Carl Palmer Sets ‘Return of ELP’ Tour Using Footage of Late Bandmates
by Best Classic Bands Staff
Carl Palmer has announced 2023 U.S. dates for the “Welcome Back My Friends – The Return of Emerson, Lake & Palmer” tour. The tour’s original announcement notes: After exploring the idea of a hologram tour in detail, Palmer, the sole surviving member of the legendary prog rock trio, in conjunction with the Estates of Keith Emerson and Greg Lake, opted for what they felt was a more honest approach using live footage of Emerson and Lake on massive video walls alongside Palmer (and his band) playing live on stage. The voice and instrumentation of Lake and the unmistakable keyboard mastery of Emerson will be mixed through modern technology with Palmer’s onstage live drumming to magically reunite ELP once again. More dates in other parts of the world will be announced later this year.
Watch the presentation of “Lucky Man” from a concert in Dec. 2022
Emerson and Lake passed away nine months apart in 2016, leaving Palmer to carry on the band’s enormous musical legacy.
“About five years ago I explored the idea of trying to reunite the band using digital holograms,” said Palmer in the announcement. “We saw a few shows of other artists but it did not seem like an honest approach. Then we realized the film we made of ELP’s sold out run at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 1992 had everything we needed. We were able to use just the camera shots of Keith and Greg, with the sterling audio tracks of their performances resulting in a combination of film and onstage performance that brings back the magic of ELP.”
Here is more of what music fans can expect:
After establishing themselves in bands such as The Nice, King Crimson, and The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, ELP formed in 1970 as one of rock’s first (and biggest) supergroups. With record sales of over 50 million and decades of sold out tours through the 1970s and again in the 1990s, Emerson Lake & Palmer has remained one of the best-selling classic rock bands of all time. The tour coincides with the new BMG box set of classic ELP hit singles pressed on vinyl with reproductions of the original picture sleeves, part of the label’s ongoing 50th anniversary campaign for the band.
The tour will start in the U.S. in the fall and eventually play all over the world where ELP toured throughout its career.
Welcome Back My Friends Tour Dates (Tickets will be available here)
Jul 08 – West Jefferson, NC – Saloon Studios Live
Jul 11 – Green Bay, WI – Epic Center
Jul 13 – Fort Wayne, IN – Froelinger Theater
Jul 14 – Erie, PA – Warner Theatre
Jul 15 – Lorain, OH – Lorain Palace Theater
Jul 20 – Lorain, OH – Loraine Theater
Jul 21 – Warren, OH – Robins Theater
Jul 23 – Columbus, OH – Southern Theater
Jul 24 – Edwardsville, IN – The Wildey Theatre
Jul 25 – Edwardsville, IN – The Wildey Theatre
Jul 28 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theater
Jul 29 – Westbury, NY – The Space at Westbury
Related: Listings for 100s of classic rock tours
1 Comment so far
Jump into a conversationPlease, please, have Welcome Back My Friends tour return to North Carolina. I loved the Legacy Tour. Please come back for some Southern hospitality from your NC fans.