What was new at 'Beyond the Pale'

May 31:

Have a look at the accumulating Birthday Greetings / Bathtime Confessions for Gary Brooker, and add to them if you would like to.

May 30:

Added some pictures from 2003 as Procol meet members of a PH covers-band (thanks, Wilson)

May 29: Happy Birthday Gary Brooker (1945)

Gary is away from home for his sixtieth birthday, and is not celebrating it in any particular fashion: if you like to click here to send your greeting we shall ensure that he gets it; the messages will be compiled on this page, which contains a new Brooker portrait (thanks, One-Eye).

To celebrate this fine day in Procol Harum history, we add another page introducing another illustration for sale from the Grand Hotel series – a fascinating and entirely unexpected rarity, no less (thanks, Gary)

May 28:

 'Everyone has heard of Procol Harum: that, in a way, is their affliction ...'

Added an egregious review of Procol Harum at the Palladium (thanks, John)

Remember how that gig seemed to an aficionado ... rather different!

May 27:

Added a summer festival gig for Procol Harum (thanks, Chris)

Remind yourself of a previous Viennese excursion for Procol Harum ... a whopping concert.

The last concert of 2004 was also in Vienna with Manfred Mann

May 26:

Added an English translation of the liner-note to the mysterious Strauss tribute album that Procol Harum played on in 1975 ... turns out it was a kind of Palers' Project of its day ... (thanks, Paul, for responding so swiftly to the call for help)

May 25:

Added some excellent photographs from Trondheim on the recent tour (thanks, Bjarne)

Enjoy 'Beyond the Pale' at this year's Chelsea Flower Show (thanks, Charlie)

May 24:

Added a page depicting one of the hardest-to-find albums to which Procol Harum ever contributed (thanks, Ian)

May 23:

Added some memorable snaps of an unusual line-up in an unusual stage-formation (thanks, Gary)

May 22:

Though there have been various news stories about Procol Harum playing in India this month, in fact the musicians and the repertoire owed more to Gary Brooker's alter ego band, No Stiletto Shoes. Added a well-meaning and interesting (but misleading) report here (thanks, Lola B)

May 21:

Added some pictures of band and fans before and after the marvellous London concert earlier this year (thanks, François)

Added a German Festival date for Procol ... alongside The Kinks, ELP, etc (thanks, Dan)

May 20:

Added a set of striking audience-pictures from Procol's recent gig in Paris (thanks, Melanie) 

Added a response to the letter about BJ Wilson (thanks, Antonio) 

May 19:

May 18:

May 17:

Added a page shewing the graphical antecedents of the famous A Salty Dog artwork (thanks, Terrapin)

Added a few more pictures to the foot of the page in which we record the non-Procoloid gatherings of Procol fans ... still there'll be more (thanks, One-Eye)

May 16:

Added a useful review of Something Magic in its remastered state (thanks, Tony) 

May 15:

How do we keep on coming up with great new material? Because new contributors keep sending it to us, that's why! So if you've got photos, clippings, tickets and so on in your archives, do get in touch with 'Beyond the Pale'

Added some classic performance pictures from Procol Harum in Vienna, 1973 (thanks, Wolfgang)

Have another look at a 70s setlist from Vienna

May 14:

 'Procol Harum are still capable of setting an ice-rink on fire ...'

Added a nice review of Procol Harum's most recent Swiss gig (thanks, François)

Added a politically-slanted perversion of 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' in common parlance (thanks, Gummo) ... search for 'lamentable'

May 13:

Added Gary Brooker at Bodo ... a good interview from the local newspaper  

May 12: Thirty-eight years ago today A Whiter Shade of Pale was released, which makes it International Procol Harum Day! Play that masterpiece at least 38 times during the day, and/or introduce 38 new people to the band and its outstanding catalogue!

Added a recent review of Procol Harum in Paris (thanks, Guy)

Have a look at this drumming website: and, if you think there's anyone missing, make a recommendation in their guestbook.

May 11:

May 10:  

Added another Procol gig with nice admission charges! (thanks, Chris)

Added another cover of A Salty Dog (thanks, Roxie). Click here to hear Styx's version of the great BJ drum-fill ...

May 9:

'... the band keep themselves alert with some lesser-known songs ...'

Added a review of the special edition of the Copenhagen DVD from Procol Harum (thanks, Ben)

Time to re-read the more recent concert DVD reviewed by the same pen 

May 8:

With Matthew Fisher in the spotlight, Repent Walpurgis kind of sounds ... like an alternative version of Je T'aime Moi Non Plus ...'.

Added a review of the special edition of the Copenhagen DVD from Procol Harum (thanks, Ben)

May 7:

May 6:

May 5:

 Added some more excellent pictures from Procol show at Bern (headlining after Uriah Heep and Manfred Mann's Earthband) (thanks, Thomas, thanks Melanie)

May 4:

Added the very interesting setlist from a Frankfurt gig in 1972 (thanks, Peter)

You may have seen advertisements for Procol Harum in North America, and Procol Harum at the upcoming Blues Festival in Denmark: read the sad truth (thanks, Chris)

May 3:

Added an interesting 'naive' review of the most recent Procol DVD (thanks, Beverly) 

May 2:

Added a local paper's review of Gary Brooker's recent concert (thanks, Alan)

May Day:

Added some excellent pictures from the very recent Procol show at Bern (headlining after Uriah Heep and Manfred Mann's Earthband) (thanks, Thomas, thanks Melanie)

Added details of another Procol Harum show, in Düsseldorf (thanks, Peter)

Please note: this page is an old spoof. Do not be disappointed if we cannot put you in touch with the imaginary vendors of the specious memorabilia described therein.

Read what was new on this website in previous months