PETER, PAST & PRESENT

As a novice journalist in the late 70s,

I was fortunate to interview Peter Hammill for a long-gone Ottawa arts magazine, taped before a show in Montreal, where he was accompanied by violinist Graham Smith and bassist Nic Potter. As difficult and demanding as his music can be, you couldn’t possibly meet as warm and engaging a musician as Peter Hammill was then – and seemingly still is today.

Being raised by Jesuits helped foster a strong sense of concentration and compassion in his art, doused with just the right splash of Catholic guilt. There is no one quite like him, although Bowie and Gabriel come close. Hammill informed, illuminated and entertained, both onstage and off. Once again a hearty thanks to Prog for keeping his flame alive.

As a longstanding fan of VdGG and Hammill’s solo work, I really appreciate your ongoing coverage and support.

I am 66 now, a recently retired journalist, who reads Prog faithfully. I am so glad you’re still publishing and doing such an amazing job. I thank you too for turning me onto so many incredible bands, like Big Big Train!

Peter Grainger, Canada