Me – Who the F**k are Marillion?

So after suggesting Marillion were the best band in the world – ever – I had several people who follow the blog ask me who this band are! So, I’ll describe my relationship with this band. For their official history go to Wikipedia or some other source.

So it all began in late November 1985. I was at the end of my second year at university and went to the UK with a couple of mates, to tour the Uk together for four months. After spending a couple of weeks in London with my Nan together, I headed to Andover to see my other grandparents, and my aunt,uncle and two cousins. No room at the inn for my two mates, when I left them in London they were organising a car for us to tour in. I’d rejoin them after a couple of weeks and head off.

Anyway, my cousin Nick and I started hanging together, tasting the many fine ales the pubs offered around Andover and the surrounding countryside. Our favourite haunts were …..

Now, Nick is also a music fanatic and as we travelled together in his Ford Escort (light blue s**tbox that I had to push start more times than it would start normally!), Marillion’s #1 selling album Misplaced Childhood was in the cassette player.

I have a fairly eclectic taste in music. I’ll listen to anything – if I like it, I’ll listen to it! I hadn’t to this point listened to a lot of Progressive Rock – a bit of Pink Floyd, Genesis, Yes, Rush – but not my go to album choice. But this album blew me away!

I bought my own copy, plus their previous albums Script for a Jesters Tear, Fugazi and Real to Reel (a live album). Also bought myself a small mono cassette player to play them in.

I don’t know what it was but something grabbed me. The lyrics by Fish (6’4” ex tree-lopping Scottish lead singer and lyricist) as well as the amazing musical craftsmanship of the rest of the band (Steve Rothery – guitar, Ian Mosely – drums, Pete Trewavas – bass and Mark Kelly – keyboards ) just hooked me in.

Anyway, I didn’t end up travelling with my mates. Hooked up with a young lady who was also an accountant and worked with Nick (young love hey?). Marillion were a hot item at the end of 1985 and just missed out on getting the Christmas #1 single with Kayleigh (a much sort after achievement in the Uk music industry, instead charting at #2.) I tried to get tickets to see them live and they were completely sold out, right across the country. Thankfully, they added some new shows and I managed to get tickets for myself and the girl I was going out with, as well as Helen and Nick (my cousins) and Nick’s girlfriend at the time, Sarah. So on Feb 1st 1986 I first saw Marillion live at the Hammersmith Odeon in London.

The concert was phenomenal. The first half consisted of fan favourites from their previous albums/EP’s and then they played the Misplaced Childhood album in its entirety. The band and the fans had this connection that was sensational to experience and was, to this day, the best stand alone concert I have ever been to – second place is not even visible in the distance.

On returning to Oz I maintained my connection through reading NME and tracking their progress (pre internet peeps!). They released a stunning live album “La Gazza Laura – The Thieving Magpie”, with an accompanying video. And in 1987 released the aptly named “Clutching at Straws”. After touring this new album I found out that Fish had left the band after disagreements about the conduct of the bands manager (he had turned down the chance for Marillion to perform in Live Aid and also the chance to do the soundtrack for the movie Highlander – eventually becoming “It’s a kind of Magic” one of Queen’s most commercially successful albums!).

Now this is where it gets messy for some Marillion fans. Fish went solo and Marillion took on Steve Hogarth (h) as their new lead singer. The are three trains of thought …… 1. It really doesn’t matter – Fish or h era – Marillion are a great band who always produce great music. 2. I’ll only listen to Fish era Marillion. 3. I’ll only listen to h era Marillion. I subscribe to number 1, feel blessed to have Fish era, h era and Fish and h solo stuff – it’s all brilliant.

Now Marillion we’re never big in Australia – not even small to be honest. Thankfully I had family members in the UK who kept my need for any Marillion or Fish album to be bought and shipped ASAP after it’s release to my eager CD player (yep – moved on from the mono cassette player!).

Now in 1997 Marillion were the pioneers of crowdsourcing. Their email list of fans had grown considerably (literally thousands of fans connected to the band via email). So much so that they crowdsourced a tour of the USA with fans pre-purchasing nearly $60,000 (USD) to fund a tour of the states. This model soon became how Marillion would fund their albums, with fans pre-paying the band (up to a year ahead) for the privilege of getting a deluxe version of the album, with such bonuses as having your name in the cover, signed copies, unique merchandising etc. this became an incredibly successful model which I am glad to say I got in early on and have my name in every deluxe edition produced. Anaraknophobia was the first such album – brilliant. Even their 2021 tour was backed up by fans who pre-paid the bands COVID insurance (just incase gigs were cancelled) – being involved with this band is an act of love!

My best, best, best experience though is getting to go to Holland for the Marillion Weekend. Watch this …..

Every two years for a while now the band host Marilion Weekends – in the UK, Poland, Portugal, Canada, Chile, Sweden – and Holland. It’s three nights of music – Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The best is Holland. This is a “residential” weekend – they book out the Port Zelande Center Parcs Resort and over 3000 people make the pilgrimage from all over the planet to “experience” Marillion.

I’ve been lucky enough to go four times. In 2013 with my daughter – we shared a villa with a couple from the USA. In 2015 with my son – we shared a villa with two Australians (one who was a complete stoner – not safe to eat the cookies, spag bog in the fridge or inhale the air in the villa). in 2017 with my wife – we shared a villa with 8 others from Australia and the USA (met Mark Kelly the keyboard player from the band – one of he woman sharing our villa was the bands ex photographer and she makes a wicked chilli jam that Mark adores. Had a long chat with us all when he was picking up his loot from the jam queen). In 2019 my cousin Nick (yep original seed planter Nick – who now lives in Bermuda) came over – we had a villa to ourselves.

The weekend is brilliant. Everyone is a Marillion fan. We all wear Marillion gear. Marillion is playing everywhere – in the supermarket, bars, restaurants, even in the local bars off site at the local beach. On the Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights they play full concerts in a massive arse tent (well over 2 hours each!). They also have quiz sessions – fans v band (fans always win) back in the tent. And my fave – swap the bad. This is where the band and fans head back to the tent to play five songs – each song has someone who has nominated to replace a band member – guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, vocals. The rest of the band stay on stage and play with the “ring in“ – what an amazing buzz for that lucky person! The crowd show such love, support and respect to these people, it’s so heartwarming.

I’ve been lucky enough to have my birthday at two of the weekends. This means getting a lovely birthday card from the band and your name on the screen at the Friday night concert – for everyone to celebrate your birthday with you! What a family!

The other side of the coin is Fish! I’ve also followed him since going solo. He has followed a similar model to Marillion with a lot of pre-ordering deluxe versions of his material. He has a significant catalogue of sublime albums, showcasing his genius as a lyricist!

In 2020 I had arranged to go to Scotland to go to the first (in Aberdeen) and last (in Edinburgh) gigs of his final tour ever. He is moving to Germany with his partner Simone and trying his luck as a writer. A good mate of mine caught up with me and started with the usual banter of questioning my next trip to watch Marillion – I explained to him that I was actually going to see the ex lead singer in March of 2020 – he rolled his eyes. Next day, however, he called to tell me that he was surfing that night in Ocean Grove when he ran into a bloke who used to pay bass guitar in Fish’s live band. He could put me in touch with Fish and I might get to meet him in person. After several emails – it was arranged for me to meet up with the big fella before his Aberdeen gig (the Edinburgh gig was his last ever, in his hometown and probably just “too hard”). Promised him a bottle of Australian Whiskey (courtesy of Chiefs Son Whiskey!).

We get to Aberdeen – under the shadow of COVID 19 – early days. To start with, the country had begun shutting down, not full on lockdown – but heading there. Fish’s wife emailed me to say Fish was worried about any contact with fans as he lived with his mother who was in her 80’s, Simone would email me on the day of the gig to let me know. It wasn’t looking good. The day of the gig arrived – as I headed off to the venue still no email (so left the whiskey at the hotel). Got the the venue, thought I’d check email one more time before going in – wouldn’t you credit it, we were in. Quick dash back to the hotel, whiskey in hand, some negotiations with bouncers, venue management to got me to Fish’s tour manager and into his dressing room where he and Simone were. Spent 45 min with the great man – offered me a choice of grog from his beer fridge. Amazing experience. Got to set his band and the support act. So generous with his time. An experience I’ll never forget – only bummer, no selfie with him due to his paranoia over COVID.

Eventually went back down stairs and was witness to the big man on spectacular form. Floated back to share my experience with the other half, slept a contented man. Next day, the world went mad. Everything shut. The rest of his (and everyone else’s) tour was cancelled. F**king lucky or what?

So – there ya go. Check them out! Both Marillion and Fish! Although you’ve got a lot of music to listen to. Marillion have 20 studio albums, plus countless live albums. Fish has 11 albums as well as a number of live ones.