Flower Kings – Live at Hackney Ocean 22^nd October 2001

As this gig was organised at the last moment, attendance was low. Now, take away Flower, and it leaves you with `Kings`, which on this performance is what this band has become. From the opening bars of `Last Minute on Earth` through to the encore `I Am The Sun`, the band treated us to a show of pure progressive rock as it is today, and I would say how it should have been first time around.  Second song `Garden Of Dreams` from `Flower Power` was cut short to 40 minutes, but it shows they have the nerve to play long songs.   The sound in the venue was on par with some of the best halls I have been to, and with so many quiet pieces in that song made it a special moment for many of us.

The third and forth songs, `Road To Sanctuary` and `Serious Dreamers` from the excellent new album `The Rainmaker`, were received very well, and with an bass solo to end all bass solos from Jonas Reingold at the close of `Dreamers`.  Hasse Froberg sang very well, and on the new songs he gave it his all. New Drummer Zoltan Csorsz has settled in and his drumming was top class.

The last song in the set was the classic `Stardust We Are`, and we had the whole near 30 minutes of it, and that for my money took the roof off! Both Roine Stolt and Tomas Bodin were in their element on this one. 

On the whole, a very good gig, we could have done with a few more people, but for the ones who were there, a gig to remember! Hope the tour is a success, because the band deserves it! A band to watch!

Danny Mayo

(Photos courtesy of http://www.flower-power.org.uk/)

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