Procol Harum at The London Palladium

A mammoth show! Procol played all the songs from Edmonton and a great deal more beside; they started at 7.30 and played (excluding interval) until 10.20. It was 17 songs counting In Held as just one; four albums were unrepresented, including Grand Hotel ! The atmosphere in the London Palladium was amazingly intimate and excited; standing ovations were frequent; there was fabulously abandoned dancing in the front row; there was energetic air-drumming in the stalls; we rattled our jewellery enthusiastically in the boxes. The orchestra, who had kept themselves in reserve over the two rehearsals, gave it some Serious Wellington (in GW's words). The choir did a really lovely job,  And the band itself was fantastic. Gary Brooker fought off a throat infection by singing almost nothing in rehearsal, and by several medicinal administrations at the piano. His stream-of-consciousness patter was notable (especially concerning his audience with The Pope, of which more later). The aftershow party was high-spirited and greatly enjoyed by all Palers who attended as grateful guests of the band. This was the third orchestral concert in a row for London and surely, by any musical measure, the best.