Procol Harum in Amsterdam, 1972

Pictures from Ben Shachaf in Haifa, Israel

The photos were taken at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam on 15 October 1972. It was a memorable concert for two reasons:

• it was the first time the Dutch audience could admire Mick Grabham (he had joined Procol in September 1972): his guitar-playing that is, because the only time he helped out on vocals (together with Chris Copping) was on Power Failure.
   
• it was the Dutch première of Grand Hotel (the title track of their 1973 album) and Bringing Home the Bacon.
   

Glimpsed behind his drums, BJ Wilson; meanwhile a tailcoated Gary Brooker gets some assistance
with his banjo (we thought that was Barry Sinclair in the chequered shirt ... 'Sinkers' wrote in and confirmed that it was!)

 
Mick Grabham with his Les Paul

Chris Copping on second guitar and vocal: on the right, the open back of his Hammond C3

Mick on guitar again, and the admirably versatile Prof Copping on banjo

Alan Cartwright pictured, rarely, on acoustic guitar: a sure sign of Souvenir of London

The support act was Tir Na Nog, the Irish folk-rock duo: pictured above is Leo O'Kelly. Tir Na Nog was also support act on the first major tour of Britain Procol Harum did (23 September to 13 October 1970), when Procol was special guest to Jethro Tull. The other Procol link is the production by Matthew Fisher of Tir Na Nog's 1973 album Strong in the Sun on Chrysalis, which was re-released on CD by Demon in 1991. Fisher also played keyboards on that album (thanks, Frans Steensma)

 

More photographs at BtP