Procol Harum at Minehead, UK: 'Giants of Rock'

Now in its third year, the Giants Of Rock Festival goes from strength to strength with an ever growing army of happy rockers attending this fun filled friendly event. Almost 4,000 people attended this year ... the two major stages are right on top of each other, so just a quick hike up or down the stairs mean that it's possible to catch a bit of both if you wish. With wallet friendly beer prices, the pints were flowing fast as were the laughs ...

While Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel was coming to make 'em smile downstairs, I was on the upper deck to witness a rare UK outing from Procol Harum who delivered a dark doomy set of proggy delights.

The lyrics are rather sinister on some numbers like the morbid Dead Man's Dream, but organist [sic] Gary Brooker (first here as a happy camper in '62) and the tight riffs of Geoff Whitehorn held those down the front captive with landscape movements of Grand Hotel [sic] and the majestic epic Whaling Stories.

Jaws remained agape for the superb Salty Dog and the marvellous inquisition of Conquistador before skipping the light fandango with the immortal Whiter Shade Of Pale.

A class act.

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Mark Taylor ... same person, we imagine, wrote warmly about Procol in Record Collector also:   ... Procol Harum saw Gary Brooker stun with a set of dark, organic joy, before skipping the light fandango with Whiter Shade of Pale