WORDS AND IMAGES SAM HOLT
In the 1980s, progressive rock experienced a revival, often referred to as neo-prog, with Marillion from Aylesbury being one of its prominent bands, led by a tall Scottish vocalist known as Fish. As the band’s popularity grew, whispers began to circulate about a potential split between Fish and the group. This finally happened in 1988, with both going on to pursue successful careers. Tonight, I’m here to attend Fish’s farewell tour, The Road To The Isles. The tour started last year in Europe, and the second leg began just a few days ago.
Tonight’s performance is about celebrating the incredible music of the “big man” throughout the years, with a focus on his solo work, much of it created in his home studio in Haddington, where the UK tour started at the town’s Corn Exchange. From there, it winds its way around England before concluding in Glasgow. Judging by the emotions tonight, there won’t be many dry eyes in the house as he takes his final bow.
The lights went down just after 8 p.m., and the band emerged to applause from the already excited audience, to the tune of “The Thieving Magpie [La Gazza Ladra]”. Starting with “Vigil”, they went on to play “Credo” and “Big Wedge” before “Pipeline”. The whole audience appeared to be hanging onto every note enthusiastically. Fish stopped for a short chat, sharing a humorous story about some mysterious money that had appeared in his bank account—until it dawned on him that it was his pension! He then turned his attention to the pop-up shops where he’s been selling tour merch, explaining that he doesn’t want to pay commission to the venues. Tonight’s pop-up was at The Giffard Arms, a well-known rock pub close to the venue, where I gather Fish enjoyed a swift one after soundcheck.
The set was enjoyable, and Fish openly admitted it was one he chose for himself—a last hurrah before he walks away from it all, reminding us that this really is it once the tour is over. Much of the set was drawn from his debut album, “Vigil In The Wilderness”, but also included a great selection of his extensive back catalogue. I couldn’t help but smile when he remarked that many of his songs were born from tough times, quipping, “Thanks to you buying albums, I’ve been able to express my feelings in my music and saved a fortune on therapy!” On that note, he shared his experience of trying to write a love song, which he dedicated to his wife, Simone. The song, “Cliché”, showcased some captivating guitar work from Robin Boult.
Elisabeth Antwi and Fish delivered a stunning duet with “Just Good Friends”, showcasing her incredible vocal talent. As the visuals shifted to a cover of the album Fugazi, I found myself hoping he’d play the title track one last time. However, he opted for “Incubus” instead, which the crowd clearly adored, as evidenced by their enthusiastic applause. The performance concluded with a captivating 20-minute suite from “Raingods With Zippos – The Plague of Ghosts”. Fish shared that this was inspired by his admiration for Douglas Coupland’s novel Girlfriend In A Coma, and he expressed his enjoyment in revisiting it. This was a great choice to highlight his poetic lyricism. The suite wrapped up with “Wake Up Call [Make It Happen]”, during which Fish took a moment to thank each band member individually, leaving the audience entranced as they sang along to “Make it happen”.
For the encore, keyboardist Micky and Fish returned to deliver a stunning performance of “A Gentleman’s Excuse Me”, before the rest of the band joined for a trio of beloved Marillion tracks: “Kayleigh”, “Lavender”, and “Heart of Lothian”. The crowd’s enthusiasm was palpable as they soaked in the moment before the band exited the stage.
But the night wasn’t over yet! They returned for a fantastic rendition of “The Company”, a song that has truly captured the hearts of fans, prompting the entire audience to join in with spirited singing. As Fish took his final bow in Wolverhampton, emotions ran high, marking a poignant farewell.
In summary, it was a wonderful tribute to the legendary artist’s body of work, with his solo material taking the spotlight, as it rightly should. The lighting, though modest, was highly effective, the sound was impeccable, and the audience was simply amazing, creating a memorable send-off. Fish’s departure paves the way for Derek [his real name] as he heads further north to his croft in the Outer Hebrides.
SET LIST
1/ Vigil
2/ Credo
3/ Big Wedge
4/ Pipe Line
5/ Shadow Play
6/ Weltschmerz
7/ A Feast of Cosnsequences
8/ Just Good Friends
9/ Cliché
10/ Incubus
11/ Plague of Ghosts, Part One: Old Haunts
12/ Plague of Ghosts, Part Two: Digging Deep
13/ Plague of Ghosts, Part Three; Chocolate Frogs
14/ Plague of Ghosts, Part Four: Waving At Stars
15/ Plague of Ghosts, Part Five: Raingods Dancing
16/ Plague of Ghosts, Part Six: Wake Up Call [Make It Happen]
Encore:
17/ A Genlemans Excuse Me
18/ Kayleigh
19/ Lavender
20/ Heart of Lothian
Encore 2:
21/ The Company
FOLLOW FISH
Returning to gigs and live music after a short break, and love being able to combine that with photography. For me I’m happy to make a road trip out for the right band/artist. I enjoy all genre’s of music, but a huge Gary Numan, Rival Sons and more recently Dirty Honey fan, but I’m always up for checking out all new music, and its just as important to catch support acts, during a gig, as one day they could be headliners themselves.
