Web Forms :: Can Use UpdateProgress To Output Dynamic Text

I'm working on a page which allows a user to do the following:

upload XML filevalidate XML filebulk loads data from XML file into MS SQL Server tablesruns a number of stored procedures to do certain checks on the imported data.

Now, I know how to do all of the above.

However, I would like to inform the user between the execution of the above mentioned actions what is happening.

I've looked at using the controls "updatepanels" and "updateprogress", but can't seem to get it to work.

If I put some static text like "Loading..." in the updateprogress control, I do see that whilst the code is running.

However, I don't want to show static text but want to change the text dynamically.

It appears that server-side controls are completely ignored inside the "updateprogress" control (why?).

Ideally I would like to do something like:

<form id="form1" runat="server">
<asp:ScriptManager ID="scriptMgr" runat="server" />
<div>
<asp:UpdateProgress runat="server" id="PageUpdateProgress">
<ProgressTemplate>
<asp:Label ID="Label1" runat="server" Text=""></asp:Label>
</ProgressTemplate>
</asp:UpdateProgress>
<asp:UpdatePanel runat="server" id="Panel">
<ContentTemplate>
<asp:Button runat="server" id="UpdateButton" onclick="UpdateButton_Click" text="Update" />
</ContentTemplate>
</asp:UpdatePanel>
</div>
</form>

In the code behind:

Protected Sub UpdateButton_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles UpdateButton.Click
Label1.Text = "Starting action 1."
System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(2000)
Label1.Text = "Starting action 2."
System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(2000)
Label1.Text = "Starting action 3."
System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(2000)
End Sub

Unfortunately I'm getting syntax errors on Label1.Text as it doesn't seem to recognize the control.

I know I'm a newbie and that I'm probably going around this completely the wrong way.

where I'm going wrong and how I can get this to work. I can't imagine I'm the only one who wants to achieve something like this in a webform.