Friday 10th & Saturday 11th October 2025 are two days which shall live long in the memory of your reviewer and Mrs Lovely Wife.
During my interview with Clive Nolan & Laura Piazzai for my Progzilla Radio show, which you can listen to as a podcast at https://progzilla.com/imaginaerium-in-conversation-with-lazland/ , both insisted that we really must go to the live premiere of Siege at The Mead Hall in Herefordshire. Now these two are not the type of personages you refuse. They are perfectly lovely, and lovingly insistent!
In truth, I was so glad I booked. Both The Rise of the Medici and Siege are superb albums, rightly rated very highly on this website, and the prospect of meeting these talented artists was too much to refuse. Further, after several years of intense caring responsibilities, we felt that a treat might be in order, so a very nice hotel in the heart of Hereford, very near the cathedral, was booked.
Now, at the foot of this review, you will see that we took a couple of photos, but that was it. I am a proud member of The Robert Fripp School of Gig Photography & Videoing, which is to say that I believe in the gig as an immersive experience, there to be savoured and cherished without the distraction of filming or photography. Similarly, I didn’t take any notes for this review. I would have missed far too much of what was a wonderful set of shows, so what you see here is my summary of proceedings from memory, in my opinion the proper way to recount an experience.
On Friday evening, we were treated to a brand-new production of She, Clive’s musical based upon the novel by H. Rider Haggard. Now, a confession. I had heard of this, but until Friday had never heard a note of it, an error corrected immediately when purchasing the CD from the very well stocked Merch Desk. Strange, really, because I have both Alchemy albums by Clive (the third is imminent), Song of the Wildlands, and, obviously his work with Laura Piazzai. What I will say is this. Put aside any biases you might have about “musicals”. You know, “I hate The West End” and similar such expressions. Think of these works as Rock Operas, if that eases any innate prejudices.
The original contained such talent as Agnieszka Swita (if you haven’t listened to the Illuminae album she collaborated on with Ian Jones of Karnataka, you are missing out on one of the finest albums of the 2020’s), Alan Reed, Christina Booth, John Jowitt, and Scott Higham, with, obviously, Clive himself.
As Mr Nolan has had a busy old year, he entrusted this version of the story of Queen Ayesha, “a journey of music, mystery, and imagination”, to director, Robbie Gardner and musical director, Ross Andrews. What a job they did.
The part of the Queen was played by Natalie Barnett (who also sang on the Saturday acoustic set and provided backing vocals on Siege, as well as a couple of beautiful versions of Medici tracks), and that of her erstwhile lover by Ryan Morgan, who happens to be her brother. Now, these two extremely talented, note-perfect, singers were responsible for building the Mead Hall itself. Yes, they are builders. Who happen to have the most incredible voices. Indeed, all the vocalists and the lovely Caamora Norway Choir, were exceptional. I had a brief chat with Gemma Ashley, who played Ustane, who was so modest when I told her just what an impact her voice had on the story.
The whole thing was simply magnificent theatre, a story brought vividly to life, the emotion of the transformation into The Fire Hag palpable. You could tell that Clive was proud of this interpretation. If you don’t have any of his musical works, this is a very good place to start.
Paul Wrightson, who was Arena’s lead vocalist on Pride and The Visitor (the latter easily a top three Arena album, and from which much of the acoustic set was drawn) was present in the audience, and what a pleasure it was for us to sit next to him, a real gentleman. I think it is a measure of the man Clive Nolan is that he can attract former vocalists (Paul Manzi and Wrightson will be with him in the next Mead Hall event) to these events. Usually in the rock world when people leave, it can be a fraught and bitter experience. Judging from the banter between Clive & Paul here, no such trauma.
Clive utilised vocalists from across the weekend for the acoustic set, which included our first hearing of Laura live. Arena, of course, are a bombastic prog rock band, expansive with a room filled with sound. It is, therefore, a measure of just how strong and effective these songs are that they can work with a piano and vocalist. Nothing else. That is a measure of quality songwriting. It was a magnificent couple of hours of music.
Following a group photo (see the gallery below), we had an extended break whilst the main players prepared themselves for Imaginaerium.
I wasn’t expecting any music from The Rise of Medici, so when the show started off with a selection of tracks from a special album, this was both a surprise and a treat. Clive and Laura have always strived to bring a tangible reality to bear of Eric Bouilette and his part in bringing the project to life, and I like to think that he was with us in that hall, approvingly nodding along to the music.
Laura Piazzai’s voice is an instrument, her delivery dripping with empathy, emotion. Indomitable doesn’t really come close to it. She lives and breathes these parts, and you could only stare in wonder at what came out. I might add that Natalie’s couple of songs were also special, and to hear Never Close Your Eyes and Glass Throne performed, two of the finest songs of 2022, in that intimate setting was special indeed.
And, thus, on to Siege. History. Society. Personal. It is a given that one of the tracks on this wonderful album will win a “track of the year” award on this website, and to hear the band play the bonus CD version of Footprints was a highlight, but even this wonder paled into comparison with When My Eyes Are Closed, the staggeringly emotional track Clive wrote about his mother, who has dementia, but has the verve, vitality, and love to insist upon attending her son’s music, and it was such a joy to see her there. I tell you; Clive and Laura produced on this one of my most memorable musical experiences, the pair of them so intense, so full of love, so in the moment. Worth the entrance price alone.
I have spoken about some fine vocalists at this show, but I should include Mr Nolan in this. He has one hell of a voice, and his performance on Blood Moon, the album closer, especially was incredible. Before this. Laura was the personification of Boudica. She is that warrior queen reincarnated, I tell you, and when at the close of Blood Moon, she said “unleash the storm”, it wasn’t a meek request, a polite suggestion. No, it was an order, one which had to be obeyed, and, thankfully, the rip-roaring guitar solo which followed it, as Clive and Laura were escorted out of the hall by the impressive Blackcrow Vikings (present all weekend), was incredible, so a word here about Simone Milliava & Mirko Sangrigoli.
These are two young men, the former a doppelganger of our son, Ioan. Indeed, after the show, when I congratulated and thanked him for such a wonderful performance, I had to stop myself from adding, “proud of you, son!”. They have a deep affinity with this music, and I have always admired the ability to use acoustic instruments to amplify a mood in music the way I saw on Saturday.
We met some lovely people over the weekend. An interesting chat about “mild hypochondria” whilst queueing for the toilet, the marvellous diversity of nationalities present (UK citizens were in a minority), the lovely chap who has attended all Mead Hall Events (and, thus, won a special badge alongside a decent number of fellow loyalists) and was a latish convert to prog, the director who is turning Alchemy into a film, and a special mention to Glenn Williams – Glenn is based in Japan, and has been for many years. He has also interviewed Clive & Laura, and you can check out his website at www.writerinjapan.com Well worth a visit, and the distance he travelled to see this, well. A lovely chap.
The last mention, though, must go to Clive & Laura. I have been a fan of Clive’s playing and music since he joined Pendragon, slightly later to the party with Arena (Contagion was my first Arena album), but soon caught up, love the band, and highly recommend his other projects. Pop along to clivenolan.net to see details. Clive is a highly intelligent man, very approachable, and clearly intensely proud and protective of his musical career and legacy. He worked and socialised tirelessly over the weekend, and the planning that went into this event was, I have no doubt, his imprint. Yes, he has many loyal and incredible people with him, but Mead Hall is his vision.
Laura Piazzai. We have been online friends since I reviewed Rise of Medici, and she is so talented. Indeed, let me quote the virtuoso Nick Fletcher when I interviewed him recently and told him we were to visit Mead Hall to see Imaginaerium. Straight away, he asked me to give Laura his love, and said what a supreme musician she is. He is right. Laura is not merely a larger-than-life character (a descriptor which can be slightly stereotypical), but the best way to describe her live musically is the way she brings the words and characters to life. A huge vocal range, an imperious presence in the centre of the stage. Away from the stage, simply lovely and so easy to talk to.
In 2025, we have seen massive publicity and money changing hands for the Oasis reunion tour, with the Manc Boys playing massive stadia and charging a bloody fortune for the masses in their bucket hats to tag along with 69,999 other souls in soulless arenas. There were some 70 passionate humans in Mead Hall to witness Clive and Imaginaerium’s music. Know what? We had far more fun. We had far better interaction. We had a far better (that ghastly corporate word) “experience”.
The next event is in May and will feature Arena alumni. At this stage, our attendance is unlikely owing to other plans, but we will return. For those of you reading interested in an immersive live experience, in a beautiful rural setting, in a hall with sonic delights, I must recommend that you consider going.
If (I hope when) this wonderful project goes on the road for a more extensive tour, it will be an essential visit. I will definitely travel a fair distance to see a full stage show. Bringing two class albums to life in such a fashion makes this an experience not to be missed.
A wonderful weekend.
Thank you!
