Artist description FLYING CIRCUS presents very 70ies inspired, dramatic progressive hard rock with varied instrumental passages and psychedelic touches.

Music Style Hard Rock/Progressive Rock

Musical Influences Led Zeppelin, Rush, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Deep Purple, Yes...

Similar Artists see above

Artist History Formed in winter 1988/89. First gigs in 1990. The semi-cover-group soon turns into a much demanded live act in its own right: The band plays numerous gigs mainly using original material in and around Grevenbroich, the home town of Flying Circus (somewhere between Düsseldorf and Cologne). A growing number of fans, a growing amount of commitment: The hobby project turns semi-professional - debut-CD on the 'Early Birds' label in 1997/98, growing interest of the music press, and more prestigious gigs in 1998, for example on the PopKomm, a huge music fair in Cologne (playing on stage for RTL, Germany's biggest private TV station), and the legendary 'Burg Herzberg-Open Air' (alongside 70ies-stars like Man, Colosseum, Wishbone Ash, Caravan & John Mayall). 1999 - a big anniversary concert in the band's home town, a first small tour through clubs in several German counties, a second CD in the making. Plus: recordings for a Pink Floyd tribute on Angular Records (titled 'Signs of Life' - other bands involved include Pendragon, Tiamat and Angel Dust). May 2000: The second album 'Out of the Waste Land' is published.

Group Members Michael Dorp (v)Markus Erren (b)Lorenz Gelius-Laudam (g)Falco Kurtz (d)Michael Rick (g)Roger Weitz (k)

Instruments Electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, drums, bass guitar and vocals (sometimes hurdy gurdy, mandolin, church organ etc.)

Albums "Seasons" (1998), "Out of the Waste Land"

Press Reviews "...Why the hell are these guys still without a proper deal?..."There are these moments of déjà-vu: A demo CD arrives on your desk and is accompanied by an info sheet that cannot exactly be called modest: It talks of a fusion "bringing together the energy of the hard rock of the 70ies and the artistic approach of progressive rock bands of the same period" and does not only cite GENESIS, JETHRO TULL and KING CRIMSON as influences, but also mentions "LED ZEPPELIN, BLACK SABBATH, DEEP PURPLE and URIAH HEEP" - and "of course all the bands that can be classified as 'somewhere in between' (RUSH, PAVOLV'S DOG, WISHBONE ASH, MANFRED MANN'S EARTH BAND, NEKTAR...)". Even while putting in the CD you still want to give these gentlemen who have seemingly gotten so above themselves, a landing permission - and then it is the reviewer himself who has finally got to face the harsh reality: "Everything they say is true!" The six FLYING CIRCUS artists mix RUSH-suspectible sounds, PINK FLOYD-like collages and GENESIS/PETER GABRIEL-influenced theatricals with elements of 70ies hard rock and modern metal in such a masterly and professional way, that you cannot help asking yourself over and over: Why the hell are these guys stil without a proper deal?Hard Rock & Metal HAMMER (Andreas Schöwe)------------------------------------------------------------------------"...the No.1 of their genre in Germany..."With this album FLYING CIRCUS have done themselves two favours at the same time: Musically, they have managed to progress in a very distinctly audible way, and image-wise the band should now be the No.1 of their genre in Germany. The reason why FLYING CIRCUS surpass all other prog rock contenders is perceptible in almost every song: "Living a Lie" is outstanding for its fanciful bird twittering intro and its development into a solid track with a lot of melodic variety. "Into the Water" is a fragile yet very intense ballad while "Turn Around" is memorable mainly because of its hypnotic build-up to the climax in the final part of the song. All this is outdone however by "See Me Trying" where the Middle Ages make their entrance in an unusual yet unusually convincing way. Even Steve Hillage could not have made a better effort at his peak! Likewise, "Waste Land", a delicate acoustic ballad is simply beautiful and convincing with its Celtic touch (great hurdy gurdy employment).Good Times (Hans Jürgen Günther)------------------------------------------------------------------------"...one of THE prog surprises of the year..."The credo of FLYING CIRCUS reads: fusion creates something new - HardProg. (...) With its maxim the band has not coined an empty phrase, no... they play their motto. The description "LED ZEPPELIN meets prog rock" (the opener The Edge of the World e.g.) could be applied to most of this CD fittingly, but this would not do full justice to the shifting of moods at work here. Sometimes, the distinct influences of RAINBOW, URIAH HEEP, SAGA, PINK FLOYD and RUSH can be heard. (...) If you think all this must result in an incongruous hotchpotch of influences and styles you are more than wrong. FLYING CIRCUS mix all this into a flowing, intoxicating and refreshing cocktail of exquisite rock music. Adding to the great atmosphere are the excellent, somewhat old-school type sound and the artistically immensely commendable booklet, which was completely designed by the band members themselves ... yet another plus point for FLYING CIRCUS. Highlights include the opener The Edge of the World, Turn Around, the folk/psych-soaked opus Talk and Thought and the melancholic and pensive prog-glider Holding on.ConclusionOne of the prog surprises of the year! This band stands an excellent chance to break out of the underground if it keeps at it promotion-wise at the internet front.8 points (of 10)DURP (Markus Weis)------------------------------------------------------------------------"...a sound and absolutely internationally competitive performance..."(...) Fans of sophisticated (and mostly very long) prog numbers will definitely like the album, but as I do not view myself as a member of the boys' target group, the only thing left for me to do is to acknowledge them a sound and absolutely internationally competitive performance within their genre. Whoever finds him- or herself liking bands like KANSAS or SPOCK'S BEARD, should perhaps give this home grown band a chance. Why look further away then neccessary?8 points out of 12Heavy, oder was!? (Martin Brandt)------------------------------------------------------------------------"WOW!..."WOW! I already had the honour of reviewing FLYING CIRCUS's debut album, and back then I could not help noticing very clear 70ies influences by the likes of LED ZEPPELIN oder DEEP PURPLE. You can still hear this on the new album, but it has become definitely less marked. I noticed immediately that FLYING CIRCUS have progressed - and I like htis very much! The compositions simply sound much more elaborate compared to their debut. Not only is there more originality - somehow everything is much more energetic. A distinguished mark maintained is the unique voice of singer Michael Dorp. Sometimes you are not quite sure whether there is a man singing or a powerful female vocalist a la Robin Beck. What I also like are the folk touches of some songs (...) I can especially recommend the CD to those who like solid German high-quality workmanship and who share their musical roots with the bands mentioned above or the whole 70ies.Empire (Robin Stierkat)------------------------------------------------------------------------"...a deliberate voyage back to the 70ies..."Three years after their debut "Seasons" FLYING CIRCUS have released a very promising successive CD called "Out of the Waste Land". The musicians from Grevenbroich have not only stuck to their self-coined style of "HardProg" - they have even refined and expanded it. "Out of the Waste Land" sounds much more progressive and complex without giving up the 70ies-like sound the band strives for (...) FLYING CIRCUS do not only come across as very authentic but also manage to have sound and music match each other perfectly. In addition, there is elaborate ensemble playing and a masterly variation of more dynamic and more atmospheric passages. Even some folk touches fit in immensely well. (...) Sometimes FLYING CIRCUS definitely let early RUSH spring to mind. On the one hand their very good singer Michael Dorp has a vocal range which reminds the listener of Geddy Lee more then once, and on the other hand there are some arrangements and moods that sound as if they were borrowed from the Canadian trio. Further discernible influences are LED ZEPPELIN whose acoustic side is echoed in some passages. But enough of the comparisons, especially the broad instrumental parts which create a lot of tension and let the music take many a surprising turn, still make FLYING CIRCUS come across as highly original. With the required drive, yet also the space to let a number slowly develop and build up, the band also demonstrates its abiliy to compose songs. A deliberate voyage back to the 70ies which does not only unify hard and progressive rock, yet lively re-defines it on CD and on stage.12 points out of 15Progressive Newsletter (Kristian Selm)------------------------------------------------------------------------"70IES ROCK AND TODAY'S PROG":(...) FLYING CIRCUS have concentrated in fusing together 70ies hard rock with progressive elements of the present in order to create something new and original out of the mixture. Still the band often displays a certain weakness for some good old LED ZEPPELIN, and the vocals supplied by Michael Dorp certainly have a share in that. (...) The opener "The Edge of the World" starts very promising and is quite an intricate piece you will certainly have to listen to more than once. "Living a Lie" is no less interesting, and it is here that you will feel taken back to the 70ies for the first time. "Into the Water" starts with a beautiful atmosphere: Acoustic guitar and gentle vocals play a prominent role - a number that will invite you to dream. The following number, "Turn Around", also starts quite subdued, and it is here where the 70ies fully come alive - LED ZEPPELIN could not have made a more successful effort. "See me Trying" is quite a fanciful number that comes up with a great instrumental part round about the middle of the song. The short folk-like instrumental "Waste Land" is then followed by "Talk and Thought"- the longest number of the album by far and a song that pulls out all the musical stops: Sometimes harmonic, sometimes driving, sometimes shuffling, and FLYING CIRCUS do not neglect the importance of melody for a minute! The short "The Light" is less convincing, but then "Holding On", the second track with a duration of more than 10 minutes, is a sheer prog feast: marvellous keyboard sections alloy with powerful vocals and a wonderful employment of acoustic guitar really great, you've got to hear this! The last number, "No Reason to Worry", is just as convincing and revives the 70ies completely in a spectacular finale. To sum it up: With "Out of the Waste Land", FLYING CIRCUS succeed in combining the rock of the 70ies with today's prog, thereby creating a piece of work that reminds us of some of the great bands yet still manages to sound pretty unique.(85 points out of 100)The Progressive Corner (Werner Watarczyk, Switzerland)------------------------------------------------------------------------"...six individual musicians whose ensemble playing is top class..."A progressive band that stands by its influences! FLYING CIRCUS play a colourful blend made out of everything that was precious in the 70ies. This includes LED ZEPPELIN, PINK FLOYD, YES, GENESIS, JETHRO TULL, but also Krautrock etc.! This band mixes all of it without so little trouble that listening to their secon allbum is a sheer delight. (...) The best number of course is the 13:34 minute long "Talk and Thought" - a piece that can almost be called a symphony! FLYING CIRCUS - a German band with six individual musicians whose ensemble playing is top class. Praise also goes to bassist Markus Erren who keeps spicing things up with his interesting lines.Bassprofessor (Roland Kaschube) ------------------------------------------------------------------------"...an impressive and self-assured display of fine musicianship."CD OF THE WEEK: (...) this album is unbelievably well produced and professional. The musicians have also attached a lot of importance to the packaging, and thus the CD comes with a beautiful booklet and lavish illustrations. As to the music a warning has to be issued beforehand: People who suddenly develop skin disease when names like PINK FLOYD or URIAH HEEP are mentioned, definitely should stay away - FLYING CIRCUS have committed themselves to 70ies hard and prog rock heart and soul! For people who like this kind of music however, "Out of the Waste Land" is a must. Songs like the opener "The Edge of the World" or the epic "Holding On" have got everything you might like these styles of music for: great guitar solos, wonderful melody lines and finely dosed psychedelic elements. With their second album FLYING CIRCUS certainly do not completely reinvent the whole of rock music but do offer an impressive and self-assured display of fine musicianship.Junge NGZ (Daniel Möltner)------------------------------------------------------------------------"...complex compositions and sophisticated lyrics..."Considering the hardly discernible flood of faceless la-di-da prog rock combos playing with as much pressure as a flat bicycle tyre and being as innovative as a Tory party conference, it as almost an occasion to celebrate when you come across a progressive band that blows complex compositions and sophisticated lyrics through your speakers with the necessary drive and joy of playing. FLYING CIRCUS from Düsseldorf (named after the famous Monty Python series) are among these rare representatives of the genre because they appealingly combine the basic foundations of 70ies hard rock à la DEEP PURPLE/RAINBOW/LED ZEPPELIN with classical art rock, mid-seventies kraut rock and a pinch of eighties brit prog. As the melody writing is alright as well and the songs for the most part still prove effective after listening to the album more often, "Seasons" can be recommended to the prog community without any scruples.Rock Hard 4/98 (Michael Rensen)------------------------------------------------------------------------"...this is no heedless affair..."The songs are called "Follow the Empress", "Antigone's Lament and Triumph" or "Interior Monologue" and for the most part have a running time of five to eleven minutes. No doubt about it: this is the land of progressive rock, which in the 70ies blossomed so well in Germany that so-called "kraut rock" became a genre in its own right. And after 20 years of deep sleep FLYING CIRCUS from Grevenbroich are daring enough to continue where GENESIS, YES & ELOY once left off unable to make any headway. The ten years of giving concerts before recording its debut show in the band's playing - this is no heedless affair. And today's tougher spirit is paid homage by carefully interwoven elements of hard rock.Stereo 4/98 (Hans-Jürgen Günther)------------------------------------------------------------------------"...the debut of a talented band...Keep it up!"This is the debut of a talented band (..). "Hard Prog", the label promises, and both the cover and the statistics (various longtrax, the separation of one song into distinct parts, a running time of more than seventy minutes) promise a typical prog album. Wich it is not. The band (...) is indeed intrigued by the seventies but rather not by YES, GENSESIS or KING CRIMSON for a change (nor by DAVID CASSIDY - don't worry). Musically, their direction is closer to bands like FRUMPY or URIAH HEEP (there's the typical organ at the beginning of "Footprints in the Sand" for instance, and in that very song the guitars sometimes recall WISHBONE ASH). The eleven minutes of "Never Again" could have come straight out of MANFRED MANN's "Roaring Silence" phase. Their main influence however, is definitely LED ZEPPELIN. This begins with Michael Dorp's lead vocals, continues with the guitars (just take a look at "In All Ways and Always"), and ends with the occasional practice of borrowing influences from the Middle East still exercised by Mr. Page & Mr. Plant. FLYING CIRCUS are at least as good at this, however: the album runs on through smoothly without any of the songs letting you down. (...) The artwork deserves praise, too: not only the front cover is convincing; the paintings used in the booklet must also have meant a lot of work. (...) Keep it up!Melodic Journey (Renald Mienert)------------------------------------------------------------------------"...a sound that comes across like a psychedelic version of RUSH..."(...)"Seasons" belongs to the kind of albums which don't immediately leave you in ecstatic bliss but then sink in as very appealing when you listen to them as a whole and more than once. The dirty sound that sometimes almost seems like a reissue and comes across like a psychedelic version of RUSH or even reminds us of LED ZEPPELIN - all this and the interesting voice of Michael Dorp are obvious characteristics of a production well worth listening to. Although the basic direction exhibits more Hard Rock elements and still seems straightforward despite some longer tracks, oriental influences, acoustic guitar duels, and psychedelic tendencies provide the music of FLYING CIRCUS with some interesting aspects. Interspersed with some solemn solo efforts, this is seven musicians trying to live up to their 70ies ideal.(Progressive Newsletter, Nr. 19, Mach 98)------------------------------------------------------------------------"...an absolutely noteworthy debut, arousing curiosity about further works."(...) their progressive rock is definitely fit to be heard and presents a good mixture of classic and modern elements of the genre. On the one hand, their singer Michael Dorp is far above the average level with a high pitched but at the same time powerful voice which does not invite comparisons to his better known colleagues but stands out in its own right. On the other hand the mixture of guitar and keyboard parts comes out very balanced. (...) And last but not least the guys really had good ideas when writing the songs, which even justifies running times of more than eleven minutes. (...) on the whole, this is an absolutely noteworthy debut, arousing curiosity about further works.(Oldie-Markt, June 98)------------------------------------------------------------------------"...a lavish feast for melody fanatics..."(...)This circus definitely is broadly lined-up: In addition to seven regular band members, there are six guest musicians playing. Accordingly, "Seasons" comes across rather perfected and thick. Interspersed with many good ideas, the band presents a lavish feast for melody fanatics, sounding pleasantly smooth, and with incredibly varied parts. (...)(Hanf, June 1998)------------------------------------------------------------------------"...an album particularly fans of rock music of the 70ies will like..."No: "Seasons", debut album of Rhineland based band FLYING CIRCUS, definitely does not sound like a CD recorded in 1997. Hadn't I taken a look at the beautifully designed Booklet illustrated with atmospheric self painted pictures, I would have been utterly convinced that I was hearing an album from at least 20 - 25 years ago. After a vocal introduction partly sung in harmony (about one minute long) I immediately felt as if I had been taken back to good old LED ZEPPELIN times (regarding this song, particularly to the "Presence" phase). And this is not only due to the remarkable voice of Michael Dorp, often reminding me of Robert Plant and in the higher pitched parts also of Geddy Lee (RUSH). The album then continues with typical early/mid-70ies hard rock and early-70ies prog touches, some prominent organ sounds and occasional psychedelic passages from the same era. Yet "Seasons" does by no means sound outdated, the production comes across as clear and the atmosphere as fresh and lively. On the whole this is an album particularly fans of rock music of the 70ies will like and which especially starts to sparkle after listening to it several times.Sophisticated Rock Magazine (Thorsten Beckmann)------------------------------------------------------------------------"...up-to-date handling of multicultural influences..."(...) Their colossal line up of two guitars, keyboards, drums, bass guitar and vocals already hints at a rather bombastic sound. Michael Dorp's vocals very obviously point into the direction of the high pitched vocal gods of the 70ies who paved the way for the definitive scream metal of the 80ies. By taking a look at the tracks on their recently released CD "Seasons" you cannot fail to notice that these Monty Python fans do take their time to develop songs and let the melodies grow. This is aided by a variety of instruments partly ensured by various guest musicians. Thus the listener gets to hear beautiful acoustic guitar duets or the sounds of oriental stringed instruments reminding me of THE TEA PARTY and their up-to-date handling of multicultural influences (...)Coolibri (Ulf Kneiding)------------------------------------------------------------------------"...a first class example of heavy, intelligent progressive rock..."FLYING CIRCUS (...) are a seven piece band, featuring the vocals of Michael Dorp (who sounds amazingly close to David Surkamp of PAVLOV'S DOG or Geddy Lee of RUSH). "Seasons" is their first album, and has already attracted attention in Germany, where it led to them appearing on the bill of the 1998 Burg Herzberg Festival. Listening to the opening track, "The Jewel City", it's not hard to see why they went down well at that event. With a riff that comes straight out of earlier RUSH, it is a first class example of heavy, intelligent progressive rock. "In All Ways and Always" opens with a Tabla and Acoustic Guitar instrumental (reminding me of "Black Mountainside" by LED ZEPPELIN), before heading off into folk influenced rock. "Supersonic Man" has a neat keyboard introduction before paying homage to RUSH once again. (...) I feel that they've got the potential to be an interesting force in German Prog.Progression (USA)------------------------------------------------------------------------"...a really strong feast for your ears that everybody should check out!"YES, YES, YES! This newcomer album is definitely worth listening to, altough you will be reminded of good old Jon Anderson's outfit by every bar the band plays. 'Circus'-like is the cover, good lyrics, nicely packaged, colourful and spacy, as you would expect with this kind of music. (...) Accordingly, the sound is rather bombastic and retro-like while the songs are rather long (up to 12 minutes), sometimes conceptionally divided and accoustically brought across with a lot of drive. The broad fantasy lyrics are presented in a thick booklet with many pictures and a fitting art-cover (...) These guys really know what they're doing musically, this CD is a lot of fun. Apart from lack of originality, this is a really strong feast for your ears that everybody should check out!Klangwelt (Andree Kübler)------------------------------------------------------------------------"...the band offers a brilliant production and excellent songwriting, highlighting their sense for melody and building tension in the songs..."FLYING CIRCUS is (...) a band that has just released its debut CD "Seasons" on the small but precious EARLY BIRDS label. The album has already aroused a some enthusiasm because it can be considered as pretty unique these days. (...) That the band took a lot of time before recording their debut clearly shows on the album, which has a respectable duration of 74 minutes (...) You can compare FLYING CIRCUS's sound to that of LED ZEPPELIN or early RUSH, which is partly due to singer Michael Dorp's voice often reminding us of Robert Plant or Geddy Lee. The fine, sometimes vaguely oriental sounding guitar performances by Lorenz Gelius and Michael Rick also have a share in that. (...) For a debut, "Seasons" already must be viewed as a magnum opus. Songs like "I All Ways And Always", "Interior Monolgue" or "Never Again" are top class, and in thess cases the attribute "progressive" even is an apt description in its literary sense: The band offers a brilliant production and excellent songwriting, highlighting their sense for melody and building tension in the songs (...)5 points out of 6Rockin' Germany (Carsten Agthe)

Location Colognedusseldorf Area, North Rhine Westphalia - Germany

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