I have a great many music books in my collection, but this is a new style for me, namely a book of concert photos taken over the tours which tied in with the last three Solstice albums, ‘Sia’, ‘Light Up’ and ‘Clann’, which collectively are known as ‘The Sia Trilogy’. There is a foreword from Greg Spawton (Big Big Train) who tells of the first time he saw the band at The Marquee, contributions from Jerry Ewing (who says he loved them the first time he saw them as well), Martin Kielty and Oz Hardwick along with quotes from various reviews. I note none of mine have been used, so I must try harder!! The rear cover is by Andy himself, who is still pinching himself over what has happened to the band in recent years, as if ever there was a long-term overnight success, then it must be Solstice. They formed in 1980 but only hit the widespread prog consciousness 40 years later, although there were always those of us who felt they deserved much more, and finally it has arrived.
This collection of photos by Howard Rankin is simply superb, as what he has managed to achieve is project the sheer joy the band have onstage every night, and bring it to those of us who have been unable to get to the gigs. The layout is clever in that it keeps changing so we do not know what to expect when turning the page, which has more impact than seeing the same thing every time. Broken into separate gigs, Howard has wisely understood there is much more to the band than just Jess or Andy, and instead he captures great shots of all involved, both individual and group. It is also nice to see some photos of Clive Bunker who was in the band in the Nineties and joined them onstage as a guest when they played Cropredy. There are a few effects on some shots, but they are used sparingly and really add to the artistic element of the book as opposed to detract.
For me this collection really captures how much fun everyone has onstage, how much they obviously love playing music with each other, and how they totally dispel the old view of prog bands (and fans) being navel gazers as the energy is dramatic and enthralling. These guys are moving, and even Andy is keeping up with the young ‘uns. It is so visual that one can “hear” the band playing, even though this is a printed book with no music (perhaps the Kindle version could come with ‘Clann: The Stables Gathering’ as accompaniment?). If one is a fan of the band then this is simply essential, and if you have yet to come across them then this clearly shows why you need to investigate their music further.
The last two photos are of Andy and Jess, with the former being the winner of the Prog Magazine Award for Best Guitarist in 2024, and the latter winning the Best Vocalist award a year later. It is a very long time since their excellent debut album ‘Silent Dance’ in 1984, but finally they are reaping the rewards they deserve, and this excellent book clearly demonstrates that.
