The Progressive Musings of Ken Slater – Episode 001
Ken Slater reflects on his musical history …
Born at the end of February 1957, I suppose you can say I am a child of the sixties. My musical recollections of the sixties came from the radio and the youth club juke box as my parents only had a small collection of 78rpm records. I remember being quite interested by songs rather than bands that I heard during the psychedelic era.
My true musical (PROG) journey started one night in 1970. I was visiting an Aunt when her son Keith came home from Walsall’s rock pub the Dirty Duck. He was slightly drunk (on barley wine) and for some reason, ravenously hungry. He asked me if I wanted to listen to some music and I said yes. He played me tracks from Led Zeppelin II, Frank Zappa’s Hot Rats and Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart. I was so impressed that I woke up the next morning wearing a cheesecloth shirt, loon pants and my hair had grown past my shoulders!!!!! Just kidding but it set something alight in me that today, is still as strong as ever.
I bought my first album that year (1970) it was ‘The Age Of Atlantic’, a sampler that included Yes, Led Zeppelin, Dada and others. To date, between CD, vinyl and digital music, I must own approximately 1,000 albums.
The first music I left my house to see was the Woodstock movie that same year (1970) but I did not make it to a concert hall until 1973. My first concert was Trapeze at Walsall Town Hall. I have now attended maybe 800-900 shows including ten Reading festivals, most of the Knebworth and Monsters of Rock festivals and six Cruise to the Edge prog cruises.
I have been a semi pro bass player since 1974 but most of my work has been in cover bands. In 1978 I inherited a PA and half use of a van and so started out as a rock DJ. During the NWOBHM (1980-83) I was one of the DJ’s who compiled the weekly Heavy Metal charts for ‘Sounds’ music paper.
Fast forward. These past few years I have been;
2013 to date: Member of the Production Team for Late Night Live on Cruise to the Edge.
2018 to date: Member of the Production Team for Prog on the Ranch in Tampa, Florida.
Until late 2023 and for seven years before, I was associate promotor of Prog concerts at the Robin Club, Bilston
Top 10 Albums (damn hard to choose)
- Led Zeppelin III
- Tarkus – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
- Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd
- Close to the Edge – Yes
- Trick of the Tail – Genesis
- Once Around The World – It Bites
- Misplaced Childhood – Marillion
- Transatlantic – The Whirlwind
- Octopus – Gentle Giant
- Hemispheres – Rush
SEE YOU OUT THERE!
Ken Slater. Wednesbury (The Black Country)
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