LoreleiProgFestival2008-2

A TRIP TO THE LORELEI PROG FESTIVAL, ST GOARSHAUSEN, GERMANY, JULY 2008

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The one thing I like about the Lorelei venue is that they have quite a relaxed view of photographs being taken, as long as you follow the rules. A barrier prevents one from getting as close as the official photographers, but with a decent lens in the region of 300mm, a reasonable shot is in the offing. I chose my seat within the amphitheatre carefully but usually ventured forward, closer to the barrier, anyway. Technically, it gets a bit difficult in the evening. Though the lighting bathes the stage in a variety of colours, it is projected from above and slightly behind the performers and is generally quite soft and subtle, so there isn't a heck of a lot of reflected light coming into the lens from the faces of the performers themselves. It was particularly difficult during the TD, Klaus Schulze and Fish sets and afterwards, I ended up with few shots to choose from, most of them too dark. Pushing the ASA setting merely adds to grain to the photo. Apart from that, annoying smoke machines, operating at full tilt, which Lorelei festival organisers seem to love, in cultivating "an atmosphere", envelope the stage in a dense, thick haze.

A photographer's nightmare - Herr Schulze enveloped in a cloud - would someone turn off the smoke machine, please?

Brief comments (continued) - SATURDAY:

CENTRAL PARK - [Classic rock band from Munich - male vocals not great, brightened up by female singer Cory. Largely unforgettable, musically a bit naff.]

MAGENTA - [One of my favourite bands at the moment. Great musicians, dedicated and professional and fun to watch. Truly awesome sound, their latest album "Metamorphosis", their best, the brainchild of songwriter, arranger, engineer and multi-instrumentalist Rob Reed, is a masterpiece. It's amazing that the major instrumentalists from the live band who create the studio sound are mainly Rob Reed, Chris Fry and the delectable Christina Booth on vocals, yet the rest of the musicians are brought in to create the identical sound live.]

Magenta's brainchild Rob Reed sets up during a brief soundcheck.

[And Magenta, as a contingent, are so young and so hugely underrated - amazing talent! Love them, as they so define the classic progressive rock sound, which I am so passionate about. Strong elements of Yes in their sound. It's a shame they were down in the pecking order in terms of Saturday's line-up. I hope they get invited again next year. Man, they kicked ass at the Lorelei! Hope to catch them again at the Summer's End Festival 2008. They may be Welsh, but they are going places.]