UPF Announce US Release of Debut Album

United Progressive Fraternity recently announced the release of their debut album Fall In Love With The World for the 24th of November, 2014 in the US. The release will arrive as a jewel case CD and digital download.

The full track-listing can be found below:
1.  We Only Get One World (Overture)
2.  Choices
3.  Intersection
4.  The Water
5.  Don't Look Back - Turn Left
6.  Travelling Man (The Story Of ESHU)
7.  Fall In Love With The World
8.  Religion Of War
9.  The Water (Alternative Mix) (CD only)

You can check out a video for the track The Water featuring Jon Anderson (Yes) here: http://youtu.be/Fz2nYmeG7R0

Formed from the ashes of respected Australian progressive rockers Unitopia, the band sees Matt Williams, Dave Hopgood, Tim Irrgang & Mark 'Truey' Trueack joined by Guy Manning (Manning, The The Tangent), Daniel Mash (Maschine, The Tangent), & Marek Arnold (Toxic Smile, Seven Steps to the Green Door, Cyril, Flaming Row). The forthcoming album also features guest appearances from Jon Anderson of Yes, as well as Steve Hackett of Genesis.

The band will embark on their first live dates later this year, starting with Summer's End Festival in the UK and continuing into Europe in October.

The full list of dates can be found below:
27th September 2014 - Summer's End Festival, Chepstow - England
2nd October 2014 - The Barge Antipode, Paris - France
3rd October 2014 - Poppodium Nieuwe Nor, Heerlen - Netherlands
4th October 2014 - Chez Paulette, Nancy - France
5th October 2014 - T Blok, Nieuwekerk Aan Deijsel - Netherlands
7th October 2014 - Blues Café Nieuwstraat 74A, Apeldoorn - Netherlands
10th October 2014 - The Bedford Balham, London - England
11th October 2014 - The Wesley Arts Centre, Maltby - England
12th October 2014 - Cathouse, Glasgow - Scotland

Look out for more information in the coming weeks!

United Progressive Fraternity online:www.facebook.com/UPFrat
http://www.unitedprogressivefraternity.com/

United Progressive Fraternity Sign to InsideOutMusic

InsideOutMusic are very pleased to announce the signing of United Progressive Fraternity for the release of their debut album Fall In Love With The World this November. Formed from the ashes of respected Australian progressive rockers Unitopia, the band sees Matt Williams, Dave Hopgood, Tim Irrgang & Mark 'Truey' Trueack joined by Guy Manning (Manning, The The Tangent), Daniel Mash (Maschine, The Tangent), & Marek Arnold. The forthcoming album also features guest appearances from Jon Anderson of Yes, as well as Steve Hackett of Genesis.

The band had this to say about the signing & tour:

'We are absolutely thrilled to be signed to such a prestigious label as InsideOut and look forward to a long & fruitful partnership in the future. We are very proud of what we have achieved with the making of this, the debut album from UPF.   Everyone has worked incredibly hard to bring it together, and while the road we travelled to get here was a real challenge, the journey has been worth every step.   We have strived to create a richer, bolder, grittier sound trying to evolve a little more, and we truly believe we have succeeded in this. But none of it would have been possible without the commitment, passion and belief in the vision of the Fraternity, of every member of the band and the newly formed UPF family so now....we really are, all parts of the whole!!

We are very excited to be taking UPF to the road with our Promotional UK/European tour in Autumn, kicking off at the 2014 Summers End X Festival where we have the prime Saturday night spot on 27th September. We will be playing tracks from the new album and Unitopia fans will not be disappointed as we will be playing selected favourites from the Unitopia back catalogue. We are very much looking forward to all playing live together for the very first time! We intend to give our audience a musical journey they will not forget and hope that they too, will not just fall in love with our music but fall in love with the world!'

The band will embark on their first live dates later this year, starting with Summer's End Festival in the UK and continuing into Europe in October. The full list of dates can be found below:

27 Sept 2014 - Summer's End Festival, Chepstow - England
02 Oct 2014 - The Barge Antipode, Paris - France
03 Oct 2014 - Poppodium Nieuwe Nor, Heerlen - Netherlands
04 Oct 2014 - Chez Paulette, Nancy - France
05 Oct 2014 - T Blok, Nieuwekerk Aan Deijsel - Netherlands
07 Oct 2014 - Blues Café Nieuwstraat 74A, Apeldoorn - Netherlands
10 Oct 2014 - The Bedford Balham, London - England
11 Oct 2014 - The Wesley Arts Centre, Maltby - England
12 Oct 2014 - Cathouse, Glasgow - Scotland

Fall In Love with the World track list:
1. We Only Get One World (Overture)
2. Choices
3. Intersection
4. The Water
5. Don't Look Back
6. Travelling Man (The Story of Eshu)
7. Fall in Love with the World
8. Religions of War

Look out for more information in the coming weeks!

United Progressive Fraternity online:
www.facebook.com/UPFrat
http://www.unitedprogressivefraternity.com/

Manning Disbands

 
Guy Manning has just posted a status report concerning the band he's been fronting for the past five years.

The 'band' line-up has been ongoing, with various members leaving and joining since 2008.

Whilst I have been the constant, this has provided highs and lows for both myself and the members alike.

After much soul searching, I have decided that it is time that this current line-up reach its natural 'end of life'.

I am sure that I will be working individually with the folks on future projects, but for now, we are to go our separate ways.

It has been a great deal of both hard work and much fun - the live shows were all good and the albums we have produced as an ensemble have been very well received indeed!

I wish each and every member of the Manning band lineups all the very best and more news about their own activities will no doubt surface very soon .

 
The band's latest release, The Root, the Leaf & the Bone, has been well received by critics and music loving public alike. For those of you who have seen Manning live in November 2013, you were the lucky ones.
 
But that doesn't mean the end for the creative talent that is Guy Manning. The man behind the finely crafted and consistently original songs we've grown to know and love is still working on projects.
 

For myself, I am still writing new material. I have 2 "Projects" on the go at this time:

a) Akoustic #2 ...more songs re-interpreted in an acoustic setting from the long Manning back catalogue plus, some new acoustic based pieces that did not fit previously anywhere

b) A new large scale concept album. This is very likely to be a long term complex and involved project so I am not sure when (or if) this will see the light of day yet! or who will be involved in its production.

I feel no sense of urgency or ticking clock to get things out there in 2014...I am ambling along with some time to reflect, work a little and I am happy to just see where the current takes me ......short term! (I get bored easily)

In terms of more live appearances, some solo or small line-up (most probably Akoustik) shows are likely to be arranged in 2014. So please stay tuned!

For those interested to learn more about this artist, see the Podcast section of this blog-page to download a lengthy and interesting interview.

IPRS Guy Manning Interview

As we do here every year at the International Prog Rock Show, we sit down and have a chat with multi-instrumentalist/composer Guy Manning to speak about his latest creation. As always bits and pieces of his music and some of his influences and interests creep up musically during the show.

The IPRS aired two weeks ago (yes, I'm late with the play list), on a new internet radio station called Northern Lights. Since this interview was pre-recorded, some of the things mentioned during the show have since changed, mainly the Manning shows scheduled for November.

As mentioned by Guy, the Manning band will be playing two live dates, one on the 16th of November for the Classic Rock Society at the Wesley Centre in Rotherham, the other on the 17th of November at The Peel, in London. Since the airing of the show the line-up has changed. Unfortunately the John Young Band had to cancel, but they are being replaced by the great Landmarq!

By the way, you've got to love the name of the tour: the Great Excavation Tour!

The new Manning album, The Root, the Leaf & the Bone is now out and you can order it on the Manning website. It is a wonderful album full of nuance and subtlety, with great musicianship and storytelling craft.

1. Hello, by Electric Light Orchestra Part 2 (Electric Light Orchestra Part 2, 1990)
2. The Southern Wave, by Manning (Margaret's Children, 2011)
3. The Huntsman & the Poacher, by Manning (The Root, the Leaf & the Bone, 2013)
4. Palace of Delights, by Manning (The Root, the Leaf & the Bone, 2013)
5. Old School, by Manning (The Root, the Leaf & the Bone, 2013)
6. Cockroach King, by Haken (The Mountain, 2013)
7. Roads to Moscow, by Al Stewart (Past, Present and Future, 1974)
8. Evening TV, by The Tangent (Le Sacre du Travail, 2013)
9. The Root, the Leaf & the Bone (The Root, the Leaf & the Bone, 2013)
10. Pearl, by Magenta (The Twenty Seven Club, 2013)
11. Childhood's End, by John Young Band (Live)
12. Out of the Angry Planet, by Phideaux (Phideau & Mogon, 2012)

As always, if you love the music, purchase the CDs through the artists' website or your favorite retailer.

New Manning CD Due Out in November

True to form, Manning have released a new album every year since its formation without missing a beat and this year is no exception. The new Manning album will be release this November. The Root, the Leaf & the Bone will be a return of the full electric band after the wonderful Akoustik released last year. The new album also has a real live string section, not a synthesized one, with a variety of guest musicians, including Chlöe Herington (of Knifeworld) on bassoons, Ian'Walter' Fairbairn (of Jack the Lad / Hedgehog Pie) on fiddles, Kathy Hampson on cellos, Marek Arnold (of Seven Steps to the Door) on saxes, Steve Dundon (of Molly Bloom) on flutes, John Young (of Lifesigns) on organs, David Albone on drums, Joss Allsopp of trumpets, Jo Manning on violins, and Martin Thiselton on violas.

The band from Leeds consists of David Million (electric guitars), Rick Henry (drums & percussion), Kris Hudson-Lee (bass), Julie King (keyboards, percussion &  backing vocals), Martin Thiselton (keyboards & violin), and of course Guy Manning on a bunch of instruments and lead vocals.

Plans for a November gig at the CRS are under way as it will be the official launch of the new CD. But you can still catch them live before that since they will play on July 6th at The Met, on Market Street, in Bury, with Also Eden. In the meantime you can still download the Guy Manning Interview, IPRS show 114, from the podcast page.

The Root, the Leaf & the Bone (F2 Music)
1. The Root, the Leaf & the Bone
2. Decon(struction) Blues
3. Autumn Song
4. The Forge
5. Old School
6. Palace of Delights
7. The Huntsman & the Poacher
8. Mists of Morning Calling to the Day
9. Amongst the Sleepers

UPDATED: The Manning band's lineup has been updated with correct information. Thank you Guy!