InsideOutMusic, the leading light in today’s progressive rock scene, celebrate their 25th anniversary of being a label in 2018, in what has been one of their biggest and busiest yet. To coincide with this, two of their longest serving artists, Spock’s Beard & Roine Stolt’s The Flower King’s, are about to head out on a European co-headline tour starting this Friday 30th November.
You can find the full list of dates below:
30th November – Cosmopolite, Oslo, Norway
1st December – Kulturhuset Studion, Stockholm, Sweden
2nd December – KB, Malmo, Sweden
4th December – Zeche, Bochum, Germany
5th December – Z7, Pratteln, Switzerland
6th December – La Machine, Paris, France
7th December – De Boerderij, Zoetermeer, Netherlands
8th December – Hedon, Zwolle, Netherlands
9th December – Islington Assembly Hall, London, UK
10th December – Academy Club, Manchester, UK
Spock’s Beard previously commented: “Spock’s Beard is excited to announce an upcoming Winter tour! It will be a co-bill with Roine Stolt’s THE FLOWER KING’s revisited band, so each show promises to be a great evening of music. We’ve been getting a lot of questions about who will be playing drums on this tour, so at this time let me introduce our new touring drummer, Mr. Mike Thorne, from SAGA! We are really excited to have him on board and are looking forward to seeing you on tour.”
Roine Stolt adds: “Asked to put together a band to go on the road, celebrate our label Inside Out’s 25 year anniversary – I was thinking of the ‘treasure’ that is the music I wrote for The Flower Kings during that same period. I felt compelled to bring out this music for yet another round – and in the process bring in some old friends and some new.
The music is universal – some songs timeless – and by November I hope to have an exciting set-list – to not only celebrate my 1st album and the origin of all things “The Flower King” – but to cover the rest of TFK’s history – and eventually a new tune & a few new faces. Tune up the engine – Time to prog!”
Formed back in 1993 in Kleve, Germany, the label made their name with acts such as Enchant, Spock’s Beard, Symphony X & The Flower Kings, many of whom they still work with now – a rarity in this day and age. Since that time, the label has played a key & continued role in the survival and resurgence of progressive rock in recent years, and has always prided itself on shining a light on leftfield music. Now the band count some of the biggest & most exciting bands amongst their roster, including Dream Theater, Steve Hackett, Devin Townsend, Sons of Apollo, Kansas, Haken, Riverside, Leprous & more. On the label’s 20th anniversary back in 2013, one of the labels founders, and current label-head Thomas Waber was given the Guiding Light award at the Progressive Music Awards, praising his aforementioned role in the continued celebration of progressive rock.
Spock’s Beard released their 13th studio album ‘Noise Floor’ back in May, and album which saw original member Nick D’Virgilio return to play drums in the studio. For this tour however, Saga’s Mike Thorne will be sitting on the drum stool. ‘Noise Floor’ received fantastic reviews on release, with Prog Magazine calling it “one of the most defiantly immediate, hook-laden and upbeat records of their career” while Guitar Techniques said it “surely confirms their status as prog royalty.”
Roine Stolt’s The Flower King recently completed a South American run of shows, with a line-up that includes Jonas Reingold, Hasse Fröberg, Zach Kamins & Mirko Demaio – celebrating The Flower King’s catalogue. Roine also recently released the album ‘Manifesto of an Alchemist’ which Prog Magazine called “immediate and energetic, gaining in grit” and The Prog Report called“The Flower King at his very best.”
Check out the track ‘High Road’ here: https://youtu.be/GkIX3WJ6rHA
INSIDEOUTMUSIC online:
www.youtube.com/InsideOutMusicTV
