Be Prog My Friend is a newer festival that only exists for 5 years now and is offering some more specialties than the usual ones. It keeps its focus more on the progressive side of the metal and rock music. It happens in the center of Barcelona, Spain, on the 29th and 30th of Juny 2018. So if you are happen to be there on vacation or just need a reason to visit Barcelona, check out what they have to offer.
The Bands
They have chosen to only schedule 10 bands and this spread on 2 days, the festival claims to be a more easy going festival and not a one where you have to run from band X to band Y and even miss out some ones because they are cross distributed on different stages.
On Friday the 28th of Juny we are starting off with PERSAFONE, Andorrians , yes they have metal there , who are one of the most promising bands of actual prog scene. They combine prog and metal in a stylish but still powerful way. An opener to be proud off. BARONESS was formed in 2003, USA and gives another vision to prog music. Some defined them as a fine sludge/stoner/progressive band and with an absolutely precious artwork they soon break in the scene. With Take My Bones Away of Yellow & Green which reached number 38 of Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs in their backpocket they will conquer the public of Be Prog My Friend. PAIN OF SALVATION has been enthroned thanks to In The Passing Light of Day. A perfect, marvelous, colossal album… This is a must see for all prog fans, looking forward to see and hear excellent live versions of Reasons or Meaningless on stage. A PERFECT CIRCLE are the undisputable headliners for the fifth edition of Be Prog! My Friend. With their new one Eat The Elephant it will be worth to check them out. The Finnish ORANSSI PAZUZU is described as hypnotizing, overwhelming, melancholic…. Listening to them embarks in a slippery and complex sonic journey through dark, dense and terrifying atmospheres.
The second day , Saturday 29th June , kicks off with the Australian guitar master PLINI . Plini himself adds, ‘Barcelona is one of my favourite cities in the world to visit, let alone perform in, so it’s going to be an absolute treat to get to play in such a beautiful setting as a part of what will surely be an epic lineup. Can’t wait!’ GAZPACHO is not easy to classify but some call them ‘art-rock’, others label them as ‘alternative’ and even the phrase ‘neo-progressive’ has been mentioned. Many say they sound similar to Radiohead or The Porcupine Tree. The superband SONS OF APOLLO which consists of Mike Portnoy, Derek Sherinian, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, Billy Sheehan and Jeff Scott Soto. Super progressive hard rock, a must see for all progressive music lovers. The second headliner is former Genesis guitarist STEVE HACKETT who brings a different Genesis/solo set including several gems from Genesis album “Wind and Wuthering” along with big favourites such as The Musical Box as well as many other songs. With musicians playing like Steve like Roger King (keyboards), Gary O’Toole (drums & percussion), Rob Townsend (saxes & flutes), Jonas Reingold (bass) and Nad Sylvan on vocals you cannot miss him. The festivities are ended with the Swedish band BURST , who agreed to regroup to play a full rendition of Lazarus Bird and other choice cuts at Be prog! 2018. Despite their short life as a band, this band released one of the finest discographies. So this is a one of kind opportunity to catch them live.
The Price
Well it is not the cheapest festival that’s for sure. A ticket for two days costs 130 € , service costs not included. For 10 bands this a lot, although it comes to 13 € per band, which is still cheap as each band has already earned a big status in the progressive metal scene. It is also a family friendly festival. Kids under 13 have a reduction of 50 % on a ticket, only possible at the box office, and under 5 years can even access free, although it is not recommend to take kids so young to a very loud environment. You can buy tickets here.
Accommodation and other stuff
It takes places at the Pablo Espanyol which is in the heart of Barcelona and is a one of a kind of location. They have some nice offers with some hotels in the neighbourhood, there are also a lot of hostels around where you can find a well deserved rest. The festival site is easy to access as there is a lot of public transport available and even with the airport only 12 km away from it, nothing can stop you from going. There are a lot of possibilities to eat and drink, it is even said that some restaurants on the place are open during the festival. The festival starts each day only at 17:15 so you have time to visit Barcelona during the day or to sleep during the day to earn a well deserved rest. More information can be found at the Be Prog My Friend 2018 site itself. If you are not convinced yet, listen to their Spotify playlist below .
