It finally occurred to me that I was really on the road when we stopped for a stretch break on the darkened highway and one of us exclaimed “Holy shit! Look up!” and all eyes rose to meet the incredible display of stars in 3D. The close and the far with nothing but the sound of silence and crickets to accompany the dazzling laser Floyd show. It made me secretly wish that there would be another blackout back home so that everyone could share the feeling of being engulfed by such an overwhelming sight of the cosmos. The twenty hour drive consisted of waves of drifting in and out of sleep as we patiently awaited to hear the sweet words of victory from the GPS “arriving at address” in a sexy female version of Phil Collins accent. It’s funny, when you’re driving with your band it’s a lot like a family with the smatterings of laughter, strange anecdotes, mild complaints, requests for music on, requests for music off, heads twisted in strange angles and bodies crunched into cannonballs whilst trying to find a comfortable position. In the back of my mind I questioned what two weeks of this would be like -  this is just three days! So, how does one survive a twenty hour trip without slowly decomposing? The remedy I recommend would be four cups of Genesis, an eight ounce can of King Crimson, tablespoon of Gentle Giant, and finally a one pound bag of Frank Zappa! No, wait, make that two in case it’s not enough for a group of five humour hungry musicians. Every region we passed, whether it was a small town with its American flags wavering in the wind or the lush hills sprinkled with fog on top, we would always make sure that we would find a suitable soundtrack to the scenery. According to the experiment we came to the conclusion that the most successful music was the Pat Metheny Group album which was so beautiful and sparse like the green landscape that we were passing by. We arrived at 3 am, our eyes droopy but the thought of staying in the same hotel premises as Michael Manring kept our sight acute enough to make it to our suites without tripping over our instruments. With three hours of sleep left we were bound to get up at 7 to make it in time for the load in and sound check since we were the first band on the bill. I don’t ever recall playing a gig at 10:30 in the morning but hey, there’s something very pleasing about waking up and tuning your instrument while smelling the aroma of the fresh brewed coffee. I couldn’t believe how warm-hearted the people were in North Carolina and I instantly fell in love with their accents which, as Dmitry described, sounded like singing. Dragon fly tattoos, moon necklaces, and the backs of shirts that said “discipline is a vehicle for joy” ultimately rejuvenated us back into our geek selves. Our performance went well, however I really think it is time I form the health and safety union of Drummers. My only grumble is that it was quite difficult to play when the sun is aiming straight in the eyes. So if you ever questioned why drummers are so scarce or expire so quickly, perhaps its time to invest in a high riser, knee pads and helmet, …maybe some anti spontaneous combustion pills?

Also, it really makes our day when there’s audience interaction. It was so gratifying to see a couple sing along to our songs. We loved the confidence in the shouting of “Biel! Biel” Lara and Dan! We were really not expecting an encore, so thank you so much for the wonderful response! We felt the love.

It was so great to chat in person and get to know our fans. It sure is different in reality than on progressiveears, eh Schinzoid_man? Proggers are not as inclined to get into heated arguments over Yes’s best album, although the fact that Fragile is the best album is irrefutable  : P

I felt like collapsing on the grass after one of the longest sets we’ve played in a while but I knew I couldn’t, for I was eagerly anticipating the arrival of Michael Manring – both mine and Dmitry’s idol. We had to try very hard to sustain ourselves from crying out like little school boys and girls at his arrival. While my eyes were trying to keep up with Michael Manring’s fingers as he sound checked with an insane bass solo, I couldn’t help myself from overcoming with deep feelings of concern for the future of our children. It’s just so unjust that the man who practically spent his life next to breathing, playing bass, is not getting the same recognition as lets say Justin Bieber. On the other hand, maybe it would be unjust to see Michael Manring portrayed in People’s Magazine …that’s just wrong! Fame is definitely not a vehicle to happiness for an ever so evolved human being. What joy does it bring to be known by people you know nothing about or who really know nothing about you. But being successful and belonging to a unique community that carries genuine respect and admiration towards your craft, one that recognizes what you are bringing to the table and is able to contribute or accrue on an idea is what it’s all about! A favourite quote of mine goes like so: “A life lived with integrity, even if it lacks the trappings of fame and fortune is a shinning star in whose light others may follow in the years to come.”

Michael Manring was very sweet to us, even though we interrupted his lunch, he was kind enough to sign Dmitry’s bass. When Hollogramatron (Michael Manring) went on stage, 80% of the compositions were improvised. They were conceived so exceptionally well on the spot that you couldn’t help but stand dumbstruck while observing the superlative communication that was going on stage between the musicians. Michael was constantly smiling and it was becoming contagious. I think I had to look at my shoes for a second to make sure that the laws of gravity still applied.

The mood of the set was very ambient yet complex with mind jerking polyrhythms and thick tasteful bass solos. It was great to get myself acquainted with Michael Manring’s drummer, Celso Alberti. We really connected after discovering our similar views on drumming and expressed our great approval for Jeff Procaro and Steve Gadd. We also discussed the many problems of drummers today, who are so geared towards technique rather than “in the pocket” playing that it gets over stimulating. We agreed that groove must come from the heart and simplicity must never be undervalued. With Gadd, you can really tap into his most profound emotions when listening to a recording. For a listener to be able to become a unified whole with the musician is magic in its purest form I think.  

Again, we send a huge thank you to everyone who was at Progday  - especially Dave Astley, our guardian angel. It was very nice of y’all to let us sign our album. I really appreciate how many fans encouraged me to sign the CD even though I made it clear that I was not on it.

Half Past Four has always had big dreams, so it would only make sense for us to play in the big city of dreams.  It was terribly exciting to play Studio at Webster Hall because new faces came out and the atmosphere itself of being in the heart of Manhattan raised our self-esteem. We were so fortunate to share the stage with the two great bands Edensong and IZZ and have the chance to be a part of the prog rock galore night.  It was also nice to know that we were not the only band who implemented costumes into our performance; we really liked Edensong’s props on stage, especially the Medusa hair beard Greek theatre mask.    

As of now, we will be trying to apply ourselves in as many international festivals as we can for next year. Unfortunately, other than Quebec, there are not many exclusive progressive rock festivals hosted here in contrast to Europe. Next Stop…Sweden!?

We are heading back into the studio to record the second album and we’ll be utilizing a Chapman Stick for this one… oooh! And yes, that groovy upbeat song that many of you have articulated to really dig is going to be there, and it’s called “It Strikes You” not the “fast one” as it is usually referred to :P

Well, I better go and expand on my “in the pocket” drumming and hopefully you will hear it in the next album. Thanks again to all our friends and fans for helping us make this mini tour possible. We look forward to playing in the States again in the nearest future and hopefully maybe getting down there by plane next time to avoid the painful neck twists.

By Ann Brody,

Half Past Four's drummer.                   

Pictures from Progday and New York can be viewed by clicking on here.