Procol Harum

Beyond
the Pale

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The Palers' Band plays St John's Smith Square, London

Sign up here • closing-date end of Thursday 24 May 2007


Many thanks to the Very Large Numbers of Musicians who signed up to play in the Palers' Band 2007: signing-up is now closed.
BtP will be in touch with you before long, when we have figured out how best to fit 'a quart into a pint pot'!


The Palers' Band is a 'scratch ensemble' that meets to play Procol / Brooker / Fisher music on the fringes of the real band's gigs: it is open to all-comers – subject to the constraints of rehearsal space – and is brilliant fun to be part of. In 2007 we're playing at St John's Smith Square (one of London's most prestigious music venues!) on Saturday 21 July, but rehearsing, 42 miles out of town, in Southend-on-Sea, the seaside town that history will record as being the cradle of Procol Harum! Read about the plans here. All equipment – backline, PA, keyboards, bass, drums – is supplied by BtP but people bring their own guitars and so forth. We'll be working in a professional studio complex (it has been used by Robin Trower) and discounted accommodation has been arranged: details are here 

The sessions will be held on Monday 16, Tuesday 17, Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 July (detailed times to be announced; Friday 20 July is a day off). Once you've said when you're available, please treat this as a commitment, and don't let fellow-Palers down by absenting yourself from the sessions. A minimum two days' attendance is needed to make it worthwhile, and please be aware that, with the relatively short performance time available in London (afternoon of 21 July), everyone will be playing fewer songs than we've done in the last few incarnations of the Palers' Band.

It is not a free-for-all jam: the repertoire is worked out in advance by e-mail collaboration, and organised by Roland from BtP taking into account the preferences that the participants express in the form below. Players can thus prepare beforehand, knowing what pieces they will play, and in what keys. That said, we do have a lot of fun in rehearsal as well :-)

Before you fill in the fields below, you might like to read The Palers' Band page and find out all the songs (scroll down) we've done on the previous five occasions we've got together. This year's theme is to play none of the songs the Palers' Band has tackled in previous outings: all repertoire will be fresh!

Then please answer all these questions, with some careful thought: the information sent in allows us to plan a good time for everyone, so that you will enjoy the event to the maximum.

Your name (of course all this contact information is kept private by 'Beyond the Pale')

Your e-mail address

Your cell-phone number

Your Skype address / screen-name (free voice-to-voice communication will be very useful in the lead-up to rehearsal: get Skype here (it's free!))

Your real world address and landline 'phone number

Use the scrolling windows below to tell us what instruments you play, or don't play, and about your singing. Do this honestly, neither exaggerating nor disparaging your skills. You will be welcome whatever your standard, of course; but we need your self-estimate, so as to schedule who will play what songs with whom.

Piano (Roland RD 600 provided)

Hammond organ (rehearse on a 'clonewheel'; perform on a Hammond B3)

Guitar (bring your own guitar: backline gear provided)

Bass guitar (bass rig provided, or bring your own bass)

Drums (a suitable kit provided)

Singing (you're welcome to bring your preferred mic, but it's not necessary)

In this space, mention other instruments you can bring (reeds, brass, banjo, harmonica, accordion, percussion, etc) and
how well you play them;
but we don't expect, this time, to make much use of extra musical colouration.

What is your favourite Procol Harum album?

Suggest a single hitherto-untackled song that you would like the Palers' Band to play (Procol tracks [inc. rarities], Brooker, Fisher or Trower solo pieces)

Mention previous Palers' Band gigs you have played (cut'n'paste from: Guildford 2000 / Kristiansand 2001 / Manchester 2001 / Los Angeles 2003 / Lejre 2006)

To what extent do you want to be involved in these sessions?

Which days (cut'n'paste from: Monday 16 July / Tuesday 17 / Wednesday 18 / Thursday 19) will you be available for rehearsal ?
Please treat your response here as a commitment, to assist our planning.

Do you realise you will need to get tickets for the Procol Birthday Party on 21 July, when they go on sale, 'cos that's where we're playing?

How often do you visit 'Beyond the Pale'?

Thanks for taking the trouble to fill in this survey.

Please press 'Send data to BtP' just once and wait for the page to respond, or 'Start afresh' if for some reason you wish to reset all your answers.

Don't click the button more than once, please. 

or

Procol Harum concerts in 2007: index page

Procol at 40: Index to the Celebrations

Accommodation in Southend Palers' Band 2007 index


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