Real Time: Royal Festival Hall, London, 06.05.05

Van Der Graaf Generator

Led by the redoubtable Peter Hammill, Manchester's Van Der Graaf Generator was one of the less popular but certainly more creative of the 1960s/'70s prog bands. Early adopters of synthesizers, circuitry, and multiple keyboards, the band created sonic fantasias with heady lyrics that often dipped into the dark side. Hammill's Bowie-like vocals and melodramatic flair, combined with the band's rather heavy sound, distinguished them from the more pastoral groups of the day, and presaged '70s hard rock and metal. Although the band never made a huge splash in the U.S., they were revered in Italy and had a flourishing career punctuated by temporary breakups and solo projects. They split for good in 1978, but reunited in 2004 for an album, inspired in part by Hammill's near-fatal heart attack.