Albion in Parkvilla Theater

4 September 2026

Albion – Parkvilla Theater, Alphen aan den Rijn



That was phenomenal!

It all started with a message from Albion’s  bandleader, composer, singer, guitarist and fluteplayerJoe Parrish-James: "could they play in Alphen aan den Rijn again? "
Lenne and Hans from Serious Music didn't hesitate for a second. Dates were shuffled, and September 4th turned out to be the perfect match. Hans booked the hotel, and the gears set in motion.

Thanks to a joint promotional push by Serious Music, MrBowlersViews.Music, and the band itself, the effort paid off—a wonderfully packed Parkvilla Theater was treated to a masterclass performance.

Logistically, it was quite the puzzle. The band crossed over by ferry and needed to travel light, which meant my own drum kit got squeezed into my Kia Picanto (a car with a mind-boggling amount of interior space). We started setting up at 3:00 PM, and soundcheck went exceptionally smooth—no surprise when you're working with absolute pros on stage and Steven Loos, a brilliant sound engineer, handling the board for the theater.

Before the lights went down, Ron ‘Brew’ Brouwer conducted a few interviews for his radio show, and we welcomed guests who had traveled all the way from Germany, including Jethro Tull superfan Jogi Neumann.



Stepping in for Lenne Huisman to handle the intro, I got to share a fun piece of trivia: Joe Parrish-James is a former member of Jethro Tull, and Jack Clark is Tull’s current guitarist. Or, as Ian Anderson once put it: Albion is a band that writes about swords in stones and ladies in lakes.

Then, they blew the roof off!

The setlist featured plenty of material from their latest album, It Was In The Month Of May, mixed with tracks from Lakesongs of Elbid and the Pryderi EP. Albion was already great, but they’ve elevated their game even further. Joe is the ultimate frontman, delivering stunning flute and guitar work, while Jack Clark—who also contributes vocals—showed exactly why he’s earned guitar god status. A fantastic new addition to the lineup is vocalist Rhiannon Parrish-James, Joe’s sister, whose voice blends effortlessly with his.

As a drummer myself, it was a pure joy to watch Ollie Medlow absolutely lay into my kit—in the best way possible; what an absolute powerhouse. Meanwhile, bassist Peter Szypulski anchored the sound with fantastic playing, brought to life with a great sense of humor. On top of their original material, they treated us to a Lindisfarne cover and a brilliant Black Sabbath medley featuring flute lead lines.

A warm reception is one thing, but the sheer volume of CDs, vinyl, and T-shirts I sold at the merch table spoke for itself. The glowing feedback from the crowd was endless and completely deserved—the band was at the top of their game. We're thrilled Albion made the trip to Alphen aan den Rijn, but make no mistake: this band is built for much bigger stages and major festival grounds. Success is absolutely guaranteed!