Powerage Records Sign Bigelf!
Classic Rock’s very own Powerage Records are excited to welcome cult Los Angeles progressive rock band Bigelf to its roster. The bands latest album ‘Cheat The Gallows’ is set for a pan European release September 7th, 2009. Get tickets for Bigelf with Dream Theater on the Progressive Nation Tour!
Steeped in traditional progressive rock values yet displaying a striking modernist sound, ‘Cheat The Gallows’, invites comparisons to a number of cornerstone rock acts from the Beatles to the White Stripes and all points in between. With a highly organic sound hand-crafted from vintage instruments – including Melotron and Hammond Organ – together with the inventive song writing ability of front man Damon Fox, the album pulsates with a sense of purpose that suggests a group on the brink of something very special indeed.
Spotted by former Four Non Blondes front woman Linda Perry and signed Stateside to her label Custard Records, the band have delivered one of the most creative and impressive rock records of the year.
‘Cheat The Gallows’ contains 10 tracks of dazzling musical virtuosity; ten unbelievable tales of cunning complexity made hugely accessible by virtue of simple melody and wonderfully evocative lyrics. Extraordinary music performed with pin-point accuracy and a sense of adventure that few other acts in this day and age are prepared to make the necessary sacrifice to achieve.
Says Damon Fox, leader of Bigelf: “Honestly in this day and age, getting a label to release your music is getting more difficult. But when a label specializes in classic rock, totally understand where we’re coming from, I know that’s where we belong. I’m very pleased and proud to have POWERAGE making our music available in the UK and Europe.”
In support of the album release you can catch Bigelf on the road throughout Europe and the UK in Sept/October as part of the inaugural Prognation tour headlined by Dream Theater.
“It’s sounds cliché but the European tour with Dream Theater is a dream come true for us” admits Damon Fox. “Although we’ve never played any, our music is built for arenas and now I hear our destiny calling. When I first met Mike Portnoy (Prognation instigator and Dream Theater drummer), I felt like we were cut from the same cloth, a brother from another mother. We could talk rock & roll for eons. Being added to the Progressive Nation tour feels like the planets have aligned for us and the elves have finally come home to Rivendell. The mentality of Dream Theater and Progressive Nation reminds me of a quote from the great Willy Wonka, ‘There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination. Living there, you’ll be free if you truly wish to be…’ We eagerly await our return to Northern Europe and on a special note, we have never performed in England. This has driven us completely mad over the years. We are just brimming with passion and excitement to be able to bring our music back to the homeland which has inspired us so deeply.”
Mike Portnoy: “Los Angeles’ Bigelf are my personal favourite new band to come along in many years… whilst ‘Cheat The Gallows’ is my favourite album of the year/
Pretty soon, everyone will hopefully be falling for their retro, psychedelic, progressive, hard rock, doom metal as hard as I have!”
Prognation dates are as follows:
Sep 23 – Helsinki, Finland @ Ice Hall
Sep 25 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Hovet
Sep 26 – Oslo, Norway @ Spektrum
Sep 27 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ KB Hallen
Sep 29 – Berlin, Germany @ Arena
Sep 30 – Bydgoszcz, Poland @ Luczniczka Hall
Oct 02 – Hamburg, Germany @ Sporthalle
Oct 04 – Paris, France @ Zenith
Oct 06 – Lille, France @ Zenith
Oct 07 – Rotterdam, The Netherlands @ Ahoy
Oct 09 – Apollo Manchester, UK
Oct 10 – Wembley London, UK
Oct 11 – SECC Glascow, UK
Oct 17 – Forest National Brussels, Belgium
Oct 18 – Frankfurt, Germany @ Jahhrhunderthalle
Oct 19 – Ludwigsburg, Germany @ Arena
Oct 22 – Porto, Portugal
Oct 23 – Madrid – La Cubierta
Oct 24 – Barcelona – Olympic de Badalona
Oct 26 – Milan – Mediolanumforum
Oct 27 – Rome – Palalottomatica
Oct 29 – Bologna – Future Show Station Arena
Oct 30 – Conegliano, nr Treviso – Palasport
Oct 31 – Ljubljana, Slovenia @ Tivoli
The band will also undertake their first UK headlining dates in November – Details to follow.
Bigelf ‘Cheat The Gallows’: September 7th 2009 on Powerage Records.
For on line resources please see:
This is really good news. They are a band that defies any real description, listening to the two albums I have “Hex” and “Cheat The Gallows’ is a guilty pleasure. They have soaked up many different influences and it brings a smile to your face when they hit you.
Just a few names to whet your appetite; Sabbath,Purple,Beatles, Queen with a bit of glam rock and prog all in there as well. I hope they get a chance to continue making music for fun without boundaries.
I’m really pleased or Big Elf. I have liked them for a while. Great name as well. “Ladies and gentlemen…BIG ELF!”