Progressive metal may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is definitely a phenomenon that is here to stay, and that has also brought a much-need input of new ideas to the often stale prog scene. As a result, an increasing number of events specifically dedicated to this subgenre are cropping up both in Europe and America. Europe, however, seems to have the edge in this respect, also helped by the fact that it is relatively easy for festival organizers to get public funding, and therefore avoid imposing steep ticket prices on would-be attendees.
The latest addition to the roster of progressive metal festivals, Generation Prog 2011 is an ‘inside job’, so to speak, being the brainchild of Relocator bassist Michael Schetter (formerly Pruchnicki). The event, scheduled to take place on September 23 and 24 in the historic German city of Nuremberg , will see the participation of 8 European bands, including local acts Effloresce, Ocean Spout and Theory of Elements, as well as Relocator (whose live keyboardist, Sergej Schamber, is also a member of Ocean Spout). The line-up will be completed by two British bands, To-Mera and Haken, ground-breaking Dutch ‘jazz-metal’ combo Exivious, and Swedish outfit Andromeda as Saturday night headliner.
As the schedule is not yet 100% final, I would recommend that anyone interested in attending check both the event’s website (which is in German, with a shorter English section) and its Facebook page for the latest updates.
By way of a conclusion, I would like to praise Michael Schetter and his collaborators for taking the plunge, and investing so much time (and possibly money) into the organization of an event that will serve as a showcase for up-and-coming bands, as well as more established ones. In my view, this is the way to go, if we really want the progressive rock scene to survive and prosper for a long time.
Fire of Unknown Origin 
This is great news. (… Even if on the other side of the globe!)
It really feels like progressive music can use “a good shot in the arm” about now. Perhaps American progressive music festival promoters will see that there really IS a market audience, and — like most anything these days — it takes a concerted (pardon the pun) effort to be successful.
Past success does not guarantee future success, especially in such challenging economic times. Most people involved in promoting prog (such as yourself, Rafaella) appear to be working harder than ever behind the scenes to generate and maintain fan interest — and momentum for the genre, as a whole.
Thanks for posting this.
Thank you for the kind words! Yes, I think the US should follow the European example, though there are still too many people stuck in a time warp, as the unfortunate NEARfest cancellation has proved ‘quite clearly. Let’s just hope the lesson has been learned, though I wouldn’t hold my breath…
(Sorry for the misspell, Raffaella!!)