December 21, 2000 Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton

Report by Sali

Setlist: A House Is Not A Motel / Lazy Me / Bummer In The Summer / Bluebird / As Long As I Have You ( including ‘Houses Of The Holy and Break On Through) / If I Were A Carpenter / Darkness Darkness / Flames / Hey Joe / Chevrolet / GLORIA / Baby Please Don’t Go encore - Season Of The Witch / Thank You / Song To The Siren. 2nd encore - We’re Gonna Groove

The Moroccan ’space troupe’, I think that’s how Robert described them, (Momo) did a great job in helping us to forget all that and get into dancing mood and their own dancer was mesmerising.

The DJ (!) who has been announcing the titles of the various Northern Soul Reggae numbers introduces Mr. Robert Plant and The Priory Of Brion. This is what this crowd has been waiting for and the roar of welcome is very loud as the band comes on stage and Robert approaches the microphone stand with its Wolves scarf bearing the legend ‘Pride Of The Black Country. ‘It’s immediately clear that he is playing on home ground. He looks good in his blue shirt. Everyone on stage looks happy and relaxed. A Wolves supporter nearby (RC) told me that this band is ‘Bloody good’ as Robert is dancing, moving as if he can fly. I’ve been very restrained all year while writing these reviews but this is the last one this year and the band has come so far since those early days that I might let rip a bit here. RC tells me Robert is ‘A Bloody good guy’ and I have to say he’s also bloody gorgeous.

There are three guitars on stage building and building towards a climax against the tapestry of Andy’s powerful, accurate, driving drums. Kevyn is waving his guitar about while Tim plays ‘Frere Jaques’, Robert claps as only Robert claps and, with a half smile, bows. The crowd have got into team mode and chant in unison, something which I take to be related to football. A smiling Robert introduces a song from the time “When people dreamed in colour” warning us that it’s going to be “Bloody Loud” as Tim moves to the keyboards for ‘Bummer In The Summer’ and his hand is in the air, presumably requesting more volume, while Robert’s hand is moving snake like. It’s not just loud, it’s fast.

Now he is telling us that this is their “Christmas do” then talks about the time he joined Jimmy Page (roar of approval) for the tour of Scandinavia and joined Atlantic Records, and openly acknowledges his good fortune in this regard in a genorous and quip-free way. The rest of the band are well trained, standing quite still just the odd blink of an eye from Tim as Robert talks about the West Coast Scene “Which is what this is all about” then it’s ‘Bluebird’ followed by ‘As Long As I Have You’ once Tim has got back to the keyboards - no wonder he’s losing weight! I couldn’t see Andy from where I was standing but I could certainly hear his cracking contribution. We are dancing as we get into the reggae. The rhythm section is really tight and Robert is dancing. I can hear the bass guitar and percussion absolutely together, one of the advantages of not being in the front row is that I can hear everyone’s contribution even though I can only see Kevyn when he steps forward. Each number has its own climax and ‘Break On Through’ certainly helps build this one. (My notes say “Wow! wow! wow!).

Tim is back on keyboards, building, building, Robert gives us a wonderful “Oooooh” and the crowd goes wild. He then thanks the DJ “just before the raffle” and mentions the pantomime season. A voice near me calls out “He’s behind you” and there is much laughter at his reply “He’s nowhere near me mate!” before talking about a time of stomach pumps and people with very large pupils which somehow leads into “If I Were A Carpenter”. RC says “Bloody brilliant” and “sounds supreme”. Robert’s singing is extra forceful and he hands the job over to the audience saying “You do it” as he dances so well.

‘Darkness Darkness’ begins, calm and steady. Robert sings with passion with an echo effect on his voice then it starts to build up to a bit of classic Kevyn Gammond guitar work and the rest of the band is right there with him. The percussion work is varied and packed with energy. Guitar hands over to keys and Tim moves between sitting and standing at keyboards smiling as he plays a passage on the very top notes - we are heading for another climax. At the beginning of ‘Flames’ Kevyn steps forward and I can finally see him as he waves his guitar about. Robert introduces ‘Hey Joe’ with the words “A desperate song, for desperate people in desparate times. A dangerous story of everyday country folk… a bit like ‘Gallow’s Pole’ with a New Searchers introduction”.

We get the ‘three guitars’ version of the Priory Of Brion. It is clear that this is not a crowd easily swayed into silence and the number gets more and more powerful with Kevyn firing wild shots with his guitar and it goes wild with a loud “1,2,3,4″ and a wonderful wail from those majestic vocal chords. No, this crowd doesn’t do silences but Robert tames them a little and Paul’s bass guitar can be heard. It looks as if Tim is going back to the keyboards, but no he stays on guitar for ‘Chevrolet’ for which Robert whips out the harmonica to great roars of approval from the crowd. Paul is having fun with some strong bass chords tightly linked to ……. ‘Wow!’ that drumming. No wonder Tama are sponsoring him! More sexy harmonica licks to end on before GLORIA with plenty of audience participation which Kevyn enjoys immensly and Tim’s back on keys giving us a nice little run into ‘Hoochie Koochie Man’. Robert encourages Kevyn with “Go on, go on” - he does and the rest of the band are right there with him. They launch straight into ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’. This is also loud and fast and the bass is wonderful. There is some interplay between Kevyn’s guitar and Robert’s vocals and “Bbbbbbb baby” builds up the tension again. This is wild and it works - we go wild with it.

The encore begins with a story about a man in a brown cord cap who sold Robert a car in Lowestoft. The car had a burned out clutch. The man was Donovan and the song is “Season Of The Witch” . I was pleased enough that this number had been reinstated to the set list but the fact that Robert plays guitar has made it even more special. The crowd loves it as he bends the strings. He is getting his licks together and is playing more fluidly. This is great. He hands the guitar to Tim who passes it on taking the bass from Paul who moves up front for an excellent lead in ‘If Six Was Nine’. He retains his cool, laid back appearance while playing some electrifying guitar which is much more audible than it was in Crewe. It’s wild but he makes it look effortlessand executes some unison bends more than reminiscent of Hendrix. It’s a fantastic arrangement. Robert gets the sound up on his voice for a superb wail and the sudden ending is perfect.

Robert introduces the band by their real names and over the opening chord he dedicates the song to Colin Lee ( ? Leigh ? sorry that’s football ) which the crowd seem to appreciate, especially as we recognise and sing along with ‘Thank You’. Now his magic is even beginning to still the audience and ‘Song To The Siren’ is beautiful. Tim’s keys swell building on the power generated by drums and bass and an echo on Robert’s vocals enhances the effect. At the end he bows deeply and I notice how much slimmer he is, in fact they all are. They have certainly worked hard this year and deserve a rest. RC (Wolves supporter) tells me “This surpasses the lot” and I’m inclined to agree.

This audience is not going to give up easily and although a few people are beginning to move away Robert reappears to ask “One more?” He says “We’re white guys but we can swing …….. one way.” and they move into ‘We’re Gonna Groove” and groove they certainly can, leading us up to one last orgasmic wail. It has been a great year. Thanks to Kevyn Gammond, Andy Edwards, Paul Wetton. Paul Timothy and Robert Plant for the music and thanks to everyone who works behind the stage to bring it to us. Please keep up the good work. Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year.”

article courtesy Sali, who allowed the contents of her Calling to You website to be added to ManicNirvana.com.

December 14, 2000 Victoria Community Center, Crewe

Report by Sali

set list: I’ll do my best to remember but I can’t promise it’s accurate: A House Is Not A Motel / Lazy Me / Bluebird / If I Were A Carpenter / Darkness Darkness / As Long As I Have You / Hey Joe / Flames / GLORIA / Baby Please Don’t Go / If 6 was 9
encore: Season Of The Witch / Chevrolet
2nd encore: Thank You / Song To The Siren

Live music doesn’t come much better than this. This band just gets better and better. The musicianship was so good, responsive to each other and to the crowd, intuitive, creative, powerful, sexy, and so much fun.

Robert was smiling and playful. His hair is longer, he seemed slimmer, the voice was mighty fine, totally in control and going wherever he wanted it to. He made passing reference to the huge stadiums…”Been there, done that…………” Kevyn was incredibly animated in what he described as ‘Dennis the Menace mode’. Everyone on the stage appeared relaxed, confident and happy. The R&B has moved over to make room for something more demanding and exciting - and it works. They seem to be developing the art of the dramatic pause and this was demonstrated superbly in Darkness Darkness, at the end of which Robert knelt to receive a spray of red roses. OK OK I’ll admit it - it was me with the roses.

As Long As I Have You was the best I have heard it because of the excited, dramatic collective frame of mind. Baby Please Don’t Go was very fast, led by an inspired and unrelenting intensity by Andy on the drums. While the main set had an intoxicating atmosphere of excitement and anticipation. The encore was positively electrifying. Robert went to the side and got his guitar, Kevyn leapt up by the drums to encourage the audience and Robert prodeeded to play some very confident, flowing improvisation. He was having so much fun the number had three false endings. Chevrolet, a new number, one of those Northern Missippi songs that ‘everyone’ did, took my breath away when Robert turned his back on us only to swing round with a harmonica to his lips playing classic Robert Plant blues licks. This was wonderful and received a fantastic response.

I think the crowd felt it had experienced a full evening’s entertainment by now and were surprised by the band’s reappearance for a second encore. Robert called back the people who had drifted towards the exits virtually over the top of the ‘Old Man River’ type track with which the management had tried to bring things to a close. Thank You was very well received - I don’t think the audience could believe their luck. Song To The Siren demonstrated that Robert’s voice is still the best with a long passage of Egyptian style singing alongside Tim on keyboards. They held the audience beautifully.

This was a perfect Priory Of Brion evening during which every member of the band contributed to the whole which was magically more than the sum of its parts. I can’t end without mentioning Andy’s percussion which had an extra edge this evening including an intricate passage using the rim and shell of the drum. Another memorable moment was when Tim took Paul’s bass stepped back and really got into the groove while Paul took Robert’s black Gibson and, looking totally cool, played an overdriven solo alongside the manic Kevyn.

We were lucky enough to talk to the band after the show and they told us some interesting facts:
Chevrolet was notably (for Robert!) performed by Donovan.
English audiences, with the exception of a few nutters at the front, are the least responsive. (We should do something about this shouldn’t we?)

article courtesy Sali, who allowed the contents of her Calling to You website to be added to ManicNirvana.com.

Wednesday, September 6, 2000 The Charlotte, Leicester

Report by Sali

Set list: White Rabbit / Motel / Lazy Me / Bummer in the Summer / Bluebird / If I Were a Carpenter / Darkness Darkness / Flames / As Long As I Have You / Hey Joe / GLORIA / Baby Please Don’t Go
Encore: We’re Gonna Groove / Song to the Siren

A tiny venue, a tiny stage, loads of atmsophere, many difficulties with the sound (to put it politely!) - this was like the good old days - a welcome return to ’small and imperfect is beautiful’. We were pleased to see that there was no music stand on stage (there wouldn’t have been room anyway) although there were allegedly several pieces of paper taped to the floor.

The introduction was a piece we hadn’t heard before but it came from the same evocative stable. The band squeezed onto the stage to an excited welcome and Paul, on bass guitar, began the proceedings with the introduction to a new number, Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit. This is a wonderfully psychedelic arrangement with just a hint of darkness which really suits the Priory of Brion, giving everyone a chance to shine, not least Robert’s voice which was on excellent form - lots of those quarter tones I’m always raving about (swooning over) . It was instantly clear that this was going to be a wild and loud evening. It was an excellent rendition of a great song and sure to find it’s way into my top five. It was swiftly followed by Andy’s clear, sharp click of the sticks into A House is not a Motel. Lazy Me and Bummer in the Summer went more or less according to plan except for Andy and the hardworking technician. The skin of the snare drum went and was changed during the end of Bummer in the Summer, Robert’s spiel about Stephen Stills and a large part of Bluebird. Andy kept playing by using the small tom instead of the snare. The same hardworking technician was also much in demand for retuning of guitars and searching for microphones when Robert wondered whether there might be more than one micrphone in the building.

Robert’s comment after If I Were A Carpenter suggested that they have ‘flogged that one to death’ and there wasn’t exactly a roar of dismay from the audience! By this time the sound had begun to go seriously wrong and I’m told Darkness Darkness suffered but I had just closed my eyes to ‘go with the flow’ and my critical faculties were perhaps not at their most astute. I opened my eyes to watch Tim playing a keyboard solo only to notice that he had his eyes closed. He obviously knows where all the notes are though - and finds them pretty damn quickly as his fingers were flying. There was much hard work by everyone to try to improve the sound. The monitors had stopped working completely and we got the kind of unpolished performance that some of us have been yearning for recently - ‘real and raw’. It was still great fun. Robert took it all in his stride after saying ‘it’s all over to you now Roy’ referring to the hard work going at the sound desk off stage to keep it all together. If ‘Hey Joe’ was played entirely without monitors it just goes to show what can be done.

GLORIA went down very well with instant audience participation - smiles all round on stage and for Baby Please Don’t Go.
They seemed to have got it all together for the encore. We’re gonna groove included a snippet about sugar which someone will no doubt have recognised but I didn’t. This made me wonder whether the band will ever write some of their own material. They seem to be moving in a psychedelic direction which sounds very exciting in the context of the current music scene. They didn’t leave the stage and wait to be recalled for the final number. Song to the Siren was wonderful. Kevin has a great way of playing alongside Robert’s voice, as well as weaving in and out of the keyboards. This song is a fantastic vehicle for each member of the band to show his skills and it ends with magical charm in the form of a wonderful Robert Plant wail.

It was hot, sweaty, raw, loud evening - completely different (as they say) from the polished sophistication with which we have been spoiled recently. It’s great to have opportunities to experience both. Long may it continue.

article courtesy Sali, who allowed the contents of her Calling to You website to be added to ManicNirvana.com.

Monday, August 28, 2000 International Festival, Ross on Wye

Report by Sali

support - Tim Rose

set list (Don’t quote me!): A House is Not a Motel / Lazy Me / Bummer in the Summer / Bluebird / If I Were a Carpenter / Darkness Darkness / Flame / reggae Houses of the Holy / As Long As I Have You / Hey Joe / GLORIA / Baby Please Don’t Go
encore: The Bridge
2nd encore: Song to the Siren

Smoke is swirling about amid the coloured lighting when the band strolls onto the stage look happy and relaxed. Paul’s hair is now very, very long, Kevin looks relaxed and happy to be here in his all white outfit with cropped trousers. A slimline, short haired Tim is on stage with his guitar and Andy is smiling and ready to go. He gets things started with a few clicks of his sticks. Robert looks (and sounds - but more of that later) great - slimmer and a few years younger - than the last time I saw POB. (It’s been a while.) He almost dances onto the stage in a blue shirt and white trousers moving his hands beatifully and whipping up the snaking mike cable. Kevin is jumping already and The Priory of Brion is in full flight and having fun. C’mon, C’mon, C’mon - Robert is singing over Kevin’s frenetic finger work - then he gives us a wonderful wail and they really get rocking. It’s difficult to sit still. Bass and drums are very tight. This band is finding its own voice, tighter, more assured. The songs might be old but these arrangements are full of energy. ‘OOh’ sings Robert and we all think we know exactly what he means. Kevin ties it all up with a high leap. Claiming to have been a reporter in the past, Robert tells us, with his michievious smile, that everything Tim Rose says is wrong. His voice is sounding faintly husky (That’s not a complaint!) Tim stays on stage with his guitar for Lazy Me. We have lights and smoke - now that they have recorded something they are becoming a bit showbiz. We get a beatiful moan and a truly wonderful wail then he steps back into the music. Kevin is swirling his guitar around, Andy and Paul (drums and bass) are tight, smiling, keeping it all together and the audience is totally captivated by the atmosphere.

Kevin swaps his guitar for Bummer in the Summer and Tim moves to the keyboard - rumour has it that he is using Robert’s Wurlitzer. They are making these songs their own now. Robert says this is a folk group / jazz band. ”Whatever the festival is, we do it.” He mentions Steven Stills and describes this as ”Old Fogeys’ Night Out”. The band sit absolutely still and politely wait while he carries on name dropping. Then Tim is a long way out on stage with his guitar for Bluebird. Kevin is really pushing the dischord idea and it works. He and Robert are on stools and I realise that there is no music stand on stage which is good news, not only has Robert learned the words…… we can see his face!

There is one of those magical silent pauses, we hold our breath then the golden voice moves effortlessly into If I were a Carpenter. Robert drinks some water and smiles. Tim’s piano weaves in and out of the guitars and drums. There is a kind of moan from the audience ‘Steady’ says Robert but Darkness Darkness is that kind of song and as soon as Andy stands up with his chimes we know what to expect. The bass guitar moves in and it begins to build. Robert’s voice is so good. In comes Kevin with his dark chords. Paul has a great bass line which he seems to play effortlessly. Tim keeps it flowing, moving between key boards. Robert moves away from centre stage, handing over to Kevin and Tim as spooky guitar responds to moody chords. The build up is slow and sustained. Andy and Paul are relentlessly tight while Tim’s keyboards hint at the darkness to come.

Andy and Kevin build it up still further…..a silence…….. and then some spooky magic from the keyboards. Tim, we love this. I think this may have been a ‘best yet’.
Tim is back on guitar for Flames. Great drumming, Robert is dancing. This is not a number to sit through but most of us manage it somehow. Green light through smoke for As Long As I have You. Someone is working very hard backstage changing guitars for Kevin - and Tim at times but he moving between the keyboards now leading the way into the reggae Houses of the Holy. We are getting lots of wonderful wails, moans and quarter tones from Robert tonight and the audience really appreciates it. Hey Joe has a false start. This version is very different from Tim’s. GLORIA seems to have some new notes. The audience is slow to respond but catches on for the second chorus. Baby Please Don’t Go is fast and very good. I want to get up dance…no chance. However I have to admit that this has been the best seated gig for me.

For the encore Kevin waves his guitar about a lot during The Bridge. The last song, Sont to the Siren was magical. It’s a beautiful song and Priory of Brion really do it justice making it the perfect vehicle for Robert’s vocals. Please tell me someone recorded this. It begins with Robert and Kevin, a slight echo on the voice at first, Andy drums with his finger tips, Pauls bass line is subtly supportive and Tim puts in some nice touches, including what I took to be a slight allusion to sea shanties. It quitens down almost to a whisper, the audience is hushed for the perfect crecendo. Personally I didn’t want another encore. It would be impossible to follow that. It was beautiful.

In spite of the fact that it was seated and the audience was much larger than I expected I thoroughly enjoyed this evening. The band is really tight and their arrangements are powerful and original. We were told that they have been recording and I can’t wait to hear the result but, for me, nothing can beat hearing Priory of Brion live.

article courtesy Sali, who allowed the contents of her Calling to You website to be added to ManicNirvana.com.

July 24, 2000 Blue Balls Festival, Luzern, Switzerland

Report by Sunila and Ismet

Set List: A House Is Not A Motel/ Lazy Me/ Bluebird/ Bummer in the Summer/ Flames/ If I Were a Carpenter/ Darkness Darkness/ Gloria/ Baby Please Don’t Go. 1st encore: We’re Gonna Groove/ Song of the Siren. 2nd encore: As Long as I Have You with Break On Through(!)/ Trouble in Mind/ Season of the Witch.

Another joint review coming from the Swiss mountains with a special guest from Devon…Ismet’s part will be between [ ].

A good side of going to a concert with someone else, especially when it’s someone who has seen the band so often, how many times was that Ismet? [I've lost count, but it must be about a dozen or so times!!! how sad is that??].. is that you can rely on them for the set list, I’m not very good at that.

As I said before, but apparently it’s not just a streak of patriotism–the Swiss concerts have something that you can’t find anywhere else and most artists enjoy it so much. There’s no doubt that this was my favourite PoB concert among the three I saw. We drove to Luzern through the scenic Emmental valleys, after all I had a tourist with me ;-) [thanks Sunila] and after getting lost a couple of times in Luzern.[thanks Sunila] hey we got there in the end didn’t we? . we found the venue and a spot to stay until 10:30pm (!) for the concert to start. How come that every time I go to Luzern it’s pouring with rain? [something to do with the fact that you were in the company of an English man perhaps, at least on this occasion?] Well the last person I went there with wasn’t English.

Most of the audience didn’t know what to expect, the guy next to us even asked us a lot of questions about what they were going to play and who would be there, I think he was more than puzzled when Robert introduced the band! Fashion wise everyone was very elegant ‘Eric’ in with long sleeve shirt and a black velvet coat, ‘Owain’ was in brown-red from head to toe, [what's with the corduroy Owain?] but Robert was still in his ‘pyjamas’ (black with stripes and the first three buttons unfastened :-) same as the previous concerts and a pendant looking like some Viking ship), I hope that like Metallica they carry a washing machine around with them! At one point Robert used the hood on his shirt and pulled it over his head hiding underneath it, I tried to remember what song that was but my brain is beginning to resemble that cheese from the valleys we visited earlier! [I can't remember either. I think my brain was inside one of the holes of that cheese!!!].

I had described the local customs to my guest and especially what I’ve been calling the ‘Swiss Ocean’ for a while now. Once again I tried my best to get the crowd into it but had to wait for Robert’s help: “I’ve played in this country many times in the past and I remember seeing something like this”. I’m so pleased that he still remembers it. [I have to tell you people who have never experienced this strange Swiss custom, it is spooky but creates an intense rapport between audience and band.].

What was that song in which we got a bit of a WLL tease? Robert started singing “way down inside..” and everyone laughed, then ‘Carlisle’ added a small riff, he was having fun tonight and was jumping up and down a lot, he was in a very good mood and when Robert picked up ‘Owain’s’ guitar Kevyn didn’t let him leave it at that, he picked up his telecaster and ‘chased’ Robert until he took it and gave us a very nice demonstration of blues (after all this was a “Blue Balls” blues festival which incidentally brought Robert to introduce one song by telling us that back in the early days he used to have blue balls :-) [He also mentioned that his balls were blue by the end of 1998]

Looks like playing with small bands has some draw backs, and Robert has made a habit of telling us about all the bits and pieces that would need improvement. One amplifier was making strange noises and he explained why, whenever you got too close to the amp and stamped on the floor you got this weird feedback, [good old spring reverb Sunila] this was demonstrated by Robert. Also the stool was a bit wobbly, one of these so called ‘modern’ designs Robert tried some balancing but quickly gave up.

What a great night! The band was so tight and having fun. We got plenty of interaction and smiles from some very happy musicians, they must have been pleased to see a fellow Englishman in the crowd too, and the fact that the crowd was excited but attentive and didn’t shout too much in quiet moments must also influence their mood. [I promise you that this is the first PoB concert I've been to where there have been no calls for old Zep numbers] There was only one point during Darkness Darkness when the song got a bit faster and went back to a peaceful rhythm, that some people started clapping and got a sign from Kevyn that it wasn’t over yet. [I know that we have harped on about this song in past reviews but I've got to tell you that this was an exquisite rendition. Kevyn truly transcended his usual performance and raised the vibe to new levels here]. On the other side he also pushed us to sing along a bit later.

[Some of the more recently introduced songs such as 'Song of the Siren' and 'As Long as I have You' are becoming very special moments in The PoB show. The former showcases Robert's skills in Asian/exotic singing with quarter-tones recalling the important ingredient in the music of that other band he was once a member of, whose name I can't remember right now! The latter (ALAIHY) has the now well known device where Robert weaves in some 'Houses of the Holy' lyrics into the reggae section and the whole piece moves through tempo changes and 'light and shade' ...stupendous!!!] For me Song Of The Siren was new and I must say I was really impressed, I discovered yet another side of Robert’s voice, the only word that comes to mind there is ‘wow’!
I’m glad we got to say a quick thank you, to the band because it was an amazing performance. And if you read this guys, thanks for making this little detour through the misty mountains of my country!

article courtesy Sali, who allowed the contents of her Calling to You website to be added to ManicNirvana.com.

Sunday, July 9, 2000 World Music Day, Shrewsbury Castle

Report by Sali

set list: Motel / Lazy Me / Bummer in the Summer / Bluebird / If I Were a Carpenter / Darkness Darkness / ?Flames? / GLORIA / Baby Please Don’t Go encore: Song of the Siren / Irene 2nd encore: As Long as I Have You / Reggae Houses of the Holy

This was a short sharp performance - and boy was it tight! :-) This was a world music day with Priory of Brion last on and having to squeeze as much as possible into the last remaining minutes of the licenced time available. They did a great job - not a second was wasted - we didn’t even get to hear the names of the band. I wonder who they are? They are getting very tight and very heavy, hmmm very tight very heavy - could that be a title for an album? They wouldn’t would they? They might if current form is anything to go by.

wardrobe watch - sorry folks I nearly forgot !: Carlylse - Very natty grey suit (nice long jacket), white shirt, black boots, trousers not tucked in! Eric All in black. What’s the drummer called - Alistair?- black short sleeved shirt, couldn’t see the rest. Mr. Paul Timothy Owen - Black T shirt, black trousers, black shoes. Singer - sorry, not sure of the name, very casual, Hippy Moroccan type black cotton hooded shirt with silver, pink and purple decoration, loose black trousers, red shoes with cork soles. Accessories: silver bangles, silver chain around his neck with what looked like a Viking Longboat, leather around one ankle. I have to say he looked and sounded fantastic.

The stage was set with some frenetic activity by the crew who worked incredibly hard to get everything ready in the minimum of time and the faithful were not kept waiting long. The opening numbers were wonderfully powerful and energetic and it was great to see Carlylse enjoying himself so much. Robert told us that we wouldn’t be hearing all the familiar numbers but there were enough to keep us happy. Carpenter was introduced against a call for something called ‘Stairway’ to which Robert replied “Why would we be doing that?…… Why would anyone be doing that?” Keyboards came over well here and the bass player looked so laid back I was worried he might fall off the stage. Particularly notable was Darkness - no honestly I swear it is still getting better. Carlysle in particular was really going for it and the vocals made my knees go weak. Superb. There was a very impressive new number “Flames” which Robert said was by Elmer Gantree’s Velvet Opera. Anyway Carlysle brought out a different guitar which had a powerful dynamic sound. He produced some exciting sounds which Robert enjoyed singing with, fascinating harmonics and lots of smiling faces. Alistair was having a great time on drums and there was a lot of movement up and down the bass guitar - you wouldn’t have known it from his face but I think Eric was working pretty hard there. Owen was having fun on keyboards and it really felt as if everyone was having a great time and they made the most of the ending. We were well entertained. GLORIA was great fun and Baby Please Don’t Go was tight.

The encore opened with a beautiful rendition of a Tim Buckley number, Song of the Siren and this was simply magical. It is a beautiful song and it clearly means a lot to Robert. This was obvious from the quality of his voice and the sensitive power of his singing. I was strongly reminded of Julie Murphy’s haunting version and couldn’t help thinking what a duet that would make! It was very moving and should become a most popular addition to the set list. (Sorry I can’t say the same about Irene - not my kind of song at all.)

We were amazed and very pleased to get a second encore - well done Shrewsbury! - particularly when it contained As Long as I Have You. There was lots of waving about of the guitar for those expensive special effects and whatisname really let rip on the keyboard. I think it was a case of ‘How many notes can I fit into sixty seconds?’. Bass and drums got the message and everyone was pretty wild - possibly with Carlysle having a very slight edge. Anyway they packed absolutely everything into the last few seconds and if you have to end it’s a great way to end.

Robert’s parting words were something like “It’ll get more professional.”

Not too professional I hope?

article courtesy Sali, who allowed the contents of her Calling to You website to be added to ManicNirvana.com.

Tuesday, June 6, 2000 HQ, Dublin, Ireland

Report by Carol

Setlist: Season of the Witch, A House is not a Motel, Lazy Me, Bummer, Bluebird, Darkness,Think, Early in the morning, We’re Gonna Groove,Baby Please Don’t Go encores: As Long As I Have You, GLORIA, Trouble in Mind

Once again the traditional group warmed us up with a few reels, jigs and hornpipes before the call to prayer set the tone for the evening and got us into that familiar “rare Egyptian groove” which we love, the pre-Priory phase.

Straight into Season of the Witch and the crowd are into it. Lots of young people in the crowd tonight, a few foreign priory followers, and quite a few tourists whose smile seems to say they can’t believe their luck. I know that feeling.

Bummer in the Summer features some genuine California groovy guitar sounds and Bluebird had some very tasty feedback tonight, as well as some nice team work by Owen and Carlisle. Darkness was a treat tonight, the Gothic version,for sure, with plenty of showmanship from the master magician. Nice little variations on the cymbal thingy, which is always a highlight of the show. Think was introduced as something in a”twist beat”, and indeed we saw a few of these groovy moves, reminiscent of the legally challenged soul man as Carlisle Egypt threw his whole body into the James Brown tribute.

Robert told us he doesn’t normally go into “fawning tributes” but he says, he’s “one of the best” and so it was quite fitting to finish on one of those songs that belong to everyone, but which the soul man from Belfast had stamped his name on. Robert recalled going to hear the man long time ago when Here Comes the Night had just come out. He had obviously made a big impression on the young fellow and he’s still impressed. I know that feeling too. :o)

ALAIHY featured a dramatic finish on the drums, a nice touch there. GLORIA was great to hear again and I think the crowd lived up to the vocal challenge, egged on by the windmilling Mr. Egypt. A reference to I’m a Man and a tease of Hootchie Cootchie with a rousing guitar solo made this another high point.

Trouble in Mind is just such a nice choice to go out on, really what the Priory are all about, just the music. Roots, blues folk, who knows, but it feels so good and the smiles on all our faces told the story.

article courtesy Sali, who allowed the contents of her Calling to You website to be added to ManicNirvana.com.

Wednesday, May 31, 2000 Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon

Report by Sali

Support: Julie Murphy plus guitarist

Set List: No Regrets / Evil Woman / Waiting For My Man / Bummer in the Summer / North Country Girl / If I Were a Carpenter / Darkness, Darkness / Early in the morning / Dimples.
Encore: Bluebird / As Long as I Have You / Trouble in Mind.

Sorry I didn’t catch the name of this guitarist who could make his guitar sound like a harp- he also played mandola. Julie sings with Fernhill and has previously supported Priory of Brion with half of the Rag Foundation. She has a beautiful voice-tender, soulful, powerful. She sang in both English and Welsh, sometimes within a single song. It is clear that she truly cares when she sings, whether the song is about farmers, miners, lovers or highwaywomen. She has a way of bringing an ancient folk song right up to date and even when I don’t understand the words I love her voice. Visit her website. Buy her CYs. Listen!

Shirt watch: Robert in black shimmering green, Carlisle beige, short sleeved, Alistair- eternal flame, Eric-black(!), Owain black T shirt with a blue dragon motif.
Shoe watch: Robert - black pull on suede, Carlisle-brown leather boots, Others - is there a uniform creeping in here? black suede pull-ons of the type seen in surfin’ shops.

Moroccan alarm clock-call to the faithful. POB begin with ‘No Regrets’. Robert’s voice is gravelly mellow at first, increasing in power until we get “Yeah, yeah, yeah’ at full throttle. Owain gives us some nice piano touches in this one before leading us into ‘Evil Woman’ then sweeps up and down the keyboard. The the vocals are full of feeling, keyboards and guitar interplay-swirling, manic, tight, “Come on, come on, come on” to a psychedelic ending. Robert is talking about Brecon; “this beautiful place-not far from home” and comparing it to another place: “dirty, lewd, promiscuous …..beautiful” as an introduction to ‘Waitng For My man.’ Owain’s fingers go crazy and Carlisle is having a great time singing along. Owain and Carlisle are totally together this evening. No more so than in ‘Bummer in the Summer’ led by Alistair Crowley driving on drums. Robert sits down for a number which he says he sang as a duet with Julie Murphy in the dressing room - ‘North Country Girl’ begins with a perfect bass and drum partnership, Carlisle darting around the fretboard and Robert sings us up to a transcendent………….. silence, then some respectful clapping, very polite! (That would be one duet I would very much like to hear!) ‘If I were a Carpenter’ tiptoes in on drums and ends on a natty flourish. ‘Darkness, Darkness’ begins with an extra chime from Carlisle fiddling with his wires. Eric’s bass comes over well, setting the undertone and Oh-ooh that mellow voice is powering up. The band is really tight, weaving their mysterious web with wild and wonderful guitar, atmospheric keyboard, Robert stands back - returning for a lovely ending.

He describes Priory of Brion as “deliriously joyous, quite a machine from across different times and places, on keyboards from Oswestry in West Shropshire, 1400 AD and its been raining all day….Owain Glendwr. On drums…. from Tinga and Tucka, David Nixon and book collecting, Alistair Crowley. From somewhere near Robert’s house Carlisle “are you sure the chickens haven’t laid this morning” Egypt….guitar. And fresh from a trail of carnage in the fjords, Eric Bloodaxe on bass.”

From folk to black folk, from Detroit….and this is where we begin to feel trapped in row C….’Think’. This wants to be a powerful rocker, the guitar is funky, bass is groove laden, drums are rockin’, keys and vocals encourage us to rock- but we can’t move! It all leads to a great ending with a guitar leap from Carlisle. On into ‘Early in the Morning’- more build up, steady as a rock, bass and definition on drums, but its hard work sitting still.

Robert tells us that across the years there has been the search for the Goddess, happiness, peace and ‘The Bridge’. Alistair and Eric are driving us to The Bridge, Carlisle’s having fun waving his guitar around and Owain’s solo is smokin’. The voice is in fine form, not much response to “C’mon baby” from the audience but it is good to listen to Robert - his voice is real fine. ‘Dimples’ is a great example of Carlisle using the entire neck of his guitar within a single bar. This song is a bit special, an insistent riff from Eric, Carlisle looking fierce, then suddenly it’s over and they are leaving the stage.

At last people stand up…..well the first three rows at least….but they sit down again. Except one fool in row C who pleads “Surely we’re not sitting down for the encore?”. Apparently we are. Robert says “There’s always one.” and reassures us that it’s all OK. “I like it like this.”

He gives us a brief taste of what it would be like if he were to sing ‘You need coolin’ ‘ every night for ever……..sitting down!!!

So we sat through the encore:’Bluebird’, complete with an excellently timed sneeze from the audience-smiles all round on stage - we got another magical silence, true that wouldn’t have worked quite so well in one or two previous venues- it was brilliantly broken by Alistair into a reggae moment and then “Angel on my shoulder, In my hand a sword of gold.” ‘Houses of the holy’ snippet, back to “the size of your needle” and some of those wonderful quartertones that no one else can deliver in quite the same way - and a long soft note that defies description. ‘As Long as I Have You’ then ‘Trouble in Mind’ with a “Mr Paul Timothy! on keyboards”….the names he comes up with!!!?

This evening was an interesting variation on the set list with the welcome return of some old favourites ……but some of us don’t like sitting down.

Anyway, let’s hear it for the people who make it all possible, who arrive hours before the show to set it all up and are still there packing it away again when everyone else has gone home. The technicians and crew, some of whom may wish to remain anonymous but their work is nonetheless appreciated and people such as Winston-monitor engineer, Dave Mashi crew member who plays a mean drum himself and has excellent taste in lighters and Roy - the sound engineer who has known Robert a long time and has worked with him since the days of The Honeydrippers.

Thank you all and keep up the good work.(please).

article courtesy Sali, who allowed the contents of her Calling to You website to be added to ManicNirvana.com.

May 26, 2000 The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Glouchestershire

Report by Sali and Ismet

Set List
Set list: A House is Not a Motel / Lazy Me / Bummer in the Summer / Bluebird / If I Were a Carpenter / Darkness Darkness / Think / Early in the Morning / We’re Gonna Groove / Baby Please Don’t Go Encore: As Long as I Have You / Season of the Witch / Gloria

Well you know how the heart sinks when you walk into the venue and see the seats and carpet? Well it wasn’t that bad! A couple of people managed to get permission to stand up because they had travelled a long way to see this and a music stand was obscuring their view, but for everyone else the order of the evening was to stay put. Robert acknowledged the difficulty, confirmed that the general wasn’t with us this evening, and things started to lighten up.

The band really is tight now and Robert is singing so well there is magic in his voice as well as in his eyes. That’s one of the beauties of these small venues. We are talking real people. It really started to come to life at the beginning of If I Were a Carpenter when someone skipped up to the stage to throw a bunch of flowers on stage, receiving an encouraging round of applause from the audience and a little smile from Robert. The band looked more comfortably spaced than of late - I mean they had a bit more room on stage, and they appeared relaxed. Robert told us a story about the sampled, ”What we have in mind is breakfast in bed for four hundred thousand.” before introducing Darkness Darkness with a reference to it ”Going down a storm on the internet” - Yep! He wills the soloists on from the back of the stage but nobody really needs any encouragement. It seemed a little less sinister tonight but still magnificent. The newly renamed Geoffrey of Monmouth moved in and out of the lead on drums and chimes and Eric Bloodaxe was always there with him on bass, making it all look effortless. Think! had the audience rocking in its seats, powerfully led by Carlisle Egypt on guitar. Groovin towards the bridge was fun and at last we could feel the audience participation, encouraged by Carlisle’s windmill arm movements which he manages to incorporate into the manic fingerwork. Owen Glendwr’s keyboard solo built up gradually increasing in power, setting the auditorium alight until even the ushers were cheering. Geoffrey was really cracking on drums and suddenly everyone in the theatre seemed to be singing Baby Please Don’t Go.

The audience came to life for the encore, moving up to the front of the stage for the Season of the Witch which was a superb example of how tight Priory of Brion have become, taking magical old numbers and moving them on, into something new. Robert really can do it all with the voice and all the band members are totally there with him, it is good. As Long as I Have You was great but Gloria was lifted to a new plane by a reference to Houses of the Holy. ”Let me take you to a movie, Let me take you to a show” - it was such a smooth move and natural fit but it gave the song a whole new meaning - and the evening a wondeful ending.

article courtesy Sali, who allowed the contents of her Calling to You website to be added to ManicNirvana.com.

May 21, 2000 Phoenix Center, Exeter

Report by Sali

Set List: A House is Not a Motel / Lazy Me / Bummer in the Summer / Bluebird / If I were a Carpenter / Darkness Darkness / Think! / Early in the Morning / Groovin / Baby Please Don’t Go Encore: As Long As I Have You / Gloria / 2nd encore: Morning Dew / Trouble in Mind /

We are beginning to make a considerable number of new American friends at these shows. Tonight we met Lisa, Carol and Jennifer from Tulsa, Oklahoma - and a ‘damned fine’ time they were having.

The first few numbers involved the interplay of three guitars, Carlisle Egypt, Owen Glendwr, and Eric Bloodaxe and boy do they know how to interplay. The Giant Geraint, having metamorphosed from his previous incarnations, was clearly going to be on fine form on drums tonight moving deftly into the lighter touches for a touch of the Frere Jacques from Owen. ”Hell Yeah!” was the Lisa’s comment.

Carlisle led us cheekily into Bummer in the Summer with some unorthodox swipes and swings but then no-one could ever accuse Carlisle of being orthodox! No-one else plays quite like him, fast, furious, intricate, fun. Calls of ‘Guitar Hero’ from the audience. This is tight.

Robert began telling us about his first appearance at Exeter, at the university in 1967 and was instantly corrected by heckling anoraks but he was sure that he had appeared with Kevyn and John Bonham even if there was some argument about the date. In tonight’s introduction to Blubird Stephen Stills was cross dressed. Carlisle Egypt was in melodic mode for Carpenter and both audience and band hung on Robert’s every word with a beautiful pause before the last verse which has the auditorium spellbound - perfectly prepared for Darkness Darkness.

Robert’s comment about them being ‘Not your average band’ made Carlisle smile and as he introduced the band a call of ‘who are you?’ caused Robert to remember earlier days when he introduced everyone except himself - but made up for it by sticking his chest out.

The Giant Geraint was really rocking for Baby Please Don’t Go and inspired some wonderful shaking on down from Robert. There were some interesting lyrics I’ve never noticed before in As Long As I Have You - along the lines of ‘It’s the size of your needle’. Gloria was rousing. Happy Birthday appeared briefly on guitar and then it was a powerful Morning Dew. It’s all about the time machine. A hint of Poetry in Motion led us into Trouble in Mind which Carlisle paused brifely to confirm what many of us were thinking ‘He can still sing’. Long may it continue.

article courtesy Sali, who allowed the contents of her Calling to You website to be added to ManicNirvana.com.