Procol Harum at The House of Blues

Sam King reports

Sam King writes to BtP (May 2003)

I was lucky to catch the concert last night at the House of Blues.

It was a rare treat for the small sold out audience. For the entire evening, I was a mere four feet from Matthew Fisher, a grand opportunity to watch a master at work. The band performed a hefty selection from the new album, The Well's On Fire, standout tracks being Matthew's Weisselklenzenenacht, Shadow Boxed and The Blink of an Eye (a poignant tribute to 9/11).

The venue did provide them an excellent opportunity to unwind. In response to requests, the audience was treated to killer versions of Shine on Brightly, A Salty Dog, Homburg and Glimpses of Nirvana (from 'Twas Held ... ) which segued into Fires (Which Burnt Brightly).

The rhythm section of Matt Pegg and Mark Brzezicki are one of the best ever for the band, and guitarist Geoff Whitehorn played some killer guitar, particularly on Simple Sister.

On the way home to New Hampshire I tuned the radio into Ray Charles playing Georgia. The thought came to mind how much he sounded like and American version of Gary Brooker.

Not too shabby!