Procol Harum at The London Palladium

Concert pictures from 9 October 2018 by Linda Clare

Great view of a great drummer from Box EE, v posh seats assigned to the PH merchbods, not ones we
should have chosen. They did offer unusual views, as these shots will show. 'I knew you'd betray
your class origins one day,' said a fellow fan. Sorry, Christine; 'twas but a one-night stand
 

A good view inside the faux grand, as Gary plays and sings Business Man
Note the medicinal nostrums and decoctions to his left, necessitated
by his ongoing battle with a throat infection

Whaling Stories, with chord memo for the trickiest bit. It looked as though
there was a similar document on the Hammond: crucial for the Procols
not to clash harmonically here with the orchestration

Whaling Stories: Matt, Geoff and Josh, firing on all cylinders

Bottom left of this picture, the TV monitor relaying David Firman's conducting to
Geoff D, the only band-member who can't turn to watch the baton while playing

Piano and drums are close, for coordination

This may have been Within our House, during the choral interlude, when the band stood
watching the four soloists; on the other hand, Geoff appears to be drumming

Audience on its rapturous feet! Many very familiar fan faces in this shot: cheer again
if you spot yourself! Or a non-class traitor ...

Where's Wally?

Where's former tour manager Barry Sinclair? Where's current producer Dennis Weinreich?
(clue: standing, front row, green shirt, white shirt)

Where's Franky Brooker? Send your answers on a postcard ...

The curtain-call photos were not very successful, so here's the worst of them, for fun:
Geoff W acknowledging the warm applause, Matt bowing, Gary acknowledging David
Firman, Geoff D looking into the wings, and Josh enjoying his red shoes
 

Three floors of applause

Encore time ... A Whiter Shade of Pale. Sadly it was too dark to get a photo,
still less a video, of the occupant of seat B3; she danced on the spot
throughout this special song, with sinuous abandon

In the second encore, a noticeably different, piano-free
arrangement of Conquistador, Gary flourished a
mysterious length of white fabric, as shewn

Final curtain call for a marvellous concert distinguished by huge warmth
from the audience, great playing from the stage, and a lovely atmosphere
nurtured by the justly-celebrated auditorium of the London Palladium

Procol dates in 2018 | Booking