Marillion

[Theoffshoredoc]

The deluxe re-issue of Script for a Jester's Tear dropped through the letterbox this morning. It's a pretty amazing package; 4 CDs and a Bluray, hard back book cover and 60 pages of text and photos. I had to check what I'd paid Amazon - £20. Even allowing for the lack of VAT here, that's an absolute bargain if you're a Marillion fan.

[droopsnoot]

I was a big Marillion fan and have lost track of what they're doing now, but I did like that album. Sounds like a decent package for the money, depending on what is on the other discs of course.

[selym]

I have a couple of the Fish era LPs (well, 4 X Misplaced Childhood and a copy of Script, and I'm not even a real fan!). The newer stuff is very good too; a little proggy but excellent- the live albums sound really really good too.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

I 'discovered' the band with Fish, but have followed them ever since and much prefer Steve H as a vocalist. Fish was of his day, but I don't realty get the nostalgia for him; they've been going very much longer with the 'new' line-up.

[Brads67]

Derek Dick from Dalkieth.

My mums hairdresser used to babysit him.

He lives near me with his own production / recording studio but has now stopped live work as far as I know.

[DocJock]

H has. He published a breakdown of his costs for touring small venues, and seeing the numbers I don't blame him.

[irocfan]

thanks to WFH I've listened to a lot of stuff I've not heard in years - sadly I realised that I really didn't like Script. On the other hand I loved the next 3 albums.

'Interestingly' enough I saw Marillion in concert 4 years ago and really enjoyed that too

[Theoffshoredoc]

My first exposure was Market Square Heroes, then Script and seeing them at Malvern Winter Gardens (rock n roll capital of....well, Malvern). Really a time and place album for me. I also own Misplaced Childhood but my interest waned and I've not listened to much of the Hogarth era.

But I would definitely recommend the deluxe re-issue to anyone with a liking of Script. Amazon are out of stock though.

[kuro]

I liked their early stuff although I don't have any of their albums. I saw them at Glastonbury 83 accompanied by crowd of hells angels having a punch-up in the audience.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

DocJock said:

H has. He published a breakdown of his costs for touring small venues, and seeing the numbers I don't blame him.

Fish did it, was an interesting read.

I often wonder what a band like Marillion actually make in financial terms. Not mainstream, not poppy, not especially popular, but with a loyal and enduring (but ageing) fanbase.

We all buy the re-releases and the live versions, and go and see a gig or two, but what does that actually all add up to in 'salary' terms for the artists I wonder?

[Brave Fart]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

I often wonder what a band like Marillion actually make in financial terms. Not mainstream, not poppy, not especially popular, but with a loyal and enduring (but ageing) fanbase.

We all buy the re-releases and the live versions, and go and see a gig or two, but what does that actually all add up to in 'salary' terms for the artists I wonder?

Hard to say, but remember they own all the rights to everything new that they do - indeed everything from about 1997 when they released This Strange Engine. They don't have a record company creaming off all the money, and even own their own studios at Racket Records. In many ways, they were ahead of their time by deciding to self publish, and also release loads of stuff online. They've even recently launched a subscription service to access their music online. You probably know all this but other posters might not.

For those of you that "lost track of them" after Fish left in the late eighties, you have missed out on over 30 years of inspirational music during which the band has kept the same five members. They regularly tour, have released nineteen studio albums now, have fan conventions every other year, their own forum, and have solo projects on the side too.

CharlesdeGaulle is right to say that they have a loyal fan base, me included, but it is very much a 50+ audience. However, the boys can still really rock, and are outstanding live, despite the, er, mature fans. And to hear the entire crowd singing along to every word of something like "Easter" is a spine tingling experience.

They are my favourite band by a million miles, I love everything about them, and treasure just about everything they do. If you've forgotten about them, go on YouTube and have a listen to some recent live gigs. You might just rediscover them.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

Brave Fart said:

They are my favourite band by a million miles, I love everything about them, and treasure just about everything they do. If you've forgotten about them, go on YouTube and have a listen to some recent live gigs. You might just rediscover them.

Couldn't agree more. We may well have been at the same gigs, although I refuse to wear a band t-shirt over a swollen belly like much of the audience.

[w1bbles]

Brads67 said:

Derek Dick from Dalkieth.

My mums hairdresser used to babysit him.

He lives near me with his own production / recording studio but has now stopped live work as far as I know.

My wife and I were due to see him in Edinburgh in March but it's been re-scheduled for 2021. I've seen so few of my teenage hero bands live so I thought this might be the last chance.

[irocfan]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

although I refuse to wear a band t-shirt over a swollen belly like much of the audience.

Just do what I do and get a bigger tee

[Wynn Duffy]

irocfan said:

CharlesdeGaulle said:

although I refuse to wear a band t-shirt over a swollen belly like much of the audience.

Just do what I do and get a bigger tee

Always go for the largest one, it fits better.

No one mentioned the Royal Albert Hall gigs. I only made the first one.

If you enjoy good music, you will find somthing to enjoy in Marillion.
The amount of their output is staggering. Yet those of us who know them are lucky, very lucky.

[Fish_fan]

Brads67 said:

Derek Dick from Dalkieth.

My mums hairdresser used to babysit him.

He lives near me with his own production / recording studio but has now stopped live work as far as I know.

Not true!

He is finalising a new (and final!) album (Weltschmerz) which he was doing a tour to promote, but which was cancelled due to COVID-19. I had tickets for one of the gigs in Islington which was cancelled with only a couple fo days notice. Most of the tour has been postponed but dates are still scheduled for October onwards in Europe, and the most of the UK dates have been rearranged for 2021.

My tickets have been transferred to 21/2/2021.

[Brads67]

Fish_fan said:

Not true!

He is finalising a new (and final!) album (Weltschmerz) which he was doing a tour to promote, but which was cancelled due to COVID-19. I had tickets for one of the gigs in Islington which was cancelled with only a couple fo days notice. Most of the tour has been postponed but dates are still scheduled for October onwards in Europe, and the most of the UK dates have been rearranged for 2021.

My tickets have been transferred to 21/2/2021.

I did say as far as I knew.

But he is Derek Dick though

[Fish_fan]

Brads67 said:

I did say as far as I knew.

But he is Derek Dick though

Sorry, my post was intended to correct the errors not castigate you for them!

[Brave Fart]

Wynn Duffy said:

Always go for the largest one, it fits better.

No one mentioned the Royal Albert Hall gigs. I only made the first one.

If you enjoy good music, you will find somthing to enjoy in Marillion.
The amount of their output is staggering. Yet those of us who know them are lucky, very lucky.

Chortle regarding the figure hugging T shirts - XXL is my size these days. This virus isn't helping; "might open a bottle, nothing to get up for in the morning, cheers!" For Christmas, my daughter bought me a XXL shirt with "Marillion: still as uncool as fk" on the front, which sums the band up I think.

If anyone wants a perfect example of the relationship between fans and band, look at "All One Tonight" from the Royal Albert Hall on YouTube, especially from about 5 minutes onwards. One of the best moments of my life, seriously. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry with happiness, and, as I recall, I did both. What a band, what a night, love these guys.

[Wynn Duffy]

Me too Brave Fart, me too. What a great night that was.
We must have a beer sometime, before a concert