There are two fundamental questions every aging rock star has to face as their audience’s attention fades with age and familiarity: What will I do after I can’t do this anymore? How will I be remembered when I’m gone?

Last month, I hunkered down to the old Zoom box for a conversation across the pond with Carl Palmer, drummer for three legendary progressive rock acts (Atomic Rooster, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Asia) to talk about his current projects. I came away convinced the 73-year-old will never have to answer the first question, and as to the second … he’s working on it.

Palmer will bring The Return of Emerson, Lake & Palmer tour to Foellinger Theatre on Thursday, July 13.

Tech reforms supergroup

Emerson, Lake & Palmer were the original progressive supergroup, bringing together keyboardist Keith Emerson of Nice, singer/guitarist Greg Lake of King Crimson, and Palmer fresh out of Atomic Rooster. They were the rare supergroup that really did work well together, and ELP produced eight landmark progressive albums in the ’70s, beginning with 1970’s self-titled record. They combined stunning technical skill with elaborate arrangements to produce some of the most complex and innovative music of their time.

After a few rounds of reunions and breakups, the band parted ways for the final time in 2010. Sadly, Emerson and Lake died within a few months of each other in 2016, effectively ending the band. But in a world of virtual meetups and shape-shifting video technology, perhaps the ELP concept could live on.

This brings us to Palmer looking for a way to recapture the old magic in a post-pandemic world. He considered the glitzy new field of the hologram concert. He spent some time looking into the holo-concert, investigating the technology with the critical perfectionism for which he is famous. It wasn’t good enough.

“I wasn’t happy with the demos that I’d seen in L.A. or Toronto,” Palmer said. “I wasn’t knocked out with what I saw on YouTube. I thought Ronnie James Dio was OK, but it wasn’t great. Whitney (Houston), ABBA, yeah, nice to see all of them, but it wasn’t … it.”

But he had something most legacy acts don’t have: an extraordinarily complete, pristinely captured recording of a decades-old concert. 

“Between myself and my manager, Bruce Palato, we came up with an idea to use some footage of Greg and Keith at the Royal Albert Hall in London. This was shot in (1992). So, here was a moment in time where it was a five-camera shoot. The audio was recorded separately, which means I can actually have a new mix. On the night when you hear Greg singing and Keith playing all the keyboards, everything can all be done separately, and my original drums can be wiped away. So, I can add the drums for that evening at that moment in time.”

Sifting through footage

The concept for Welcome Back My Friends: The Return of Emerson, Lake and Palmer was born. Palmer in the center playing his mammoth drum set live, flanked by crisp screens projecting the images for Lake and Emerson. The pre-recorded performances have been painstakingly mastered for this tour, and their instruments are mixed live at the venue for sound quality and musical accuracy that can’t possibly be matched elsewhere.

Along with the massive crystal-clear video displays, Palmer will be joined on stage by Paul Bielatowicz and Simon Fitzpatrick. Both are virtuoso performers who have been touring as Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy. They reimagine the epic 1971 album Tarkus, replacing the synthesizers with guitars at a skill level that impresses even the ever-critical Palmer.

This production did not come about quickly or easily for Palmer. The original recordings spanned two lengthy shows over two nights at Albert Hall. The concerts were staged and illuminated to be filmed, with sound recorded for a DVD release to a very demanding audience. 

Palmer now had access to all the original recordings: all five cameras, both nights. The first step in sifting through hours of that material in 2021 was tough on him.

“It was quite an emotional first three weeks,” he said. “Looking at all the stuff, not having seen the guys, because as you know, they both died in 2016. So it was quite emotional for the first three weeks. But after that, I was the man at work, ready to go and get this sorted and get it done.”

Seeing into future

At this point, I should note Palmer in no way looks, talks, or acts like a 73-year-old man. He is energetic, quick-witted, and moderately impatient. He has better and more interesting things to do than most people and is going to go do them. I have seen video of him playing drums recently and he is in remarkably good shape for a man half his age. This project clearly became a consuming passion for him and he’s proud of what he has produced.

When talking about the wonky hologram shows compared to something at this show’s level of technical execution, he is unwavering.

“I definitely know that Keith and Greg would have wanted it to be like this,” he said. “So I’m very proud of that, and I’ve managed to deliver it for them.”

For those who wonder, the project has the full blessing and support of Lake’s and Emerson’s estates. It has completed a couple of short tours and has more dates coming, including Japan and an eventual worldwide tour. These venues are a lot smaller than some of the massive stadiums ELP filled in the ’70s, but Palmer has perspective on those days.

“I did enjoy those times and I did enjoy those places,” he said. “You’ve got to understand though, that they’re very impersonal when you’re up there in a place that holds 20,000 people. It’s very weird. It’s just you and the band because there’s no connection. So there’s a bigger connection here and with the screens in these smaller places. And I’m enjoying it. So what can I say?”

It may sound like he’s wistful for the good old days, but Palmer has his sights set on the future. 

As we were wrapping up, I asked about how he sees the future, and he was enthusiastic. The classic 1973 ELP album Brain Salad Surgery touches on themes of technology taking over human lives, with clear parallels to the 2023 rise of everyday artificial intelligence. He saw that connection very clearly.

“Artistically, we’re looking at what we can do with Brain Salad Surgery and I’m sure AI is going to be involved with that,” he said. “And who knows, and that might be an AI composer who’s fed all the information of ELP, come up with some ideas. What ELP would have done for this, who knows? Yeah, I’m ready for it. Only got one life, you might as well push every button.”

How will Palmer be remembered? He’s pretty solidly the ultimate supergroup drummer. He’s got an autobiography coming out soon. He promised me it would be “very to the point” and I believe him. Hopefully he’ll tell us how he wants to be remembered. But if not … being known as the guy who pushed every button sounds pretty accurate to me.