REVIEW
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
Marillion with Friends from the Orchestra
Live in 2019
plus support act, Harry Pane
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
15th November 2019
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
Marillion with Friends from the Orchestra
Live in 2019
plus support act, Harry Pane
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
15th November 2019
Like many people who grew up in the 1980s, my record collection included Marillion’s studio albums Script For a Jester’s Tear (1983) and Misplaced Childhood (1985) - still love the art work to this day. Formed in 1979 they went on to become one of the most successful neo-progressive rock bands of the 1980s, gaining top ten chart hits in the UK with tracks Kayleigh and Lavender. Despite unpopularity in the mainstream media in the years since then and being labelled a cult act, the band’s fans have seen them ranked in ‘Classic Rocks 40 Best Live Acts of All Time’
It is with great excitement that I take my seat for tonight’s concert at Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion. As the house music subsides, two people walk on stage; one carrying a guitar and the other a double base. The guitarist introduces the double bassist and then himself. The warm up act had arrived; everyone around me has the same “never heard of him” reaction. Turns out Harry Pane is a very talented performer and songwriter and if his performance was anything to go by I don’t think it will be too much longer before a lot more people know his name. In essence he is from the same stable as Ed Sheeran, but in my opinion with a much fuller voice. Harry performed a few of his own songs which had everyone clapping along in no time, as they felt strangely familiar and even did a very acceptable cover of a Fleetwood Mac song. It was immensely pleasing to the ear, with no bells and whistles just standing on the stage in one lighting state it couldn’t have been simpler, but what an impact he had on the audience as everyone around me was listening intently, a sure sign that he was going down well. He explained that he had been asked to be the warm up by the band and had clearly been asked by musicians for musicians. I would be amazed if he doesn’t get picked up very soon and we start hearing his songs on the radio.
After a brief break and frantic sales at the merch stand in the foyer - Marillion fans are super loyal, as was proved when the band broke away from their then record label EMI back in the day and turned to crowd funding for their next album. They were one of the first bands to go down the crown funding route and take control of their own production. Even before the house lights went down I had clocked the fact that the front of house sound desk was an analogue Midas desk, which in an age of digital technology was a joy to see, and meant that someone with a serious pedigree was going to be at the controls, I knew we were in for a good show.
Not many bands could get away with performing a whole album from start to finish straight through but from the first note we were not disappointed. In between Ian Mosely’s drum kit on one side of the stage and Mark Kelly’s key boards and samplers on the other, were a string quartet (2 x violin, 1 x viola and a cello), a French horn and flute player. With Pete Trewavas on bass guitar stage right, Steve Rothery and his myriad of guitars on stage left, Steve Hogarth had ample space centre stage to express himself as the bands front man. Mr Hogarth’s stage presents is fantastic, he interacts with the audience on a personal level which only comes with years of gigging experience and he looks just how you would want a rock star of his vintage to look.
The backdrop was an enormous projection screen that provided well thought out and suitably epic graphics to accompany and enhance each track rather than detract as can happen. The lighting design was worthy of a stadium performance and complimented the music perfectly. But the sound - oh the sound - was BIG, I mean absolutely full spectrum. Throughout the whole show you could pick out and hear each instrument, at no point was quality sacrificed for volume, which sadly is so often the case these days. It is no mean feat to get the sound so right in a venue like the Cliffs (I should know I did my apprenticeship there some 30 years ago). I know that the crew had been at the venue from 7am to get the rig built and ready for the show, it really was evident the amount of effort and hard work that had gone in to the final result, truly an outstanding overall effect. But the overriding impression I took away with me is the masterful musicianship that was on display that evening, from all members of the band. From Steve Rothery’s immaculate lead guitar, still with distant echoes of those long ago highs of the 80s, Mark Kelly’s dramatic keys, Pete Trewavas’s driving bass to Steve Hogarth’s expansive deep pop vocal range. The elaborate narratives and album long explorations into genre fusion of rock fantasy left you with an intense exhausted happiness of a journey through every emotion. These guys are clearly serious musicians who despite being serious about the music are are totally able to take it all ‘tongue in cheek’ when the mood takes them.
If you haven’t updated your music collection since the heady days of the 80s then I strongly suggest you put that right immediately by including Marillion-With Friends From The Orchestra. I now fully understand their well deserved credit of being one of the UK’s top live acts.
REVIEW: HANNAH CAMPAGNA
It is with great excitement that I take my seat for tonight’s concert at Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion. As the house music subsides, two people walk on stage; one carrying a guitar and the other a double base. The guitarist introduces the double bassist and then himself. The warm up act had arrived; everyone around me has the same “never heard of him” reaction. Turns out Harry Pane is a very talented performer and songwriter and if his performance was anything to go by I don’t think it will be too much longer before a lot more people know his name. In essence he is from the same stable as Ed Sheeran, but in my opinion with a much fuller voice. Harry performed a few of his own songs which had everyone clapping along in no time, as they felt strangely familiar and even did a very acceptable cover of a Fleetwood Mac song. It was immensely pleasing to the ear, with no bells and whistles just standing on the stage in one lighting state it couldn’t have been simpler, but what an impact he had on the audience as everyone around me was listening intently, a sure sign that he was going down well. He explained that he had been asked to be the warm up by the band and had clearly been asked by musicians for musicians. I would be amazed if he doesn’t get picked up very soon and we start hearing his songs on the radio.
After a brief break and frantic sales at the merch stand in the foyer - Marillion fans are super loyal, as was proved when the band broke away from their then record label EMI back in the day and turned to crowd funding for their next album. They were one of the first bands to go down the crown funding route and take control of their own production. Even before the house lights went down I had clocked the fact that the front of house sound desk was an analogue Midas desk, which in an age of digital technology was a joy to see, and meant that someone with a serious pedigree was going to be at the controls, I knew we were in for a good show.
Not many bands could get away with performing a whole album from start to finish straight through but from the first note we were not disappointed. In between Ian Mosely’s drum kit on one side of the stage and Mark Kelly’s key boards and samplers on the other, were a string quartet (2 x violin, 1 x viola and a cello), a French horn and flute player. With Pete Trewavas on bass guitar stage right, Steve Rothery and his myriad of guitars on stage left, Steve Hogarth had ample space centre stage to express himself as the bands front man. Mr Hogarth’s stage presents is fantastic, he interacts with the audience on a personal level which only comes with years of gigging experience and he looks just how you would want a rock star of his vintage to look.
The backdrop was an enormous projection screen that provided well thought out and suitably epic graphics to accompany and enhance each track rather than detract as can happen. The lighting design was worthy of a stadium performance and complimented the music perfectly. But the sound - oh the sound - was BIG, I mean absolutely full spectrum. Throughout the whole show you could pick out and hear each instrument, at no point was quality sacrificed for volume, which sadly is so often the case these days. It is no mean feat to get the sound so right in a venue like the Cliffs (I should know I did my apprenticeship there some 30 years ago). I know that the crew had been at the venue from 7am to get the rig built and ready for the show, it really was evident the amount of effort and hard work that had gone in to the final result, truly an outstanding overall effect. But the overriding impression I took away with me is the masterful musicianship that was on display that evening, from all members of the band. From Steve Rothery’s immaculate lead guitar, still with distant echoes of those long ago highs of the 80s, Mark Kelly’s dramatic keys, Pete Trewavas’s driving bass to Steve Hogarth’s expansive deep pop vocal range. The elaborate narratives and album long explorations into genre fusion of rock fantasy left you with an intense exhausted happiness of a journey through every emotion. These guys are clearly serious musicians who despite being serious about the music are are totally able to take it all ‘tongue in cheek’ when the mood takes them.
If you haven’t updated your music collection since the heady days of the 80s then I strongly suggest you put that right immediately by including Marillion-With Friends From The Orchestra. I now fully understand their well deserved credit of being one of the UK’s top live acts.
REVIEW: HANNAH CAMPAGNA
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Marillion
Current members
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Sound- Backline –
Front of House – Phil Brown Guitars –Pete Harwood Monitors – Nick Todd Keys – Tommy Lee Systems – Ian Bond Drums – Marcus Lee Audio Supplier – IPB Audio Mr H – Niall Hogarth PM – Stumpy TM – Richard Lee Lighting and VT- Lighting Designer – Yenz Nyholm Techs – Jason Tomes Al Johnstone Supply – Siyan |
Marillion have announced that they will return to the road in the UK and Europe in 2019 with an extended line up of musicians joining the band.
The shows will feature the In Praise of Folly String Quartet plus Sam Morris on French Horn and Emma Halnan on Flute, featured on select numbers throughout the show as on previous occasions.
In December 2017, Marillion played a sold-out show at The Royal Albert Hall which was the fastest selling concert of the bands career and featured this same ensemble of musicians who also featured on the UK tour in the spring of 2018. The concert at the Royal Albert hall was hailed by the fans and critics alike as ‘one of the best concerts in Marillion’s history’. The recording of the show, “All One Tonight” has since been released on DVD, Blu-Ray, CD and vinyl and topped the charts in 5 countries.
Marillion will be playing songs spanning their 14 album-career with Steve Hogarth, as 2019 celebrates 30 years of him joining the band.
Steve Hogarth says: “Has it really been 30 years?! Steve R tells me it’s his 40th anniversary so it’s a double celebration! It’s amazing to be in this position after all this time. We’ve added this wonderful six-piece to the band for this entire tour. They’re brilliant players, good friends, and the chemistry we have together has already spoken for itself. I thought we’d never beat that night at RAH... but there’s going to be two nights and two different RAH set lists this time, so let’s see what we, and our legendary fans can do.
The shows will feature the In Praise of Folly String Quartet plus Sam Morris on French Horn and Emma Halnan on Flute, featured on select numbers throughout the show as on previous occasions.
In December 2017, Marillion played a sold-out show at The Royal Albert Hall which was the fastest selling concert of the bands career and featured this same ensemble of musicians who also featured on the UK tour in the spring of 2018. The concert at the Royal Albert hall was hailed by the fans and critics alike as ‘one of the best concerts in Marillion’s history’. The recording of the show, “All One Tonight” has since been released on DVD, Blu-Ray, CD and vinyl and topped the charts in 5 countries.
Marillion will be playing songs spanning their 14 album-career with Steve Hogarth, as 2019 celebrates 30 years of him joining the band.
Steve Hogarth says: “Has it really been 30 years?! Steve R tells me it’s his 40th anniversary so it’s a double celebration! It’s amazing to be in this position after all this time. We’ve added this wonderful six-piece to the band for this entire tour. They’re brilliant players, good friends, and the chemistry we have together has already spoken for itself. I thought we’d never beat that night at RAH... but there’s going to be two nights and two different RAH set lists this time, so let’s see what we, and our legendary fans can do.
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Tour Dates are:
November 2019 Mon 18 London Royal Albert Hall Tue 19 London Royal Albert Hall Tickets available from https://myticket.co.uk/ and venue box offices. MARILLION are: Steve Hogarth – lead vocals, lyrics, keyboards, guitars, percussion Steve Rothery – electric guitars, acoustic guitars Pete Trewavas – Bass, Guitar, Backing Vocals Mark Kelly – keyboards, samples and effects, backing vocals, programming Ian Mosley – drums, percussion www.marillion.com |