It
is rare that I “discover” a band from a live
performance. That is due in part to the fact that I’m
a confessed prog snob and don’t go out to shows very
often (how many prog shows ARE there?) and also because
I typically don’t go to shows where I don’t already
know the artist. But in May of this year I went to
ROSfest (just outside
Philadelphia
) and got to see a number of bands that I was unfamiliar
with.
UK
based Touchstone was the first band on Sunday. And I might have slept
through their set (I’m not an early riser) except that
on the previous day John Mitchell (It Bites, Frost,
Kino) had told me to be sure I caught their set, that
they had recorded their latest CD in his studio and that
they were “red hot”.
So
I dragged my lazy “you know what” to the venue and
I’m awfully glad I did. They were without a doubt the
biggest surprise of the festival for me (and many
others). They lit up the stage with an excitement and
enthusiasm that was exhilarating right from the start. I
always LOVE when a band is having a genuine blast
playing, it is very infectious. Their “symphonic”
brand of prog was stunning, from the rich vocal
harmonies to the guitar and synth laden grooves. Their
singer (Kim Seviour) not only had a great voice but was
extremely charismatic and the crowd responded
enthusiastically with no less than 5 standing ovations
during the set.
