In the early 80s, a prog-rock revival was just about as unlikely a music occurrence as one could have dreamed of. Punk rock had heralded the harsh wind of change in 1976, and although the phenomenon actually lasted less than a year the after-effects were felt for much longer. The ensuing interest in new wave helped forge the New Romantic movement of the early 80s. In the interim, the grubby yet more fun approach of the NWOBHM had seen heavy metal take on a new form, which would have equally far-reaching implications for the genre.
Taking threads from all of those – yet rooted in the prog-rock movement of the early 70s that had nurtured the rise of the likes of Genesis, Yes, ELP and Pink Floyd – was the new wave of British prog rock: bands such as Marillion, Pallas, Twelfth Night, Pendragon and IQ.
“We didn’t look like hobbits,” says former IQ keyboard player Martin Orford (now with Brit proggers Jadis), reflecting on some of the more cosmetic reasons why these new younger bands differed from the old guard. “And we weren’t your typical prog rock band in as much as we hadn’t been to public school. We were all from a working-class background.”
Socially, given the public-school background of a band like Genesis or the art-school start of Pink Floyd, as well as the more intellectual approach of these bands, the perception was that prog rock was the domain of the youthful public schoolboy. No one would deny the appeal, although writing from experience, prog rock was no more popular at public school than heavy metal, punk or the pop fad
