Pendragon (band)
Encyclopedia
Pendragon are an English
neo-progressive rock
band established in 1978 in Stroud, Gloucestershire
as Zeus Pendragon by guitarist
and vocalist Nick Barrett. The Zeus was dropped before the band started recording as the members decided it was too long to look good on a t-shirt. There were a few personnel changes in the early days, but since 1986 the lineup has remained stable (apart from two changes on the drummer's stool) and the band is still active as of 2011.
, Pallas
, and Twelfth Night
in the early 1980s, and indeed (like their peers IQ
) often appeared as support acts to Marillion and other major neo-prog bands, both on tours and at the famous Marquee venue which hosted many regular prog evenings. After their debut album, The Jewel, the band pursued a more commercial direction, documented in the Kowtow album and the Red Shoes and Saved By You EPs, but despite these efforts failed to break through to a mainstream audience.
In 1991 the band established their own label, Toff Records, and released the archival release The Rest of Pendragon, a collection of EP tracks, and the studio album The World, in which they returned to a more progressive style that the band would continue to develop over their next three studio albums, The Window of Life, The Masquerade Overture, and Not Of This World.
From this point on their fortunes have improved, and whilst they are still relatively obscure in their home country they have a significant following in Europe; in particular, they have managed to develop a strong fanbase in Poland, and have both released at least one compilation specifically for the Polish market and recorded several live albums there.
In 2002 the band released Acoustically Challenged, documenting an "unplugged" session with a number of the band's songs retooled for acoustic instruments, which was originally broadcast on Radio 3 Warsaw. This was considered an unusual move for a prog rock band, since progressive rock tends to focus a lot on the use of electronic synthesisers and electric guitars; however, the melodic qualities of the band's compositions proved to be well-suited to an acoustic context, and the album was reasonably successful. This heralded a new willingness to experiment on the part of the band, following a run of studio albums all broadly in the same vein as "The World". On 2005's Believe they took their music in a somewhat darker direction, causing a certain amount of controversy amongst their fans. 2008's Pure refined the style of Believe and was extremely well received by the progressive rock fandom, being voted Album of the Year 2008 on DPRP. On the community website progarchives.com Pure enjoyed the current "most popular album" spot for a period in 2008, and remains in the site's top 10 prog releases of 2008 (as voted by site users).
Recently, Pendragon released a live album and DVD, Concerto Maximo
, shot in Katowice, on 13 October 2008. It was filmed and edited by Metal Mind. It was released in several versions - a 2 CD release, featuring just the audio from the show, a DVD, featuring the full show, and a DVD and 2 CD special edition, which was limited to 1000 copies.
In October 2010, the band started recording the follow-up to their 2008 release Pure
. The album is called Passion
and was released in the spring of 2011.
Live albums
EPs
Compilations and rarities
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
neo-progressive rock
Neo-progressive rock
Neo-progressive rock is a sub-genre of progressive rock, developed in the UK and popular in the 1980s, although it lives on today....
band established in 1978 in Stroud, Gloucestershire
Stroud, Gloucestershire
Stroud is a market town and civil parish in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District.Situated below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills at the meeting point of the Five Valleys, the town is noted for its steep streets and cafe culture...
as Zeus Pendragon by guitarist
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and vocalist Nick Barrett. The Zeus was dropped before the band started recording as the members decided it was too long to look good on a t-shirt. There were a few personnel changes in the early days, but since 1986 the lineup has remained stable (apart from two changes on the drummer's stool) and the band is still active as of 2011.
History
The band were active in the progressive rock revival spearheaded by the likes of MarillionMarillion
Marillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...
, Pallas
Pallas (band)
Pallas are a progressive rock band based in the UK. They were one of the bands at the vanguard of what was termed neo-progressive during progressive rock's second-wave revival in the early 1980s...
, and Twelfth Night
Twelfth Night (band)
Twelfth Night are an English neo-progressive rock band of the 1980s, reformed in 2007.-Formation:The seeds of Twelfth Night were sown when guitarist Andy Revell and drummer Brian Devoil joined forces on 23 February 1978 to win a talent competition at Reading University. The road crew included Geoff...
in the early 1980s, and indeed (like their peers IQ
IQ (band)
IQ are a British neo-progressive rock band founded by Mike Holmes and Martin Orford in 1981 following the dissolution of their original band The Lens...
) often appeared as support acts to Marillion and other major neo-prog bands, both on tours and at the famous Marquee venue which hosted many regular prog evenings. After their debut album, The Jewel, the band pursued a more commercial direction, documented in the Kowtow album and the Red Shoes and Saved By You EPs, but despite these efforts failed to break through to a mainstream audience.
In 1991 the band established their own label, Toff Records, and released the archival release The Rest of Pendragon, a collection of EP tracks, and the studio album The World, in which they returned to a more progressive style that the band would continue to develop over their next three studio albums, The Window of Life, The Masquerade Overture, and Not Of This World.
From this point on their fortunes have improved, and whilst they are still relatively obscure in their home country they have a significant following in Europe; in particular, they have managed to develop a strong fanbase in Poland, and have both released at least one compilation specifically for the Polish market and recorded several live albums there.
In 2002 the band released Acoustically Challenged, documenting an "unplugged" session with a number of the band's songs retooled for acoustic instruments, which was originally broadcast on Radio 3 Warsaw. This was considered an unusual move for a prog rock band, since progressive rock tends to focus a lot on the use of electronic synthesisers and electric guitars; however, the melodic qualities of the band's compositions proved to be well-suited to an acoustic context, and the album was reasonably successful. This heralded a new willingness to experiment on the part of the band, following a run of studio albums all broadly in the same vein as "The World". On 2005's Believe they took their music in a somewhat darker direction, causing a certain amount of controversy amongst their fans. 2008's Pure refined the style of Believe and was extremely well received by the progressive rock fandom, being voted Album of the Year 2008 on DPRP. On the community website progarchives.com Pure enjoyed the current "most popular album" spot for a period in 2008, and remains in the site's top 10 prog releases of 2008 (as voted by site users).
Recently, Pendragon released a live album and DVD, Concerto Maximo
Concerto Maximo
Concerto Maximo is a live album by the British progressive rock band Pendragon, released in 2009, recorded in Katowice, on October 13, 2008. It was filmed and edited by Metal Mind...
, shot in Katowice, on 13 October 2008. It was filmed and edited by Metal Mind. It was released in several versions - a 2 CD release, featuring just the audio from the show, a DVD, featuring the full show, and a DVD and 2 CD special edition, which was limited to 1000 copies.
In October 2010, the band started recording the follow-up to their 2008 release Pure
Pure (Pendragon album)
Pure is the eighth studio album by English neo-progressive rock group Pendragon. It was first released on October 1, 2008, as a regular edition on Toff Records, the band's own imprint, and reissued in March 14, 2011, as a special CD+DVD edition in rigid digi book through Madfish, a division label...
. The album is called Passion
Passion (Pendragon album)
Passion is the ninth studio album by English neo-progressive rock group Pendragon. It was released as a special edition in April 11, 2011 on Madfish, a division label of Snapper Music and in regular form through Toff Records, the band's own imprint...
and was released in the spring of 2011.
Current members
- Nick Barrett - guitars, vocals (1978–present)
- Peter Gee - bass (1978–present)
- Clive NolanClive NolanClive Nolan is a British musician, composer and producer who has played a prominent role in the recent development of progressive rock...
- keyboards (1986–present) - Scott HighamShadowkeepShadowkeep is a British heavy metal band, formed in Guildford, England, in 1999 by guitarists Chris Allen and Nikki Robson .-Early recordings, concerts and festival appearances:...
- drums (2008–present)
Past members
- John Barnfield - keyboards (1978–1984)
- Nigel Harris - drums (1978–1984)
- Matt Anderson - drums (1984–1986)
- Rick Carter - keyboards (1984–1986)
- Fudge Smith - drums (1986–2006)
- Joe CrabtreeJoseph Crabtree (drummer)Joseph Crabtree is a session drummer based in London, England, most noted for his progressive rock work with Pendragon and David Cross.Crabtree is currently touring with Wishbone Ash, having taken over from Ray Weston....
- drums (2006–2008)
Albums
Studio albums- The Jewel (1985) - Includes first half of Fly High Fall Far (EP)
- KowTow (1988)
- The World (1991)
- The Window of Life (1993)
- The Masquerade Overture (1996)
- Not of This World (2001)
- Believe (2005)
- PurePure (Pendragon album)Pure is the eighth studio album by English neo-progressive rock group Pendragon. It was first released on October 1, 2008, as a regular edition on Toff Records, the band's own imprint, and reissued in March 14, 2011, as a special CD+DVD edition in rigid digi book through Madfish, a division label...
(2008) - PassionPassion (Pendragon album)Passion is the ninth studio album by English neo-progressive rock group Pendragon. It was released as a special edition in April 11, 2011 on Madfish, a division label of Snapper Music and in regular form through Toff Records, the band's own imprint...
(2011)
Live albums
- 9:15 Live (1986) - Includes second half of Fly High, Fall Far (EP)
- The Very, Very Bootleg (1993)
- Utrecht... The Final Frontier (1995)
- Live In Krakow 1996 (1997)
- Acoustically Challenged (2002)
- Concerto Maximo (2009)
EPs
- Fly High, Fall Far (1984) - Vinyl only
- Fallen Dreams And Angels (1994)
- As Good As Gold (1996)
Compilations and rarities
- The R(B)est of Pendragon (1991) - Includes Fly High Fall Far EP
- Overture 1984 - 1996 (1998) (US compilation)
- The Round Table 1985 - 1998 (1998) (Compilation Argentina)
- Once Upon a Time in England Volume 1 (1999) (rarities)
- Once Upon a Time in England Volume 2 (1999) (rarities)
- The History: 1984 - 2000 (2000) (compilation, originally released in Poland)
DVD
- Live at Last...And More (2002)
- And Now Everybody To The Stage (2006)
- Past And Presence (2007)
- Concerto Maximo (2009)
CD/DVD combo
- Liveosity (Acoustically Challenged CD packaged with Live at Last...And More DVD, featuring new artwork)