Manticore
the tribute to Emerson Lake & Palmer
Welcome back!
Manticore
the tribute to Emerson Lake & Palmer
You want to know more about Manticore? You've come to the right place! Manticore is undoubtedly the preeminent tribute to ELP in the USA - but don't take our word for it...
Come inside, come inside!
BASIC INFO
i
Years active:
2017-present
Genres:
Progressive Rock, Art Rock
Origin:
Lynbrook, NY, USA
Names:
Rob Shepard-Keyboards
John Cristando-Percussion
Ron Ponella-Vox,bass &
guitar
Labels:
none
About:
PURPLE WAVE
We are Manticore - the tribute to ELP.
We’re a tribute show paying homage to the legacy of the incomparable 70’s symphonic rock band, Emerson, Lake & Palmer. We faithfully reproduce the music that, in the early 70’s, had a powerful & vital impact on the burgeoning music scene at the time. They took classical pieces by the masters - Bach, Tchaikovsky, Bartók, Copeland, Mussorgsky, Ginastera, Brubeck - and reinterpreted them in a way that the original masters could never have foreseen. ELP infused them with the wilder elements of rock ’n roll - distortion, rhythm, power & flash. They established a foundation for future bands such as Yes, Rush, Kiss, Queen & Dream Theater and raised the bar for rock bands, enticing them to go big or go home by performing this music in concert halls, stadiums & arenas worldwide.
We have grabbed the gauntlet and are attempting to run with it. Please check out our videos on YouTube, peruse our bios & backgrounds on the Manticore-the tribute to ELP Facebook page & tell your Emerson, Lake & Palmer loving friends about us.
News
Manticore has grown and actually flourished in the last year. As news spread, we've expanded from being a 4-piece group of avid ELP fans trying desperately fill the void left by Keith Emerson and Greg Lake's 2016 passing, to being a correctly represented 3-piece show, able to fill theaters and excite ELP-hungry audiences with accurate representations of their music and shows. Thank you all for spreading the word and letting your friends know that there's an Emerson Lake & Palmer tribute show in the US that's worthy of your notice. There have been ELP tributes in the past - Noddy's Puncture in the UK, most notably, has been the mainstay since the mid-80's and continues to this day (and we've all become ELP-brothers in the last six months)! But aside from NP, there have been very few intrepid warriors throughout the world with the drive and focus required to sustain the energy and spirit level required to tackle and conquer this amazingly challenging material. Thank you for believing in us, coming to our shows and helping shift the tide from being a "niche audience" to being mainstream.
Just so you're aware, we now have a monthly enewsletter called 'Core Fans Monthly Enewsletter. It's purpose is to keep you up to date on all things Manticore and give you behind-the-scenes insight on how and why we do what we do, when we do it. It's not a secret, and it's much more comprehensive than checking in on the website for updates. Scroll down to our Contact section or go on chat and send us your email address and you'll be officially signed up to get our monthly Enewsletter. We send you up to date info on events, upcoming shows, gear updates, additions to our repertoire, new things to watch for in our stage show, stuff like that. Sometimes we get personal and give you a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes activities you might want to read about. We also welcome your input. Send us your questions or comments and we'll bring you into the conversation.
If you'd like to see previous enewsletters, scroll down to the What You've Missed... section and you can view previous newsletters.
That said, catch us in Florida in March at the Prog on the Ranch festival and if Florida's not a thing for you, we'll be back up north at Daryl Hall's place Daryl's House Club in Pawling NY in April. The cannon seems to be working these days and we're celebrating the Brain Salad Surgery album's 50th anniversary this year, so you'll be able to catch us playing the entire Karn Evil 9 Suite! Thanks for checking in, see you on the road!
January 9, 2024
June 30, 2023
July 15, 2022
Lets start with my visit to the UK and lunch with the late, great Greg Lake’s wife, Regina Lake. We sat for hours at J Sheekey’s in London, talking about ELP, Manticore (the label AND our tribute show), Greg, Keith and Carl, and kids and grandkids and life in general. She’s very sweet and we love having her as a new addition to our family.
Next, days after our June show at The Stitch, in Tamaqua, PA, we returned to Pennsylvania to work with the Electronic Music Education And Preservation Project (EMEAPP) and participate in a commemoration for the 50th anniversary of the Trilogy album on July 6. We created a stage setup using Keith & Greg’s stage gear and recorded a live video performance of their Hoedown, complete with Keith’s Moog modular synth, his Goff-modified Hammond C-3 organ, Greg’s Mesa Boogie amp and his legendary Persian rug. What an absolutely incredible opportunity and experience!
Subsequently, I received an IM from Bill Goldman - the proprietor of the Crimson Sky Ranch in Masaryktown Florida - asking if Manticore would be interested in coming down to Florida and headlining at the Prog on the Ranch gathering next February. After saying no several different ways and explaining the difficulty of getting a non-touring band down to Florida, the very persistent Mr. Goldman was able to allay my misgivings and offer viable solutions to my logistical hesitancies. As a result, look forward to seeing Manticore at the February iteration of Prog on the Ranch, along with the magnificent Rachel Flowers and quite possibly the inimitable Paul Bielatowicz, from Carl Palmer’s Legacy Band.
That was a lot of drama and excitement over the last month. Now, we’re back in the lair, preparing for our upcoming show at The Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, Pa on July 30th. This is a new venue for us. It’s a beautifully appointed iconic and historic theater whose claim to fame is being the location for the filming of The Blob, starring Steve McQueen back in 1958. After this month, they can add “host to Manticore - the tribute to ELP” to their resume.
Lastly, coming up in August will be our debut performance at the illustrious Daryl’s House in Pawling, NY, owned and operated by rock & roll legend Daryl Hall, of Hall & Oates fame. I’m mentioning this now, because this show will be on August 21 - a SUNDAY, which is unique for us, since we prefer to do shows on Saturdays. We recognize the inconvenience of doing a show away from home on a Sunday night, but Daryl’s House is only an hour drive from Manhattan, in New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley, and since it’s a high-profile venue, we’re imploring our Manticoreans to please find a way to include us in your Summer plans. If we can impress them with a good turnout on a Sunday, they promised us a Saturday if we return in the future.
Thank you so much for following Manticore and helping us preserve the music and legacy of Emerson Lake & Palmer. We appreciate your appreciation and we want to continue to make this journey as fresh and exciting as possible for you AND for us.
It's been a while since we've updated our website NEWS section, and there's a reason - aside from neglect....
We now have the Manticore 'Core Fans Enewsletter! That has been the main delivery method of all news Manticore for the past year. It's not a secret, and it's much more comprehensive than checking in on the website for updates. Scroll down to our Contact section or go on chat and send us your email address and you'll be officially signed up to get our monthly Enewsletter. We send you up to date info on events, upcoming shows, gear updates, additions to our repertoire, new things to watch for in our stage show, stuff like that. Sometimes we get personal and give you a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes activities you might want to read about. We also welcome your input. Send us your questions or comments and we'll bring you into the conversation.
If you'd like to see previous enewsletters, scroll down to the What You've Missed... section and you can view previous newsletters.
June 14, 2022
News time again. Sorry, but this is going to be a long one. Manticore is on the move, once again. We're booked up for the rest of 2022 and we've already started putting dates into 2023. We're growing and expanding, making new connections and discarding old ones
In compliance with the Cease & Desist letter we received from Carl Palmer's attorney (oh, you didn't hear about that?), we've dumped the old, "borrowed" Manticore logo in favor of a new, sleeker one. Also, we can no longer use the signature "ELP" sigil, so we're in the process of removing them. We weren't affected alone. Noddy's Puncture and Tarkus were also sent these letters. It's unfortunate. The letter attempts to make clear that Carl is not "anti-tribute" - it says he appreciates what we do and with his upcoming yet-to-be-announced video tour on the horizon, they say he wants to maximize his exposure as "the ultimate ELP experience". Truthfully (between you & me), Carl would expand his audience if he embraced his tributes, who only want to preserve his/ELPs legacy. If he showed some good will, came to any of our shows, acknowledged us in social media, maybe even sat in on a song or two, like Keith did almost regularly with Noddy's Puncture years ago, he'd benefit in so many ways. But since Mr. Palmer's not what you'd call a "magnanimous" soul, he can't seem to find it in his heart to foment the good will that we so crave. A rising tide floats all boats. However.....all is not lost. During a lovely lunch i had last week with Regina Lake, Greg Lake's widow and current owner of the Manticore Record label, she told me that she/the Manticore company recognizes that we all want the same thing - to preserve and encourage the legacy and music of ELP - and she has no wish to inhibit or discourage us. So, we'd like to, in turn, welcome Regina Lake to OUR Manticore family.
In addition, Manticore is in the process of partnering with the non-profit organization, EMEAPP (Electronic Music Education And Preservation Project). This is the group that curates much of Keith Emerson's (along with many other artists) gear. They look after, maintain and display it in a massive facility in Harleysville, PA, for all the world and future generations to see, hear and play. Good and interesting things are coming, with this collaboration. We'll tell you more as it solidifies - probably by the next news post....which brings me to my last item:
Please send us your email address! We're building the 'Core Fans List, which we'll use to keep you up to speed on new additions to the calendar, upcoming shows, videos, streams - anything new and exciting that we're working on - before everybody else hears about it. If you'd like to join the 'Core, please just hit the Let's Chat button or scroll all the way to the bottom of this website to our Contact section and send us your email address so we can include it.
That's all for the moment, but with all the exciting developments taking place, i'm certain our next update will be just as enlightening as this one. Cheers!
February 7, 2022
So, 2021 was an adventure. And 2022 has started out to be interesting, as well. Unfortunately, we started off the year with a show cancellation. Happily, this wasn't due to CoViD.....unhappily, it was due to a recurrent back problem suffered by our singer/bassist, our Greg Lake surrogate, Ron Ponella. As of this posting, he's recovered and is back to being able to rehearse.
On the upside, the extra time off has given Rob the opportunity to learn new ELP material and it's very possible that we're going to open our next show with something very special - something ELP only played live a couple of times in their early career. I promise you WON'T be disappointed.
Rob has also had time to go and visit the EMEAPP (Electronic Music Education and Preservation Project) facility in Harleysville, PA. This is where Keith Emerson's keyboard setup is now located, along with lots of other memorabilia and bits of R&R history. It's curated and kept in playable condition by an incredibly capable & devoted team. If all goes as planned, Manticore will get a chance to do a show there some time soon, using Keith's awe-inspiring arsenal. More on that as it develops.
Also, as of now, our 2022 calendar is mostly filled! Yay! You can see our schedule above. We hope to have the vacant months of August and December filled shortly. However, on the off chance that that doesn't happen, we still have enough dates booked that everyone in the northeast USA will have an opportunity to see one of our shows. If you have a venue near you that hosts tribute shows, feel free to contact us with its name & location (& contact info, if you can) and we'll explore the possibility of bringing the Manticore show to a theater near you. Our only requirement is that the venue be within a 9hr driving radius of NYC.
That said, stay safe and healthy, and we hope to see y'all at a Manticore show in the near future. Cheers!
June 28, 2021
The CoVid restrictions have been lifted in all of the areas that we play, so Manticore is back performing live onstage! Yay! Having just successfully finished our first post-CoVid performance this past weekend at the illustrious Stitch Theater in Tamaqua, PA, we're filling the calendar, once again, and are moving on to our next show which is local to us - that being the Barnum Ballroom in beautiful downtown Island Park, here on Long Island. And despite being another one of those shows where the old guys have to haul our shit-ton of equipment up a flight of stairs, we're still champing at the bit to play close to home, for all of our friends and
family that live close by.
We've got the calendar pretty much filled up for the remainder of 2021, with some exciting things happening. Make sure to catch our August show at The Towne Crier Cafe in Beacon, NY when we'll have the inimitable Pauly Bee (Paul Bielatowicz, guitarist for the Carl Palmer Legacy band) opening for us AND joining us onstage for what i'm sure will be an incredible and unforgettable experience.
Thank you for following us on our intrepid journey through these new and challenging times. We hope you're all doing whatever's necessary to stay safe and healthy.
December 12, 2020
So since our last news update, nothing and lots has/have happened. Since the pandemic is ongoing, we're not playing live shows for in-house living, breathing audiences. With a vaccine on the horizon, however, we're setting our sights on booking in-house shows for late 2021. Stay tuned for updates in that arena.
On the home-front, though, we've undergone personnel & equipment changes. John has changed out his 30" gong for a 50" one, giving little forethought as to how he's going to move it, or carry it, or lift it high enough to hang in its place of honor in a too-small stand.... i believe he hopes levitation and beaming from one location to the next will be a thing by the time of our next show. Who am i to say differently?
Next, in the "More Mundane" category, i've replaced my trusty 300 year old Yamaha S-80 keyboard with a newer Yamaha Motif EM8 (well I'M excited about it...) and i've added a Behringer DeepMind 6 to my Keyboard arsenal! This is now enabling us to include such songs as Pirates, Trilogy, KE9 3rd impression and Endless Enigma to our ever-expanding repertoire.
Lastly, we have a new addition to the team. Bob Solé has decided to depart from the project, after a very successful & productive year. In this past year, we've gone from being a 4 piece to 3 (as nature originally intended ELP tributes to be), done several live-stream shows (including a show for the prestigious ProgStock 2020 Virtual Concert Series) and added 2 really, REALLY good videos (The Sheriff and Jerusalem) which Bob's son, Emmy Award winning videographer Eric Solé facilitated. Now, we're moving on to our NEXT phase: we're very excited to be able to add Ron Ponella to our family in the Greg Lake position, on bass, vocals and guitar. Welcome Ron! In the next few months, we'll post pix of Ron and let you hear him in vivo. Gotta work him in, first.
Stay tuned for more exciting news as it happens.
And Stay safe & healthy, everyone!
Cheers!
June 21, 2020
Here we are, coming through the tail end (fingers Xed) of the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, at least in the NY area. Our situation, seems to be less dire than i had anticipated. Our April show at Stanhope house was canceled and our Aug 22 show at The Stitch in Tamaqua, PA has been postponed until June 26, 2021. Aside from that, our calendar seems to be still relatively intact. Our July 18 show at 89 North in Patchogue, NY will probably not happen, but if that's the case, you'll be in for a real treat - i plan to LIVESTREAM on Facebook a show from the Manticore's Lair, here in Lynbrook on that date!! I'll post more details as the date approaches and i have a more definite answer from 89N.
In other news, we've uploaded our new videos, The Sheriff & Jerusalem, available for your viewing pleasure here on the website or if you click on the links. Also, we did a Zoom conference interview with Dyanne Klinko, of the ELP TITANS OF PROG group. If any of you missed it, it's viewable on Dyanne's Titans Backstage Pass YouTube page.
Hope all of you are healthy & safe and we'll catch up with you again real soon. Peace & love.
Cheers!
May 9, 2020
So here's something. The reconfiguring of Manticore is complete. We're now a 3 piece group - just like the guys we're paying tribute to. We've parted ways with Bob Trewhella and are going forward with Bob Sole taking care of the vocals & guitar along with his bass duties. Now since the covid-19 lockdown, we haven't had a rehearsal, so the only progress we've managed to have is on videos! But as it gets warmer outside, i anticipate having some outdoor rehearsals in the not-too-distant future. If that goes well, i'll post in advance so youse guys can come watch if you're in the area.
Meanwhile, we're posting videos as we get them completed, so there's that. I'll also include them on this website. Scroll down to videos.
Also, Dyanne Klinko or the ELP-TITANS OF PROG FB group will be interviewing us on Saturday, May 30 at 3:00pm EST, so you won't want to miss that. I'll post reminders on FB as it approaches. Keep in touch, stay safe & we'll chat again soon.
Mar 27, 2020
Haven't updated the News in a while - much has happened. We've changed our lineup - Glenn Dove, Ed Wenzel & Dean Baron have since graduated! We welcome John "Little John" Cristando (formerly of Spartacus & UnderCover) & Robert "Bob" Sole (from Streetfighter, Full House & Cold Spring Harbor) to our family. They bring new elements to our show that I know you'll enjoy & I'm anxious for all y'all to see them in action.
Also, during the current hiatus, we're putting together some explosive "new" material that I anticipate we'll debut in the summer when shows resume. It's no secret, since I've been putting teasers out on FB, that we'll be performing Pirates & Karn Evil 9 3rd impression. I promise you will not be disappointed!
Please like & follow us on Facebook, check our calendar for shows near you & please buy tix in advance whenever possible to show the venues the public demand for ELP's music.
Jan 19, 2019
We were originally scheduled for a fantastic show at The Heights at Brother Vic's tonite, but the all-powerful meteorologists had other plans. Our show has been postponed to Saturday, February 2. All purchased tix will be honored. This just gives everybody a little more time to prepare for the show. Hope to see y'all there!
Jan 9, 2019
Happy New Year, everyone. Manticore is going to dominate the northeast USA in 2019. See below for our full schedule so you can keep up with us and help spread the word. We'll be adding new material over the course of the year - hopefully you'll find it as shocking as you find some of our present repertoire. Keep checking in and always let us know your thoughts. Have a great year
Sept 2, 2018
So things are moving along nicely. Oct 13 show at Evening Star Concert Hall is all set. Dec 1 show at Debonair Music Hall is locked in. Joe Nardulli's outstanding original prog rock band, Ad Astra, will be playing an opening set for us. Tix are on sale already. Both show will be a full 2 sets of Manticore. Over 2 hours of solid Emerson Lake & Palmer music. It does not get any better than that!!
Come & see the show!
July 2, 2018
Thanks for checking out the new Manticore website. As of today we are officially up and running. This is the place you can come for anything regarding developments with the band. You can come here for news about new shows, songs, videos, pix, new equipment or general gossip. Thanks again for helping to keep the legacy of Emerson, Lake & Palmer alive.
MUSIC
VIDEO
What You've Missed....
February '23 - off
March '23 - off
TESTIMONIALS
I saw the Yes tribute “Awaken” last night at the Jones Beach Bandshell, and before the show you’re name was being dropped around the place like crazy, in conjunction with words like awesome, fantastic, and incredible. A lot of people think you’ve captured the sound, feel, and essence of ELP so well that it’s scary. Comparisons were made as to the effect that you guy’s are to ELP as “The Musical Box” is to early Peter Gabriel era Genesis. The only other ELP tribute I know of right now honorable of mention is in England, they’re called “Noddys Puncture”.......
You’ve got the sound down completely, well mixed and balanced, it really is amazing!!!! Thanks for keeping the torch burning brightly.
Paul Miritello
Avenue Sound
Baldwin, NY
I went to your page and watched it <Manticore promo video>... You guys are really good.... I love ELP.... and Manticore does them justice....
Andrew J M Noto
Bassist/Simplexity
Buffalo, NY
Just listened to your version of Hoedown which sounds so true to the original. Glad to know that someone is out there playing this material and keeping the legacy alive.
Rob Lane
Brooklyn, NY
...we checked out Emerson, Lake & Palmer tribute band Manticore for their very first show. They did a great job playing the mere-mortal defying music of ELP, with a great set list including Tarkus, Jerusalem, Knife Edge, among others…I particularly enjoyed hearing Benny The Bouncer lead in to the entire First Impression of KE9. The sound system was excellent, and I loved the moogy highs & lows. I met Robert Shepard last summer in England at The Keith Emerson Celebration Concert, and it turns out he’s quite the badass keyboard player - well done!
Jerry LoFaro
Cover artist for soon-to-be-released Keith Emerson LA tribute dvd
Official photographer & Tshirt designer for Keith Emerson Celebration Concert
Henniker, New Hampshire
You guys played a perfect debut performance and amazed this old progger! Simply stellar! Rock on ... PLEEEEEASE!
Henry Diaz, Jr
2 Worlds Music Studio, co-owner
Bassist & Audio Engineer
Shirley, NY
It was definitely worth the two-hour journey to Long Island for the debut of Manticore, a tribute to Emerson, Lake, and Palmer! This quartet features my dear friend and Tinseltown Rebellion bandmate, Bob Trewhella, on guitar and lead vocal, and my "big brother" and keyboard hero, Robert Shepard, in the very formidable role of Emerson.
Kathy Sheppard
City Canyons Records
School of Rock
Mahwah, NJ
So happy to hear you had another wonderful show.
Your gig in Tamaqua left me with tears in my eyes. I truly believed I would never, ever experience the music of ELP preformed live again in my life. I saw Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy tour a few years back, but that was more of a bittersweet experience.
You 3 gentlemen took me back in time to some of the most enjoyable concerts I had attended in my 67 years.
I sincerely hope you will return to this area of Pennsylvania again.
Till next time, thank you!
Joe Owens
Pennsylvania Lifelong ELP fan
CONTACT
Booking: Rob Shepard
516-761-0387
Press: Rob Shepard
516-761-0387