From the Nearfest website:

 

 

NEARfest is proud to be able to present for the first time in the U.S, the enigma that is The Enid. Called by many as THE band that actually *did* 'Rock the Classics' at a time which saw the rise of Punk music in Britain, this band were bringing in audiences up and down the UK by the thousands compared to the few hundreds that the Sex Pistols were attracting. Yet outside the UK they were and staggeringly largely remain virtually unknown. “The biggest cult band in Europe,” “banned by Glastonbury” and “feared by record companies;” just some of what has been said of The Enid.

Formed in 1974 by keyboard player Robert John Godfrey, who eschewed a possible career as a concert pianist, The Enid fused rock based music with the power, dynamics and scale of symphonic classical music. Godfrey had stopped hanging around the Royal Festival Hall and started hanging around the Roundhouse, where he met and joined the young Barclay James Harvest, living and working with them over a three-year period in a farmhouse on the Yorkshire Moors. The Enid signed first to BUK records, a tiny label which was then a part of EMI, and in 1976 released their first album, "In the Region of the Summer Stars", based on the Tarot sequence and on the writings of Charles Williams. Comparisons to any other bands were pointless; Progressive rock it wasn't, although in many ways it was what prog rock should have been. The most "indie" of the "indie bands", The Enid and their fan base took direct control of all aspects of their career, from recording to mastering, artwork to distribution – decades before Marillion took credit for the same ideas.

With band leader Godfrey at the helm, current members Jason Ducker, Max Read and Dave Storey are ready to unleash their insanity onto the NEARfest stage. With no less than 12 albums under their belt, The Enid are poised to continue further into the 21st century, culminating with their introduction to the U.S. courtesy of your friends at NEARfest. Prepare for U.S. first timers, The Enid as they will perform for the NEARfest faithful.

 

 

Formed by Bruce Soord in 1999 and initially as a solo studio project, The Pineapple Thief has grown into a globally gigging outfit. With seven albums under their belt and legions of fans throughout the world, The Pineapple Thief is constantly redefining the boundaries of progressive music. From humble beginnings, their debut album "Abducting the Unicorn" rose from the ashes of Bruce’s former band, Vulgar Unicorn and was released on Cyclops Records. Encouraged by a positive review in a major Dutch publication, Bruce ventured back into the studio and released the follow up, "137" in 2001, with "Variations on a Dream" following in 2003. CD sales continued to grow and fans continued to clamor for live performances that led to the formation of a full touring band.

The band were performing regular shows across the UK and Europe after which two albums followed, "10 Stories Down" (2005) and "Little Man" (2006). During this period the band line up had shifted, creating the current line up of Bruce Soord, Jon Sykes, Keith Harrison and Steve Kitch. After delivering a special album to Cyclops to fulfill their contractual obligations ("What We Have Sown" in 2007) the band returned to the studio to record their seventh album, "Tightly Unwound’." This was the inaugural release on the Kscope label which has subsequently featured releases by Anathema, Lunatic Soul and Steven Wilson among others.

Since its release in 2008, Tightly Unwound marks a significant step forward in the band’s development and highlights the maturation of their songwriting style. Previous reviews have drawn comparisons to Porcupine Tree, Radiohead, Sigur Ros and Pink Floyd but Tightly Unwound proves that The Pineapple Thief have moved beyond these influences to create their own unique sound. Their live shows have quickly gained a reputation as some of the most exciting around, delivered with an intense level of energy and passion. With drummer Keith Harrison being the nephew of Three Friends’ Kerry Minnear, a family reunion will be in order, so please extend a warm NEARfest family welcome to The Pineapple Thief.

 

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Past announcements:  Three Friends, Forgas Band Phenomena, and Astra ..