Scientists released its fourth studio album "Revolution Road" in 2006 to high accolades from the press and fans worldwide.

In January, 2008, Rocket Scientists released their first box set entitled "Looking Backward", a 5-disc collection containing remastered versions of their first three studio albums, "Earthbound", "Brutal Architecture" and "Oblivion Days", along with a 4th audio CD of new recordings of classic Rocket Scientists songs reinterpreted by the band in 2007. The 5th disc is a DVD-9 containing video of the 2007 sessions along with extensive interviews and historical archive footage from sessions going back to 1993. The band has posted videos from "Looking Backward" on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/rocketscientists.

For more information about Rocket Scientists, please visit http://www.thetank.com orhttp://www.myspace.com/rocketscientistsband. 

Fish Tours US For The First Time In 10 Years

Scottish singer/songwriter Fish, known for his work with Marillion, has just announced a string of U.S. dates in support of his new solo CD 13th Star. It is the artist’s first U.S. tour in 10 years.


13th Star is being deemed as his best solo work ever by the press.
“...a meditation on loss, the emotional resonance of songs such as ‘Arc Of The Curve' making this his strongest work since his late '80s Marillion swansong Clutching At Straws.”writes Paul Elliott in the April 2008 issue of Q magazine.

Fish came to public’s attention in the 80s as the lead singer of Marillion, recording four successful CDs with the band. In 1988, he left Marillion and began his solo career, which has resulted in nine studio albums and many other live recordings.

“Being 50 years old and being told your new album is the best you've ever made is tremendous. It destroys the philosophy that your best work as a rock musician has to be when you're 19 and naive," Fish recently told What’s On Southwest. "This is my 13th record and my 26th year in the business, and that's something a lot of other people can only fantasize about, so I know I am lucky.” Fish will be a guest on the Gagliarchives Radio program on May 31st.

The U.S. tour includes the following dates:

June 9 San Francisco The Fillmore
June 10 Los Angeles House of Blues
June 12 Boulder, CO Fox Theatre
June 14 Milwaukee, WI Shank Hall
June 15 Chicago, IL Park West
June 16 Cleveland, OH House of Blues
June 18 New York BB King’s Blues Club
June 20 Bethlehem, PA NEAR fest
June 21 Philadelphia, PA Fillmore at ToLA
June 22 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
June 24 New Haven, CT Toad’s Place
June 25 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
June 27 Quebec City Cabaret du Capitole
June 28 Montreal Le National
June 29 Toronto Mod Club Theatre

Rush Members Mourn Original Drummer

According to The Pulse of Radio, RUSH bassist/singer Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson issued astatement over the weekend about the death of original drummer John Rutsey, who passed away last week in Toronto from diabetes at the age of 55. Lifeson and Lee wrote,

"Our memories of the early years of RUSH when John was in the band are very fond to us. Those years spent in our teens dreaming of one day doing what we continue to do decades later are special. Although our paths diverged many years ago, we smile today, thinking back on those exciting times and remembering John's wonderful sense of humor and impeccable timing. He will be deeply missed by all he touched."

Rutsey's family has requested that donations be made in Rutsey's memory to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, located in Ontario. Fans around the world have posted condolences online over Rutsey's death, with one writing, "Although you may not have known it, you were loved and respected by all RUSH fans." Rutsey and Lifeson formed RUSH in 1968, with Lee joining a short time later. Rutsey played on the band's self-titled 1974 debut album, but left the group due to health concerns. His replacement, Neil Peart, joined the group on its second effort, "Fly By Night".

Pure Reason Revolution To Release Live Album At Nearfest

It is with great excitement that Chad Hutchinson and Robert LaDuca have announced the upcoming release of Pure Reason Revolution, "Live at NEARfest 2007." The British upstart quartet took the NEARfest stage by storm with their unique combination of hard-driving riffs, Pink Floyd-esque soundscapes and fabulous vocal harmonies. Already known for their powerful live show, Pure Reason Revolution took it to yet another level with this energetic and raw performance. The band was in top form at NEARfest and is captured live for the first time on "Live at NEARfest 2007."

The album will be released on June 20, 2008, the first day of NEARfest X. Pure Reason Revolution's The Dark Third was also the #1 album in the top 100 of 2006.

Tracklisting:

1. Intro/In Aurélia

2. The Borgen's Vor

3. Deus Ex Machina

4. The Bright Ambassadors of Morning

5. Victorious Cupid

6. Voices in Winter

7. The Twyncyn/Trembling Willows

8. Golden Disco

9. Aeropause

10. Apprentice of the Universe

11. Nimos & Tambos

12. Arrival/The Intention Craft

Personnel:

Jon Courtney - Vocals, guitar, keyboards

Chloë Alper - Bass, vocals, keyboards

Jamie Willcox - Guitar, vocals, keyboards

Paul Glover - Drums

Mixed by Adam Whitaker

Recorded and Mastered by Brett Kull

Hadrien Feraud Injury Puts Tour Plans On Hold

Bass prodigy Hadrien Feraud, who's new solo album and recent stint with John McLaughlin has been the buzz in the fusion world, has broken a finger on his right hand and will not be able to perform for the beginning of the Fourth Dimension tour with John McLaughlin. Feraud is to be replaced by Dominique DiPiazza for the European tour. There are still hopes that he will be able to perform by the end of May.

Feraud's bass style has been compared to the late great Jaco Pastorius. His recent self titled solo album is stunning in its diversity from beginning to end. Fusion lovers began their new affair with Hadrien in 2006 when he was featured on John Mclaughlin's Industrial Zen. McLaughlin spoke with Tom Gagliardi in November of 2006 and said "You have to hear this cat...he's amazing, he's a kid. So Talented.." Hadrien has recently recorded for an upcoming album with guitarist Bireli Lagrene. The album is due out in October, and features Hadrien's band Ruemers.

He will also be joining the Gagliarchives radio program to talk about his upcoming work as well.

We hope for a speedy recovery for Hadrien. He is the next one.

Forgas Band Phenomena Featured On Daily Motion

A band that has been a big favorite in recent years to the fusion community and the Gagliarchives, has been the Forgas Band Phenomena. This is rare concert footgage performed at the Forterre Festival on 5/17/08 in Courson Les Carrieres, in Bourgogne, France. The recent album Soleil 12 was released on Cuneiform Records. Special thanks to Steve Feigenbaum.

Forgas Band Phenomena - "Extra-Lucide"
Uploaded by forgasbp

and this...

Forgas Band Phenomena "Soleil 12"
Uploaded by forgasbp

Spock's Beard To Release Live DVD & CD

The long-awaited Spock's Beard live DVD and 2 CD set are set be released. They are to be released in Germany, Austria & Switzerland on 6/13/08, the remainder of Europe on 6/16/08 and North America on 6/24/08.
Recorded live in Holland in 2007, it Includes: On A Perfect Day, Mouth of Madness, Crack the Big Sky, The Slow Crash Landing Man, Return to Whatever, Surfing Down the Avalanche, Thoughts (Part 2), Drum solo, Skeletons At The Feast, Walking On The Wind, Hereafter (Ryo solo), As Far As The Mind Can See (Dreaming In The Age Of Answers, Here's A Man,They Know We Know, Stream Of Unconsciousness) Rearranged and The Water / Go The Way You Go medley. Fans will be excited to see that the DVD and CD set contain the same songs.
To see a video trailer of the DVD, go to YouTube



Spock's Beard 2008 Live
June 26 (Thu)
Ulm, Germany - Ulmer Zelt

June 27 (Fri)
Netzschkau bei Reichenbach/Vogtland,Germany III. Art-Rock-Festival
www.bergkeller-reichenbach.de

June 28 (Sat)
Bochum, Germany - Zeche Open Air

June 29 (Sun)
Zoetermeer, Netherlands - De Boerderij

June 30 (Mon)
Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7

July 2 (Wed)
Cardiff, UK - PointBox Office: 029 2046 0873 or www.thepointcardiffbay.com

July 3 (Thu)
London, UK - Islington AcademyBox office: 0844 477 2000 or www.islington-academy.co.uk

July 4 (Fri)
Manchester, UK - AcademyBox Office: 0161 832 1111 or www.manchesteracademy.net

July 5 (Sat)
Leeds, UK - RiosBox Office: 0844 414 2182 or www.rios-leeds.com

July 6 (Sun)
Glasgow, UK - ArchesBox Office: 0141 565 1000 or www.thearches.co.uk

July 7 (Mon)
Wolverhampton, UK - The Robin 2Box Office: 01902 401211 or www.therobin.co.uk

August 23 (Sat)
Pittsburgh, PA at The Three Rivers Prog Festival. More info here: 3progfest.com

Visit Spock's Beard website at http://spocksbeard.com