Venue:
Manchester Academy
Date: 08/11/2017
‘What a year we’ve had” smiles a radiant Steve Hogarth, as the band close with final encore Three Minute Boy. Clearly jubilant, Marillion are going through a golden period at the moment; they played the London Palladium the night before and Prog Magazine awarded them band of the year. With a five star review in the Guardian for their album F.E.A.R. and a recent triumphant show at the Albert Hall, all things are gold in the Marillion camp at the moment. The packed ‘family’ of Marillion fans look like they want to remain, ignore the curfew and carry on singing (at times badly),but they can’t complain, this has been a set which just gives and gives.
Beginning with the most thought provoking and at times heart wrenching Eldorado suite from F.E.A.R. it climaxes with the title track, Steve Rothery’s powerful guitar chords and Hogarth screaming “You Can’t See Into My Head”. With themes of terrorism, the state of our once proud nation and world, it’s a sombre start, but is dispelled as Mark Kelly’s fluttery piano signals the intro of Slaine Mhath from their 1987 Clutching At Straws. Originally sung by Fish, Hogarth soars above Rothery’s staccato guitar and Ian Mosley’s powerful drumming on his ever expanding kit. The crowd are ecstatic.
The upbeat mood is maintained with The Uninvited Guest, an old rocker from Hogarth’s first Marillion album Seasons End. The not so unwanted ghost of Fish enters the venue again as the congregation sing their hearts out to Heart Of Lothian, from their classic album Misplaced Childhood. Wake Up In Music, one of the best moments from F.E.A.R. shimmers and shines magically as Hogarth sings about life on the road and the places they have been too. Unfortunately, the rest of the Leavers suite pulls down the momentum of the show, it still sounds cobbled together and disjointed. Mumbling ensues and we’re all Clutching At Straws wondering if they’ve ruined it, until communal singing starts again in the anthemic closer, The Leavers (One Tonight).
A noodling bass solo from the ever reliable and solid Pete Trewavas heralds the beginning of the first encore This Strange Engine, the band’s competence as musicians shines through as it twists and turns through its many complex sections and puts Hogarths voice full its more than capable paces as he sings about the story of his life.
Clearly now comfortable with their musical present and finally, their past, the old jester and original band logo materialise onto the backdrop and we’re treated to the ever quirky Garden Party from the debut album Script For A Jester’s Tear. A rollicking good romp through their first single Market Square Heroes follows, many of the crowd like myself may not have heard these old songs before. Where do they go from here, I’m not sure, but they’ve left most of the leavers on a high tonight.
The audience:
Very loyal and enthusiastic, at times too much, the slightly laddish singing was a tad annoying. Most of “the family” congregated in nearby pubs and bemused Burger King staff had a brief encounter with a drunk fan attempting to sing Garden Party whilst ordering a burger post show.
It made me think..
How long will Marillion keep going for? They are playing dates next year, but better to burn out than fade away. Hogath has admitted he doen’t know if he has another album in him. If tonight was the last time I saw the band, I would be happy with that memory.
Baron Harkonnen says
A very good and informative review Mr. Wright, thank you.
It`s a very long time since I last saw Marillion, a couple of times in the mid-`80`s I think. I did see Fish at a festival in North Wales 3-4 years ago and very entertaining he was. I have kept up with the band`s releases and have about 75% of them. Rothery & Hogarth have a fine body of work that they can be proud of. I also like Rothery`s solo work, he`s, as you no doubt are aware a fine guitarist.
David Wright says
Thank you Mr Harkonnen, I have only seen Fish live once, on the same tour with Glenn Hughes a few years ago, his voice isn’t quite what it was, but he was entertaining.
Neil Jung says
I first saw them in early 82 when Time Out compared them to Genesis. Their audience was extremely enthusiastic even then… Grendel was so like Suppers Ready we left in disgust.
Personally I much prefer The Hogarth Years, having bought most of their albums, although they have been patchy at times. I don’t know why they keep playing old Fish songs. I like FEAR but it does go on a bit… it isn’t as good as Afraid Of Sunlight, which for me is easily their greatest album.
I’m seeing them in the dismal Reading Hexagon next spring. I won’t be joining in any laddish singing. Down with that sort of thing.
Colin H says
Dave – just curious: I read a lot of opinions of Hogarth’s stage behaviour/persona when Marillion played Cropredy earlier this year (or was it last year?) and they were unfavourable, that he was a bit of a prat, annoying, etc. Did you find this? Is that his ‘normal’ stage persona but it’s just that Marillion fans like it/expect it while general punters at a festival might think it a bit weird?
David Wright says
Sorry for the late reply Colin, when I saw Marillion this time, Hogarth was on good form and seemed pretty happy, better than in Leeds last year anyway when he was banging on about Trump, Brexit etc. This is okay in small doses, but someone heckled “play us some music”, which kind of summed it up, As one recent review noted, he has a very fidgety stage presence at times. I have heard mixed reports too, saw them in London a few years ago and Hogarth referred to the crowd in London as “the great unwashed” and didn’t seem with it, fumbling intros etc. I thought he was maybe a little drunk, but was shot down in flames when I even suggested this on a Marillion Facebook page! I guess we all have our bad and good days. I read in Prog or Classic Rock that Hogarth and Kelly fell out during the making of S.T.C.B.M. and didn’t speak for a while. His voice is still really strong though and I have hardly ever heard him sing out of tune, which seems to be a dying art these days from some “singers”. Such power in his voice too.
Vincent says
Seems to me that Marillion are a far better band without Fish, and that their naff miasma is largely because of Mr Dick’s residual association with them. It’s Paul DiAnno and Iron Maiden all over again. What was forced church-hall prog with too much early Genesis in the mix has been superseded by a far better combination of influences. I am seeing them in Cambridge next April and hope not to see a single bloke (and they are always single) in harlequin leggings and a mullet.