Procol Harum

Beyond
the Pale 

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Procol at the 'Progressive Pop Festival'

3 and 4 April 1970 • Cologne, Germany

 
This charm-free yet Zeitgeist-heavy poster
was kindly sent to BtP by Dirk Kahler.

Procul [sic] Harum, The Kinks, Soft Machine, The Nice (but see note below), Colosseum, Deep Purple, Ekseption, Chicken Shack, Tyrannosaurus Rex, and Barcley [sic] James Harvest, among others, over two days.

Not a bad line-up at all.

If you were there, why not write in and tell us something about it?

Andreas Havlik writes to BtP, January 2010:

I was there in Cologne on 3 and 4 April. Together with a friend we arrived and had some strange two days. Most of the time I was really bad stoned (must have been the poster, laugh!)

 

I remember, that The Nice wasn't there, because they split up just before the Festival. I remember Ekseption made a surprising act – a really Newcomer-Band at this time. Liked it much. And Arthur Brown got some serious Boo-Boos. Procol Harum did a very good Job – I remember a Newspaper later wrote something like "real progressive part of the Festival".

 

Ok, sometime later I found myself with my friend standing on the highway, trying to get a lift back home. We were still stoned – oh my dear.

 

Keep up your work, folks – see you!

Gil from Luxembourg writes to BtP, November 2011

I was there, I remember just being stoned lightly all the time because there was so much 'smoke' in the air, but it was impressive, one of the  first big festivals in Germany with such an overload of bands.

It’s difficult now to remember details after 41 years, but I remember Procol Harum did a good show and I bought some of their new records after that.

Claudio from Italy writes to BtP, April 2020

I was there too in 1970. Overnight we slept on the ground on gymnastic mattresses given by the organisation.

Beside Procol Harum’s great show (they performed late after midnight) I was much impressed by Colosseum, Arthur Brown, Tyrannosaurus Rex and The Steamhammer …
 

The Kinks wasn’t there … but a really good improvised festival with a lot of joints crossing around … 

Chris Copping writes to BtP, May 2020
 

I must have been there but I really don't remember it.

 

I didn't even know that Cologne was bigger than Düsseldorf and I didn't even know about PJ Frühe pub where they serve Kölsch Bier.

 

I had a lot to learn.


Still do.
 

Index of tour dates at BtP | Procol dates in 1970