InProg

InProg is an international progressive rock festival held almost yearly since 2001 in Moscow, Russia.

The festival was organised by the Russian Rock-magazine InRock.

The whole reason for the original festival came to be the visit of Azazello to Norway. Azazello played on a Norway festival with Wild Willy's Gang (coverband featuring Willy Bendiksen and Jørn Lande). Azazello stopped in Moscow for a while so a concert with other bands was held. Responses were very good so it was decided to make it annual. However, because December isn't the best time for a festival it was moved to the beginning of the year, therefore, year 2002 was skipped.

Most of the performers in this festival are progressive rock artists from Russia, but there are progressive rock artists from other countries too. The idea is to put well-known artists and unknown artists in the same concerts so more bands will gain recognition.

The organizers of this festival called it "a festival of intellectual music", because except giving to progressive rock artists to perform they also give to Jazz and other genre artists to perform. The official slogan of the festival is "Music for the brains".

Since the festival began in 2001 its popularity grew from year to year.

Since 2004 the festival was taking place in the biggest Moscow rock-clubs, B2 in 2004 and 2006, and Apelsin club in 2005.

In the year 2005, the festival turned into an international two-day festival, with legendary progressive rock bands not only from Russia but from other countries to coming to perform in the festival.

Though there was an InProg 2007 festival planned, it did not take place because of a low financial situation.

In 2008, after kind invitation of "Empty Hills" festival, the largest uncommercial open-air festival in Russia, InProg re-emerged as "InProg on the Hills", sort of "festival in festival". It took one evening on one stage ("Empty Hills" was 4 days and 4 stages with all kinds of different non-commercial music from blues and folk rock to rock-underground, jazz/fusion, progressive...).

And finally, upon finally getting a sponsor - Danish footwear company Ecco, InProg organizers decided to change its name for "Ecco Prog Fest". First "Ecco Prog" took place at 29 November 2008 in familiar "B2 Club", Moscow, with Swedish Flower Kings as headliners. Russian bands this times were Apple Pie from Kursk, Batisfera and Kostarev Group from Moscow.

"InProg on the Hills" was to continue on "Empty Hills'2009" festival. There was big progressive rock section planned, consisting Kostarev Group, Vespero, Jazzator, Disen Gage, Rada & Ternovnik, Symfusion Orchestra, Lost World, Apple Pie, The Worm Ouroboros, Aziris, Vespero. However, the festival was nearly cancelled due to logistical problems caused by heavy rains. Most of the planned bands were told to stay at home and only 3 bands were able to come to the festival location and play: Kostarev Group & Jazzator (12 June) and Vespero (13 June). Disen Gage first planned to arrive, but eventually, things did not work out.

2009th Ecco Prog Fest was planned at 24 October at "Yauza Palace", Moscow. However, because of financial reasons it was reverted to InProg Festival and moved to smaller venue DOM (but on the same date). Musically the Concert was a big success and the organization went very smooth, but the whole tendency of decreasing audiences and lack of people's enthusiasm continued, making the future of the festival again very uncertain.

Meanwhile, the rescue came from prog enthusiast from Yaroslavl' town, who offered to make local branch of the festival. A new festival called "Yaroslavl' InProg" became a mix of musicians from Moscow and Yaroslavl' and happened, to local success, even twice in a year 2010.

"InProg on the Hills" has continued in 2011. A mix of Russian and Ukraine bands played there, including well-known Sunchild.