What was new at 'Beyond the Pale'

June 30: Procol Harum play Los Angeles in four weeks' time: book here for the before- and after-show parties

Added a page of fine photographs of Geoff Whitehorn in action at the Bottom Line in May (thanks, Jeff)
 

June 29: Three weeks until Procol Harum return to Stuttgart ... and Scottsdale in four weeks' time, and Seattle in five weeks' time

Added two exuberant and personal reports from three Bottom Line shows (thanks, Unsteady Freddie)

June 28: Three weeks until Procol Harum play the Plauen Festival in Germany ... and Portland in five weeks' time

Added a pictorial account of an early New Testament gig in Germany (thanks, Hans)

June 27: Procol Harum play Vancouver in five weeks' time ... six weeks until the Cropredy Festival; in three weeks' time, Baden-Baden, and London in twenty-four weeks' time

Today is the last day for signing up to play Procol music in the Palers' Band in LA at the end of July. Please be aware that if you have already signed up, you're in, and welcome! Expect a repertoire message before too long so that you can start your private practice. If you are still planning to sign up, best to do so today.

 Added an translation (from Polish into English) of a recent article on Procol Harum in Hamburg (thanks, Mac; thanks, Mirek)

June 26: Three weeks until Procol Harum play Mainz, Germany

Added a picture page (Keith Reid included) taken at the second show of Procol's triumph at the Bottom Line in New York on 9 May (thanks, Marvin)

June 25: Procol Harum play San Francisco in five weeks' time

Added a nicely-appreciative report on Procol's late show at The Bottom Line in NYC on 9 May (thanks, David)

June 24: Procol Harum play San Diego in five weeks' time

Added some good Procol pictures taken in Holland on 19 March 2003 (thanks, Bert)

June 23: Procol Harum play Los Angeles in five weeks' time

Added a picture page (Keith Reid included) taken at the first show of Procol's triumph at the Bottom Line in New York on 9 May (thanks, Marvin)

June 22: Four weeks until Procol Harum return to Stuttgart... Scottsdale in five weeks' time, and Seattle in six weeks' time

Added – to the appropriate page – a 1993 setlist that appeared on the BtP guestbook (thanks, Larryx)

Please have a look at the 1993 Procol tour page and see if you can help us out with any more dates or setlists?

Summer Solstice: Happy Birthday Mark Brzezicki! (1957) Four weeks until Procol Harum play the Plauen Festival in Germany ... and Portland in six weeks' time

'I believe that ghosts have been buried this year …'

Added (in text and graphics) a FAX from Gary Brooker MBE to all fans (thanks, Gary)

Also added a couple of geekian FAXes ancillary to the above

June 20: Procol Harum play Vancouver in six weeks' time ... seven weeks until the Cropredy Festival; in four weeks' time, Baden-Baden, and London in twenty-five weeks' time

Added another great, illustrated report on Procol in Philadelphia (thanks, Mike)

Added a snippet of King Crimson / Procol Harum overlap news (thanks, Sdavmor)

At last ... hotel booking is open for the Palers' Festival. Please click on this link and fill in your room requirements: you will get the discount rate (99 dollars for a double room) that 'Beyond the Pale' has negotiated for Procol Harum fans at the Sheraton Universal ... very close to the Procol gig, and to BBKing's Blues Club where our Palers' Festival events from 25–28 July will take place.

And you can book your Palers' Festival tickets here (all welcome!) and sign up to play here (all welcome!)

June 19: Four weeks until Procol Harum play Mainz, Germany

Added a page giving Gary Brooker's response to his being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (thanks, Gary)

Annded  links to online bookings for the US West Coast concerts (thanks Pat and Neal)

June 18:

Added another link to this interesting page: some good AWSoP comments – and a classic misunderstanding – from Percy Sledge (thanks, Robert)

Added an illustration to Robin Trower's page at BtP (thanks, Beverly)

Added some very interesting Birmingham UK Procol tickets to this page … watch those prices climb! … and a Cheltenham one to this page (thanks, Phil)

Added another Procol Harum date on the West Coast of the USA (thanks, Chris)

If you are booking tickets for Procol in Islington via Procol's management, read our note here

LA Base-camp booking is delayed by a software upgrade at the hotel – sorry – but booking for the Palers' Festival is proceeding apace, as is signing-up to play in the Palers' Band (for which all are welcome : it is a scratch ensemble ... previous Paling experience not required)

June 17:

Added a page with ticket-prices and online booking for the LA Palers' Festival, 25–28 July. Please choose either (a) the ticket for the entire "Leaving for the Coast" extended weekend (the Players' events and the two parties) or (b) the ticket for just the Monday events (the meal before the gig, the party afterwards). Tickets are of course available on a first-come first-served basis.

An online booking link for Palers' Base-Camp will follow shortly.

Sign up here to play with the Palers' Band during the Palers' Festival

Added news of a Procol Harum gig at the Fillmore in San Francisco (thanks, Chris)

June 16:

Added a nicely illustrated page in which a long-time Procol fan from Argentina gets to meet Procol Harum! (thanks, Silvio)

June 15: Five weeks until Procol Harum return to Stuttgart

Added a great, illustrated report on Procol in Philadelphia (thanks, Harold)

June 14: Five weeks until Procol Harum play the Plauen Festival in Germany

* Congratulations from 'Beyond the Pale' to Gary Brooker MBE – on behalf of fans worldwide – for his recognition (for charitable services) in the Queen's Birthday Honours List *

Added – along with a reminder of the main events of the Palers' Festival in LA – details of the Basecamp Hotel (booking opens on Monday)

Remember ... if you would like to play with the Palers' Band at BB King's Club, visit the sign-up page

Updated the lore on this Los Angeles concert-index page and on this Portland concert-index page (thanks, Kerry)

June 13: Eight weeks until Procol Harum play the Cropredy Festival; in five weeks' time, Baden-Baden

Added curious evidence of recent interest in A Whiter Shade of Pale from the British tabloids ... an article from the Daily Mail about the origins of the famous organ solo (thanks, Geoff), and an opportunity from the Daily Mirror to download an AWSoP ringtone ... presumably again the famous organ solo ... for your mobile 'phone (thanks, Sam)

Added booking information for the forthcoming Zurich gig (thanks, François)

Looking forward to publishing more information about Palers' Base-Camp Hotel in Los Angeles, and booking arrangements for the 'Leaving for the Coast' Palers' Festival ... but that will have to wait a little while longer still. Meanwhile, check what's already announced, and clear your diaries !

June 12: Five weeks until Procol Harum play Mainz, Germany

Added a preliminary page announcing a three-day Palers' Festival to be held in Los Angeles, USA, on 26, 27 and 28 July 2003. This is based on the very successful conventions and parties that 'Beyond the Pale' has held in Europe each year this century ... we are delighted at last to be promoting one in America for all our trans-Atlantic friends. Full details of venues, attractions, prices, and how to book tickets online will be added to the page in days to come. Note that 28 July is a Monday ... so fix that day off work now! We shall shortly announce discounted BtP accommodation in a great Hollywood hotel so do not book anything yet.

As an important and enjoyable part of the Palers' Festival, Roland and Jens will reconvene The Palers' Band to play more Procol music ... with the opportunity for a good stretch of rehearsal. Hired gear will of course include a Hammond B3 and we shall shortly announce our excellent rehearsal and performance venues. So if you play or sing, and would like to be part of this incarnation of The Palers' Band (it is open to all!) then visit the Palers' Band sign-up page and send us your details, and name the songs and instruments you'd like to play.

Also added, as promised, four new Procol Harum dates in four different countries: here, here, here and here (thanks, Chris; thanks, Stefano)

June 11:

Added a brief but musicianly report on Procol at the Bottom Line (thanks, Elizabeth)

Added a personal report on three Procol shows (thanks, Gary)

June 10:  

Added another date to the The World's on Fire tour (thanks, Chris)

Added a fan's account of meeting Procol Harum … involving an interesting trade with their drummer, tapes for sticks! (thanks, Ray)

June 9:

Added ticket illustrations to numerous pages, here, here, here, here, here and specially here (thanks, Monocular one)

Added a rather world-weary and tepid review of Procol Harum in Nuremberg (thanks, Peter)

June 8: Six weeks until Procol Harum return to Stuttgart

Added a final, illustrated instalment to the fascinating tour-diary that has chronicled one Paler's Procol pilgrimage to all the venues of the band's recent East Coast foray to America (thanks, One-Eye)

June 7: Six weeks until Procol Harum play the Plauen Festival in Germany

"Whitehorn's guitar and Brooker's piano romped in unison on the melody for this mellow rocker ... "

Added a new convert's Procol review from Alexandria, USA (thanks, Timothy)

June 6: Nine weeks until Procol Harum play the Cropredy Festival; in six weeks' time, Baden-Baden

'... they tempered the highbrow pretensions with bar-band muscle ...'

Added an interesting Procol interview from the Montreal Gazette (thanks, Beverly)

June 5: Six weeks until Procol Harum play Mainz, Germany

Added a page of photographs (primarily featuring their contributor, but also showing a framed towel and some fish) from the Procol gig at the Bottom line in NYC on 11 May (thanks, Unsteady Freddie)

June 4:

Added news of Robin Trower broadcast (thanks, Robert) … you can also invite the BBC to air classic sessions again.

Why not revisit our page about Procol Harum's BBC sessions and about what survives?

Added two very nice photos of Procol Harum on stage at Skien, Norway, in March (thanks, Kjell-Tore)

June 3:

Added some strong portraits of members of Procol Harum playing in Italy in December (thanks, Giuseppe and Fabio)

June 2:

Added an authoritative, illustrated account of the Hammond settings by which Matthew Fisher's sound on A Whiter Shade of Pale is created (thanks and Happy Fiftieth, Larry)

June 1: RIP Micky Most Seven weeks until Procol Harum return to Stuttgart

Added a fan's estimation of the playing of BJ Wilson (thanks, Randy)

Read what was new on this website in previous months