For one weekend in November, the heart of live Prog music in the UK is beating just fine & dandy in a small town on the Norfolk coast; indeed, it’s positivity thriving. Those good people at HRH have only gone and done it again - Great Yarmouth became the epi-centre of all that is wonderful about the current Prog scene. HRH Prog returned to its home base of Camp HRH, a.k.a. the excellent Vauxhall Holiday Resort in Great Yarmouth… and what a return it was. They delivered a truly splendid weekend.

FFA have long championed the delights of indoor, residential events held outside the traditional festival season. They are part festival, part gig, and part cabaret all rolled into one, a winter tonic, a chance to get the festival fix without the hassle, or the mud! Vauxhall Park is an ideal location; it’s a bright, modern, 21st century holiday complex, with excellent accommodation options, decent facilities, plenty of bars and eatery choices, and a couple of excellent auditoria. The quality of the sound and visuals on the stages would put many dedicated music venues to shame. Additionally, the town is nearby if you need to break free of HRH’s gravitational pull for a few hours.

Of course, HRH Prog, is, by its very nature, a ‘single genre’ event. But don’t be fooled – the diversity of music on offer blew our FFA Reviewers away (more of that later in this Review). Like all the best festivals, HRH Prog brought together a knowledgeable crowd of like-minded souls, sharing a common culture, and delighted to revel in the collective experience of some of the best Prog acts around. There was a real sense of community here… and our FFA Reviewers had a ball.

HRH offers ticket only, as well as multiple accommodation options in the various lodges, Pods, and mobile homes around the site. The choice is yours to pick the price point to suit. Upsells abound, so you can tailor your individual experiences accordingly.  Whatever accommodation option you choose, the VIP Upgrade is worth serious consideration as this includes access to private unplugged sessions, after parties, VIP viewing platform as well as 10% discounts around the bars and restaurants, and 20% off HRH Event Merchandise. An additional fifty quid for your party buys access to Wednesday nights Red Carpet HRH Prog Awards, and importantly, an extra night’s accommodation in your property – making HRH Prog a FOUR-night extravaganza! It’s well worth the dosh - the Awards are good fun and kick-start the weekend in fine style. Live acts, (including a twenty-minute cameo from the on-form Hawklords), a chance to spot a few famous faces, and that all important extra night to ease gently into the flow.

HRH have been in this game for decades, and the infrastructure and organisation were excellent as always. HRH is bigger than the transient artists it presents year on year, and one can safely book a future HRH event with the certain knowledge that the event will be first rate, irrespective of the bands on offer. The programming matters of course, and this year’s crop of performers were excellent. No fillers at HRH!

So, to the artists themselves. HRH cram in a lot of acts across the weekend, and what follows is what worked for FFA’s intrepid Reviewers. It’s not a comprehensive list; it never could be, as space constraints, and FFA getting up to mischief, saw to that. In may well be that your favourite acts of the festival don’t even get a mention here. If so, then more fool us. The overall quality was so high, this experienced Reviewer has nominated several acts as 'Set Of The Festival'. It’s all opinion after all [Discuss]. Now hold on tight - here’s some of the artists that happened to rock out FFA:

Thursday

Following on from their Awards victory slot the previous evening, Hawklords properly fired up engines to deliver a storming set. You can always spot the signs of a great band actively touring – slick, tight as a nut, and all delivered with apparently effortless precision. Tracks from new album ‘Faith’ featured, but it was a thunderous ‘Machine’ from 2024’s ‘Relativity’ album which stole the set for FFA. That, and a poignant tribute to ‘absent friend’ Nic Turner, culminating in a glorious take on ‘Brainstorm’. Wonderful stuff. FFA caught the always entertaining EBB later. A fine outfit delivering ‘Prog from a feminine perspective’ (their words!); and indeed, it was. For a single genre festival HRH Prog positively thrives on diversity, with EBB providing further evidence, if any were needed, of the depth and breadth of the Prog genre. A cracking rhythm section drove it all along nicely and this was a splendid hour.

Only day one, but one of the sets of the festival in this Reviewers ‘umble opinion from a superb Headspace. A band new to FFA, we walked in and initially thought the band just another outfit delivering a pleasant enough rock & rock racket. Then some extraordinary keyboards kicked in, and suddenly we were captured in the band’s melodic joyride. We certainly weren’t prepared for the operatic drama of The Prog Pavarotti, frontman (and man-mountain) Damian Wilson. What a stager, the guy owned the room from the off. A terrific set – musically and lyrically excellent. These were songs as stories – ‘music to make you think’, Wilson said. They nailed it.

FFA wound down with some splendid late-night soundscapes and hypotonic beats from Earthdust at the After-Party. Excellent end to an excellent day.

Friday

The day hit an absolute high for FFA with the superb Refestramus. What an excellent outfit this Chicago band are, almost Gong-eque in character (and that’s not a compliment FFA bandy about lightly). The band were graced to have old stager, and Van Der Graaf stalwart, Dave Jackson guesting. (Playing Alto & Tenor sax concurrently?  Then two Cornets? Yep – that’s the guy!). Never mind the appreciative crowd, even the band seemed in awe of the great man at times! Interesting vocal timbre intertwined with fine musicianship across the board had this FFA Reviewer transfixed. Another excellent HRH Prog find. You have started to spoil us HRH.

Two giants of the Prog scene dominated Friday for FFA. First up, Curved Air. The Prog band that started it all in the wide and wild young eyes of this Reviewer all those years ago and changed my musical direction for ever... Listen, the fact that Sonja Kristina was my teenage crush in those days is totally irrelevant. OK? Anyroadup, a musical extravaganza throughout, with violinist Grzegorz Gadziomski’s take on ‘Vivaldi’ absolutely stunning. Just the tonic to lead into a two-hour set from the mighty Focus! Just look at Thijs van Leer’s face, will ya? He grins from ear-to-ear whenever he graces a stage. The man absolutely loves what he does – and it’s infectious. It radiates out across the auditoria. A Focus gig is a joyous occasion. The applause for a wonderful version of Moving Waves epic ‘Eruption’ (one of the bands favourite tunes, apparently) nearly took the roof off. In a weekend blessed with musical excellence and some first-class axemen – this FFA Reviewer will put himself out there and state that Focus guitarist Menno Gootjes was arguably the best of the whole event. The word Mesmerising does not do the guy justice; it helped, of course, that van Leer has surrounded himself with some exceptional musicians, and the two-hour set time allowed space for every band member to excel. Another contender for set of the festival. Excellent stuff.

The After-Show gig ‘Kick Out The Jams’ was, well, a rather raucous jam session, highlighted by Teiger’s Talie Rose Eigeland free forming a moving and emotive take on Portishead's ‘Glory Box’. Spellbinding.  

Saturday

The HRH programming schedule is top button. Whilst HRH Prog, is, well, a ‘Prog’ event, the artist roster for Saturday in particular, proved how diverse Prog acts, in their many guises, can be whilst remaining true to the Prog ethos. Kindred Spirit brough some excellent Folk-Prog to the party, whilst Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate delivered us Banter-Prog (yes, OK, I’ve just made that one up), where their jocular demeanour point and counter-point the intensity of the material. FFA thought them excellent – and blimey, that bassist can dance!

Sweetpool’s take on Punk-Prog was superb, and literally had the seated elements out of their chairs dancing. It was hundred mile an hour stuff, and FFA loved ‘em. There is an attractive dark edge to this crew, with ‘Back To The Factory’ song of a great set. Now then. The Brackish!!! This Experimental-Psychedelic-Rock-Prog outfit (No, this FFA Reviewer can’t define them either – always a good sign) were up there as arguably another set of the festival. FFA loved their deep, intricate soundscapes, part wild improv, part free form meanderings, part Floyd psychodelia circa 1968. It’s a crazy ride; the guys do a lot of kneeling down, programming and discordant tuning (!?!), and the interplay between Smith & Cawthra sometimes damn near inspired – FFA have never witnessed a tremolo arm given such a thrashing! How much is free-form and how much structured is all part of their charm and attraction. Brilliant booking, HRH.

Atomic Rooster still cut the mustard, with the musical virtuoso talents of Gautrey exceptional. The guy has just the presence, looks, vocal style, and instrumental skills to deliver the Rooster vibe to perfection. His renditions of the Rooster classics alongside Steve Bolton faultless. Class Act. Class Band. Another fine act followed with the Blues-Prog of Foghat, slick, professional, and polished, as most top North American based bands tend to be (Asia as Exhibit B, m’lord). Original member Earl still pulls most of it together of course, with their take on Waters ‘I just want to make love to you’ one of the songs of the day.

All roads led to the Pomp-Prog shenanigans of an Asia featuring John Payne set. The excitement was tangible and by far the best audience reaction of the weekend. The set flew by, with Payne pacing the stage like a colossus – he held the crowd from the off. The man and his cohorts certainly merited the top billing. Difficult to pick highlights in a set of so many, but ‘The Longest Night’, and a thumping ‘AI’ version of ‘Arena’ (you needed to be there), were first-class, but perhaps unsurprisingly, it was ‘Sole Survivor’ that brought the house down. A fantastic band to close a fantastic weekend.

Well, there you go. And the bottom line? HRH Prog 15 2025 was a tremendous festival weekend on every level. Roll on 2026!

Article by Barrie Dimond

Inspired photography from the one and only Simon Dunkerley @SD Photography