Rick Wakeman's Caped Crusades: Grumpy Old Rick's Almanac

Features
By ( Prog ) published

Rick makes some musical requests for the year ahead.

As I lay in bed last night, in-between the various bodily noises that always seem to feature heavily at bedtime, I started to think about this coming year and what it was likely to bring to us all musically.

Though some of the bodily noises initially made me think of the X Factor, I then started to really think about the great possibilities ahead for all of us who both play and enjoy music.

There are more and more great live bands appearing almost by the week, good venues and some great record companies willing to support the music we all love. But I would like to see other areas support us more, especially television.

For a start, I’d like to see a sort of X Factor programme for musicians: a chance for young instrumentalists to show off their skills. I’d like to see a ban on singing groups calling themselves ‘a band’ – if you don’t play instruments then you’re not a band.

I’d like to see an interactive music show where bands play live, and the person watching can use their remote control to focus in on a particular musician or a fantastic solo.

I’d like to see more concerts with support acts – perhaps more than one. I’d like to see more collaborations among some of the elder statesmen musicians, and I’d like to see most of us elder prog rock statesmen try to find a hair stylist who can do something with what hair we still have so that we might possibly look relatively human again.

I’d like to see more vinyl, more wonderful artwork and more and more detail on album covers.

I’d like dressing rooms to stop smelling like the smell that’s emanating from under my duvet.

I’d like to see record shops open again, but for them to be more welcoming, with listening booths, coffee and, most importantly, stocking some of my albums for a change.

Finally, I’d love to see the emergence of a full-on prog rock festival. Prog has branched out in so many ways, it would be absolutely fantastic and I know it would get tremendous support. Maybe if that dream could become a reality, all my other almanac dreams mentioned previously might come to fruition.

Ah well, back to sleep before I gas myself.