Short Reviews [Galahad - 2025 - "Alive at Loreley"]

No-one is quite sure why it has taken so long for this album to be released, not even the band, but finally we have here the recording of Galahad when they appeared at Night of The Prog V in September 2010. It is possible in some ways to think of this as a bookend for the band, as it was to be the last appearance onstage by bassist Neil Pepper who sadly passed away from Oesophageal cancer less than a year later, yet it was also the first appearance of Mark Spencer (albeit on guitar, and on just one song as a guest), who is now the band's bassist. The rest of the line-up was of course Stu Nicholson (vocals), Dean Baker (keyboards) and Spencer Luckman (drums), all still there to this day, as well as founder and guitarist Roy Keyworth. Playing a festival is always fraught, as the setlist must fit within a given timeframe and it is quite possible many in the audience will not know much of the material, plus it had been three years since their last album, so what to do? We get just six songs, taken from five different albums (one of which had yet to be released), which lasts just shy of an hour and is a good introduction to the band of that time. They walk on to the classic 'Sleepers', one of my favourite tracks from one of my favourite albums, and when the backing introduction ends they come in with a real bang. The guys moved far more into prog metal after the arrival of Dean, but in the live environment they were always heavier than on record, and the plucked bass on this number has always been a real highlight, simple but massively effective. 15 years on from when this was originally recorded, the only person onstage who had not played on that was Dean, and this takes me straight back to the Nineties and the wonderful gigs of the day (one of the times they headlined Whitchurch it got so hot the walls were wet with condensation). A blast through "Empires Never Last" and then we are into the delicate and wonderful 'Richelieu's Prayer' from the debut CD, "Nothing Is Written". This has long been a favourite of mine and always reminds me of the gig at King Arthur's Court where Stu handed out party poppers to the reprobates who were likely to be in the front with the instructions to pull them on the line "Like a time bomb, I'm primed to explode". This is one of the highlights from the band's early career, emphasising Stu's clear vocals against piano, and then the band turn it into a belter, demonstrating clearly the area they would later move in. "Bug Eye" was one of the standout tracks from "Following Ghosts", the first album this line-up played on together, and it is the second longest song of the night at more than 12 minutes. Again we get an atmospheric introduction, allowing Stu to shine, and there is no doubt he has a great connection with Dean, which is probably why we still see them duo gigs together when they get the opportunity (last weekend it was in Poland). Dean had a major influence on the band when he joined, coming from a non-prog background, and even though he is a keyboard player the band definitely got heavier, and this track is very much a builder, becoming more intense as it goes. "Seize The Day" has a keyboard section within it which could well be lifted and put into a rave, albeit Roy is riffing hard over the top, and clearly demonstrates how the band have changed from their early days, becoming much broader and well-developed. It was somewhat a risk playing this given that "Battle Scars" would not be out until the following year, but it certainly pays off. It ends with Mark coming onstage for a blistering take of 'Termination', with Stu demonstrating he can still hit the high notes and go falsetto at the end of a set. This is built on the drumming of Spencer, the heart of the band since the very early days, who is always a power to be reckoned with. I have been a fan of the band for more than 30 years, count Stu as a close friend, and have written introductions to a few of their albums, so it is unlikely that I am ever going to give them a bad review (although I will if they deserve it), but it is wonderful to finally have this album available as they were on form that night, showing that having been around for 25 years was not going to slow them down whatsoever. It is a fitting tribute to Neil "Big One" Pepper, a great musician and really nice bloke, and is a joy from beginning to end.