Procol Harum in Kristiansand, Norway

26 May 2001: Sam Cameron, UK

A review sent to a UK teletext service for text pages on national tv (that's page 454 on the Channel 4 service), written to the format of the service and aimed at the general reader, by Sam Cameron

PROCOL HARUM: Kristiansand. Norway. May 26th 2001.

This was the second date of the first Procol Harum tour since 1995. Leader/singer/pianist Gary Brooker was in fine voice throughout and mystified the audience with his peculiar brand of inter-song patter.

Matt Pegg (bass), Mark Brezicki(drums), Matthew Fisher (organ) and Geoff Whitehorn (guitar) made up the rest of the band with the latter having the lion's share of the limelight. Although he blessed us with a fair share of fret acrobatics and heroic grimacing, Whitehorn also created some subtle effects to ornament those songs which are best known as studio-dependent pieces.

The set was mostly a 'best of' collation with the exceptions being So Far Behind (an unreleased song of 25-33 years' estimated existence) plus TV Ceasar and For Liquorice John, songs not played for over 25 years. Only the band's first two hit singles made it on to the setlist. Despite the air of a museum that this might convey, the band played with the attitude and verve of a 'going concern' with something to sell. 

Nevertheless, in the absence of brand new material or any news concerning the appearance of an album to promote the future of the enterprise seems to remain in considerable doubt.