Richard Barbieri & Grice

On the off chance that you happen to be a fan of the contemporary English neo-prog scene, you’ll already be familiar with Richard Barbieri. The composer is perhaps best known as the erstwhile keyboardist of the defunct progressive rock band Porcupine Tree. The unfortunate demise of one of the most consistent bands in modern prog hasn’t taken the wind out of his sails, though – Barbieri released his third studio album, Planets + Persona, back in January. Determined to carve out a niche for his solo work amongst his already obscure and extensive back catalogue of collaborations, Barbieri has certainly succeeded at putting himself on the map – right by Exeter, to be specific. This Thursday he’ll be translating the ambient, oddball excellence of his latest LP to a live setting, and its likely leftfield beauty won’t be a thing to miss.

Sharing the stage with Barbieri will be art-rock maestro GRICE. His music decorates the more experimental side of rock music with glitch, electro-acoustic and ‘post-pop’ stylings, making for some pretty intriguing material. This year’s Refractions EP was his first effort since 2015’s masterful Alexandrine, which was one of the most impressive and accessible forays into the esoteric underbelly of British rock music I’ve come across. If you fancy a demonstration of just how melodic and moving experimental music can be, head down to Phoenix this Thursday for an evening of wonder and wonderful music.

Photo Credit: Last.fm