The Soundle Weekend Music Festival 2024

A story that began at the legendary Marquee Club in London’s Wardour Street finally arrives at the chapter PROG journalist Martin Kielty describes as “Solstice becoming the band they were always meant to be”

With the beguiling presence of new vocalist Jess Holland and following the release of 2020 album Sia, Solstice have become THE band to catch live this year. With a string of high profile festival appearances from Glastonbury to Milan, the band’s star continues its rapid ascendance while UK, US and European festival promoters alike add Solstice to their lineups.

 The new album, Light Up, will no doubt continue their upward trajectory bringing their music to an ever growing audience. Loved by luminaries like Steven Wilson and Greg Spawton of Big Big Train, Solstice remain a band you’ll never find in the mainstream yet whose music continues to enthrall music fans old and new.

ABOUT   THE   BAND

Long Earth is a prog rock band from Scotland, four decades in the  making. All seasoned campaigners of the Scottish music scene, they came together through a shared love of progressive music.

In 2017 Long Earth released their Debut album The Source, popular with  prog fans, DJs and rock writers alike, and began building a local audience at  their gigs around Central Scotland. The Source was a serious statement of intent,  showcasing the instrumental and songwriting prowess of the band. However,  their identity was not fully formed until the arrival of Martin as the band’s new  vocalist in 2018 during the writing sessions for the second album, the album  that was to become Once Around The Sun. The third album is well underway, and is due for release late 2023.

Amanda Lehmann is an international solo recording artist, performer, composer, singer and guitarist, also known for her collaborations with former Genesis guitarist, Steve Hackett.

After a musical career spanning over three decades, singer/songwriter/guitarist Amanda released her debut solo album Innocence and Illusion in 2021. The recording, which features 9 songs, sees a fusion of prog, rock, ballads, and elements of jazz-blues, takes us on a journey through magical childhood worlds and hard-edged realities; emotionally touching us at every turn.

Amanda’s career has incorporated thousands of live shows, performing extensively around the UK with her own band in the 80s and 90s and latterly touring with Steve Hackett between 2009 – to date. Since the release of ‘Innocence and Illusion’, Amanda also acoustically performs her own material. Amanda also enjoys collaborating with other musicians and features on many musical projects.

The Sussex-born, now Norfolk resident has always adored singing, and throughout her childhood would grab any opportunity to sing whether in a solo capacity or as part of a choir. As a teenager, she began to study the styles of various vocalists from Stevie Nicks to Pat Benatar; Alison Moyet to Joni Mitchell, to work out what techniques they used and forging a vocal style of her own. “My vocals are always adapting” says Amanda “I like to vary my style according to the song I’m singing; different techniques work for different songs. I particularly love constructing multi-layered harmonies.”

Originally classically trained on the piano, Amanda fell in love with the power of the overdriven guitar. Self-taught, she went ahead and learnt tricks and tips from experienced players, all the time creating a style combining influences of rock, blues and folk. 

Ghost Of The Machine formed in January 2021 when five former members of This Winter Machine — Graham Garbett (guitars), Mark Hagan (keyboards and piano), Stuart McAuley (bass, Moog pedals and Mellotron), Andy Milner (drums) and Scott Owens (guitars) — joined forces with vocalist and flautist Charlie Bramald (also known for Nova Cascade, Shadows On Mercury and Age Of Distraction).

Taking the best elements from their previous endeavours and combining them with key influences such as Rush, Marillion, Dream Theater and Genesis, the band pushed forward in a heavier, adventurous and exciting direction which resulted in their critically acclaimed debut release Scissorgames. With the album complete, Ghost of the Machine took it to the stage throughout 2022, appearing at the inaugural Soundle Weekend and Danfest 11, as well as sharing stages with bands such as Franck Carducci And The Fantastic Squad, IT, Haze, The Dame and The Far Meadow.

Ghost Of The Machine was catapulted to Prog Magazine’s #2 unsigned band in the readers’ poll for 2022, an impressive honour for a band in its debut year. Scissorgames was named the best album of 2022 by ProgPhonic + Prog Rock For Beginners (now Game Of Prog) and Check It Out at ProgRock.com, and best debut by Music In Widescreen. It ranked as the #1 album of 2022 with the listeners at Prog Explorations Plus, and #3 from the writers of Background Magazine.

The band built on the momentum and the accolades in the new year, naturally working on new material, and starting off the live calendar with a lauded appearance at The Fusion 4 Launch Event, followed by a rapturous response at Winter’s End 2023.

John Hackett has been a much-loved and admired figure in the progressive rock scene since the mid-70’s; best-known for his flute work with his brother, former Genesis guitarist, Steve Hackett on albums such as Voyage of The Acolyte, Sketches of Satie and Please Don’t Touch.

‘Progressive’ music in our sense of the word is based on rock-solid song-writing coupled with hot jazz drumming, melodic, funky bass, outstanding guitar in the form of Nick Fletcher (often compared to the late great jazz-fusion maestro Allan Holdsworth), and John Hackett himself – whose flute playing has graced so many albums and travels with such ease between classical, folk and rock.

Drawing on songs from John’s solo albums Checking Out of London and Another Life, the evening also features material from the band’s debut, We Are Not Alone, the Hackett/Fletcher album Beyond the Stars and tunes for JHB’s new release due out Autumn 2023

John Hackett – vocals, flute, keyboard

Nick Fletcher – lead guitar

Duncan Parsons – drums, vocals

Jeremy Richardson – vocals, bass, acoustic guitar

That Joe Payne is a classically trained vocalist with backgrounds in prog, pop, and rock music, remembered by audiences for his impressive 5-octave range and flamboyant showmanship.

The singer has released no less than 14 albums with various artists since his career began in 2011. As well as producing solo material, Payne’s collaborations include work with John Holden, Zio, Methexis, and The Enid.

Personal achievements include being voted Best Male Vocalist for two years running (2014 & 2015) in the Prog Magazine Readers’ Poll. He also received 3 Progressive Music Award nominations in 2013 and 2015 for his work with The Enid, including Best Band, Best Album, and Best Event.

In 2019, Payne was invited to support Marillion at their fan-weekend at Port Zelande, NL.

The Emerald Dawn are a multi-instrumentalist, symphonic progressive rock quartet, who combine elements from classical music, jazz and rock to produce their own original, distinctive and exciting sound—a sound that is cinematic, epic, experimental and powerful. Usually haunting, often beautifully melodic and always highly atmospheric, the music of The Emerald Dawn paints images or tells stories that stimulate the imagination and takes the listener on unforgettable musical journeys.

Blackheart Orchestra is officially the smallest orchestra in the world. Two people playing 13 instruments between them, Chrissy Mostyn and Rick Pilkington perform in what has been described as a ‘musical space station’ of instruments including guitar, bass, percussion, mandola, piano, organ, omnichord and their collection of vintage synthesisers.

After over 1000 concerts and 3 albums they’ve played everywhere from Southampton to Sydney including London’s Palladium and Royal Albert Hall while piling up achievements from a nomination for the Progressive Music Limelight Award, Best British Duo, #4 Best New British Band, and #10 Most Important Rock Event of 2020.

Originating in the Pagan folk world, Spriggan Mist have been catapulted onto the British Prog scene after a critically acclaimed performance at HRH Prog XI at the 02 in Sheffield. It was there that The Spriggs’ as they are affectionately known were labelled as Progressive Folk rock, and doors were kicked wide open to mainstream festivals such as Weyfest and Cambridge Rock Festival. As well as some  great shows  on the Prog scene across the country

However you label them Spriggan Mist’s version of Progressive folk rock  is diverse and somewhat eclectic, blending overdriven guitars  with instruments such as Saxophone, Recorders ,whistles  and even a crumhorn creating a perfect backdrop for charismatic  lead vocalist Fay Brotherhood to tell stories in that unique singing voice about Murderous Steampunk  Mechanical Dragons, The Fae and a whole number of other mythical creatures . Packaged together with  Jadoo Tribal Dance who are a Sword wielding, wing waving  tribal belly dance troupe, You leave a Spriggan Mist  show having been truly  entertained.

Spriggan Mist will be playing many songs from their latest album Isambard The Mechanical Dragon

The Beggs Sisters are Willow Beggs Ukulele, Guitar and Voice.
Lula Beggs Ukulele, Guitar and Voice. Nick Beggs Double Bass and Voice.

Willow and Lula were encouraged from an early age to follow their own musical paths by their musician father Nick Beggs, who initially found fame in the 80s with the band Kajagoogoo.
His later work with Steve Hackett and Steven Wilson enabled him to escape the 80s pop moniker picking up various awards and accolades along the way. Still part of the Steven Wilson Band and various other touring artists like Howard Jones, Beggs embraces a wide variety of genres refusing to be pigeonholed.

Although Willow and Lula are both studying for their degrees in art and psycho-dynamic counselling they are eager to play live and perform the myriad songs they have written over the years. With a wide gamut of influences they draw inspiration from life experiences, touching on diverse subjects such as depression, ecology and relationships.

In September 2022 the trio were guests of Marillion at the Brighton Dome were their close harmonies and beautiful songs wowed a new audience. “Folk music seems to be at the heart of what we’re doing, but we had discussed how we might find a way to play our songs together and tell stories about our lives. This format seems to be the most natural way right now.”