Ed’s Letter
Hello and welcome to issue 102 of Prog Magazine. As I sit here typing this and the team beaver away closing this issue, the Progressive Music Awards are just one week away. It goes without saying it’s our favourite night of the year, getting to honour the great and the good of the prog world, from brand new Limelight artists to the Prog God. If you missed the live stream on the night, keep an eye on Facebook, Instagram and our website for coverage of the night as it happened.
In our Camel cover story which starts on p34, Andrew Latimer discusses the fact he sees far more women at Camel gigs these days than in the band’s 70s years. “Not only that,” he adds, “but they come along for the right reason: because they enjoy the music.” Words that make me point you in the direction of this issue’s Paperlate column (p24), which takes issue with a certain male perspective that’s been too prevalent on online prog groups of late, which is misguided at best and misogynistic at worst. That I even have to bring this up, to me, is plain wrong, but such is the way of the world it seems these days. One step forward, then three steps back. I hope everyone reading this issue takes heed.
But please do enjoy the new issue of Prog. It’s great to see cover stars Camel in such fine fettle at the moment and talking of the future with such passion. It’s also good to see IQ back firing on all cylinders, too, and Opeth pushing boundaries ever further and creating such amazing music with it. Oh, and check out the Nucleus feature on p64. I think it’s great that a monthly music magazine takes up the fascinating but little-told story of Ian Carr’s group. I hope you do, too.
We’re back on October 25 in an issue that’ll feature all of the Awards winners from next week – and a load more besides. I hope you’ll be back to join us. ’Til then, prog on...