123-562: Marillion / m ə ˈ r ɪ l i ə n / are a British neo prog band, formed in Aylesbury , Buckinghamshire, in 1979. They emerged from the post-punk music scene in Britain and existed as a bridge between the styles of punk rock and classic progressive rock , becoming the most commercially successful neo-prog band of the 1980s. Marillion released their debut single " Market Square Heroes " in 1982, followed by their first album Script for
246-562: A 10th anniversary compilation album, A Singles Collection: Six of One, Half A Dozen of the Other , so-titled as it included six tracks from the Fish era and six from the two albums with Hogarth. It also included two new recordings, "I Will Walk on Water" and a cover of Rare Bird 's " Sympathy ". "Sympathy" was also released as a single and it reached No. 17 in the UK charts, the first time the band had been inside
369-437: A Jester's Tear in 1983. They have released 20 studio albums in total. The band achieved eight Top 10 UK albums between 1983 and 1994, including a No. 1 album in 1985 with Misplaced Childhood . The album also produced two UK Top 10 singles in " Kayleigh " (No. 2) and " Lavender " (No. 5), while the follow-up album, 1987's Clutching at Straws , included another UK Top 10 single " Incommunicado " (No. 6). Clutching at Straws
492-559: A Jester's Tear , as well as "Cinderella Search" (B-side to "Assassing") and the debut single "Market Square Heroes", which had not been available on album until that point. Real to Reel entered the UK album charts at No. 8. Their third and commercially most successful studio album was Misplaced Childhood , which had a more mainstream sound. The lead single from the album, " Kayleigh ", received major promotion by EMI and gained heavy rotation on BBC Radio 1 and Independent Local Radio stations as well as television appearances, bringing
615-426: A Marillion album before joining the band. The group had already recorded some demos of the next studio album, which was eventually titled Seasons End , just prior to the split. With Fish taking his lyrics with him, Hogarth set to work crafting new words to existing songs, collaborating with lyricist and author John Helmer . The demo sessions of the songs from Seasons End with Fish vocals and lyrics can be found on
738-500: A Top 10 album. Fish's voice has been described as both "distinct" and a "conflation of Roger Daltrey and Peter Gabriel ", while his lyrics have been described as " poetic prose ". In 2004, Classic Rock ranked Fish at number 49 on its list of "The 100 Greatest Frontmen", describing his "theatrical delivery" as "a major factor in Marillion's spectacular rise, and he masterminded some uniquely ornate lyrical concepts." In 2009, Fish
861-449: A big house in Oxford with Irish wolfhounds at the bottom of my bed." Fish gave the band a choice to continue with either him or the manager, John Arnison . They sided with the manager and Fish left for a solo career. His last live performance with Marillion was at Craigtoun Country Park on 23 July 1988. The band's second live album, The Thieving Magpie , was released in late 1988, marking
984-419: A charity concert. In 2008, Fish presented a Friday evening radio show, Fish on Friday , for digital radio station Planet Rock . When the station was faced with closure, Malcolm Bluemel (with the help of Fish, Tony Iommi , Ian Anderson and Gary Moore ) helped save Planet Rock by buying the station. On 9 June 2008, Fish embarked on his first full North American tour in eleven years. At each stop, he hosted
1107-675: A concept and the second containing the other songs that are not a part of the theme. Before the album's release, on 9 September 2008, Marillion pre-released their album via p2p networks themselves. Upon attempting to play the downloaded files, users were shown a video from the band explaining why they had taken this route. Downloaders were then able to opt to purchase the album at a user-defined price or select to receive DRM-free files for free, in exchange for an email address. The band explained that although they do not support piracy, they realised their music would inevitably be distributed online anyway, and wanted to attempt to engage with p2p users and make
1230-589: A deal with Fish, to acquire the singer and lyricist’s master royalties and writer’s share for songs he wrote and performed with Marillion. Fish has sometimes been compared to Peter Gabriel , original lead singer of Genesis in the early 1970s, and his voice has even been described as "uncannily close". Music journalist David Hepworth described his voice as a "conflation of Roger Daltrey and Peter Gabriel ". Fish has acknowledged Gabriel's influence on him and some vocal similarities, but has rejected accusations from some critics during his career that he does not have
1353-450: A different approach and was received by fans with mixed reactions. The short Radiation tour, with only dates in the UK and mainland Europe, ended on 18 November 1998 at the Élysée Montmartre in Paris. marillion.com was the follow-up, released on 18 October 1999, and showed progression in a new musical direction. However, the band were still unhappy with their record label situation. Under
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#17328519734101476-640: A farewell tour in 2024. Derek William Dick was born on 25 April 1958 in Edinburgh , Scotland, and grew up in Dalkeith . The son of Robert and Isabella, Fish was educated at King's Park primary school and then Dalkeith High School . He was inspired by the music of many of the rock artists of the late 1960s and early 1970s, including Genesis , Pink Floyd , the Moody Blues , the Kinks , T. Rex , David Bowie , Argent , and
1599-521: A festival in Germany attended by a crowd of over 150,000 people. They were also offered the Highlander soundtrack but turned it down because of their world tour, a missed opportunity which Rothery later said he regretted. The fourth studio album, Clutching at Straws , shed some of its predecessor's pop stylings and retreated into a darker exploration of excess, alcoholism, and life on the road, representing
1722-634: A four-part 1991 BBC drama based on a group of Masonic ruffians. In 1994, he appeared in Chasing the Deer , a film set during the 1745 Jacobite rebellion , as Angus Cameron. He also missed out on a role in Braveheart . He spent two days with Mel Gibson in London who kept asking him to be involved but he was committed to touring his Suits album instead. In 1998, he appeared as David Lawson in series 14, episode 44 of
1845-623: A full reunion, claiming that "Hogarth does a great job with the band ... We forged different paths over the 19 years." His album 13th Star was released on 12 September 2007 as a specially packaged pre-release version available to order from his website. A UK tour for this album commenced in March 2008, supported by Glyder . In February 2008, Fish was confirmed to be the Friday-night headline act at NEARFest X. He also appeared with BBC Radio 2 's Bob Harris on GMTV to promote Childline Rocks ,
1968-412: A healthy friction between Wilson and Fish as they fought for their identities in the material. Grooves and loops led the rhythmic foundations into what they described as "Progressive Nouveaux", still retaining the drama and tension associated with Fish's previous work, but taking it into a more modern setting with a new edge and aggression. With Calum Malcolm's mix and Elliot Ness engineering skills provided
2091-461: A lot of socialist trends, but I work in a capitalist industry. Getting involved in politics can be very dangerous. There are a lot of doors that can shut when you get involved in politics." He is a supporter of Scottish independence because he is "dismayed" by the UK's anti-European stance and does not believe a "London-based government" is "beneficial to the UK as a whole". Fish argued that independence could "shake up British politics" to ensure
2214-409: A new line-up of Mick Pointer, Steve Rothery (guitar), Doug Irvine (bass/vocals) and Brian Jelliman (keys). They played their first concert at Berkhamsted Civic Centre , Hertfordshire , on 1 March 1980. According to Pointer, it was at this stage that the name was shortened to Marillion. Other sources have that the band name was shortened to Marillion in 1981 to avoid potential copyright conflicts, at
2337-417: A new strategy, and following the release of three albums via Castle, they came up with a novel approach for their next album. The band decided that they would try a radical experiment by asking their fans if they would help fund the recording of the next album by pre-ordering it before recording even started. The result was 12,674 pre-orders, which raised enough money to record and release Anoraknophobia in
2460-600: A nickname as quickly as possible." He first performed as a singer in 1980: "The very first gig I ever did as a singer was in Gala [Galashiels] in the Golden Lion pub." He moved to Church Laneham , Nottinghamshire, in mid-1980 following a successful audition for the Stone Dome Band, and then to Aylesbury at the start of 1981 in the process of joining Marillion . Fish joined Marillion in 1981. The band gained popularity over
2583-441: A number of "official bootleg " albums to finance the company before selling it to Roadrunner Records . Another financially unsuccessful period followed before he re-established his own Chocolate Frog Records label in 2001. He signed with Snapper Music in 2005, but later returned to Chocolate Frog Records. After having his own independent record company in the 1990s which charted a number of releases, Fish decided not to sign up to
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#17328519734102706-418: A patient in a mental institution, Jimmy Fleischer, and he played Uncle Jimmy in the 2012 comedy drama Electric Man . On 25 July 1987, Fish married his first wife, Tamara Nowy, a German model who appeared in the music videos for " Kayleigh ", " Lady Nina ", and "A Gentleman's Excuse Me". They divorced in 2003. The marriage produced one daughter, Tara Rowena (Taz), who was born on 1 January 1991 and who, in 2012,
2829-536: A pre-show meet-and-greet with his fans. On 20 and 21 October 2012, Fish hosted Fish Convention 2012 in Leamington Spa . He performed two acoustic sets and two electric sets, including material from his then upcoming studio album, A Feast of Consequences . He also performed "Grendel", a fan-favourite Marillion B-side, twice. A Feast of Consequences was released in September 2013 to positive reviews, supported by
2952-448: A smaller scale. Digital synthesizers took over many of the roles formerly filled by bulkier keyboards such as Mellotrons and organs, and their modern sound tended to minimise the folk influences that had been typical of 1970s progressive rock. Heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden and Queensrÿche began to explore the mythological themes and extended concepts that had previously been the territory of progressive rock. Early neo-prog
3075-671: A solo career. Lyrics from "Kayleigh" were etched into paving stones in Market Square in Galashiels in 2012. The lines "stilettoes in the snow", and "moon-washed college halls" were inspired by Fish's girlfriend of the time, who was at the Scottish College of Textiles in Galashiels in the 1980s. Fish’s debut solo album Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors was released in January 1990. Although
3198-596: A technical quality to match the standard of the writing on Sunsets on Empire . But once again the problem of underfunded promotion and advertising was to foil Fish's plans and a 115 date tour in 22 different countries was set up to attempt to give the album the attention it deserved. Seven months after its release the tour ground to an exhausted conclusion in December 1997. With a combination of tour losses and bad debts from third parties, Fish could no longer survive as an independent artist releasing his albums through Dick Bros. He
3321-446: A unique voice of his own. Peter Hammill of Van der Graaf Generator was also a major influence on his songwriting and vocal delivery, which is especially notable on the first two Marillion albums. In 2018, Fish told Planet Rock , "I don't look at myself as a singer, I'm not a technically gifted singer. I think one of the problems I had was back in the early Eighties I was singing very wrong, very unnatural. I think if I'd gone to see
3444-553: A voice coach at that point in my life they'd have said 'stop singing like that because you will not be able to keep that going for the rest of your life.'" Following a legal dispute with EMI Records and an unsuccessful contract with Polydor , Fish established the Dick Bros Record Company in Haddington in 1993. The studio recorded In Amber by Dream Disciples (1994) and Man Dancin by Tam White in (1996). He released
3567-428: Is characterised by deeply emotional content, often delivered via dramatic lyrics and a generous use of imagery and theatricality on-stage. The music is mostly the product of careful composition , relying less heavily on improvised jamming. The subgenre relies very much on clean, melodic and emotional electric guitar solos , combined with keyboards . The main musical influences on the neo-prog genre are bands from
3690-536: Is often hailed as one of Fish's greatest solo achievements along with his 1990 debut. In May 2001, Fish released his first studio album on his new independent label the Chocolate Frog Record Company, Fellini Days , which Fish co-wrote with John Wesley and John Young . Field of Crows was Fish's eighth solo studio album originally released in December 2003 and then to retail in May 2004. The album
3813-725: Is the biggest hit of the Hogarth era. In 2016, the album Fuck Everyone and Run (F E A R) returned them to the UK Albums Chart Top 10 for the first time since 1994's Brave . Their most recent album, 2022's An Hour Before It's Dark , entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 2, their highest chart position since Clutching at Straws in 1987. Marillion continue to tour internationally, becoming ranked 38th in Classic Rock 's "50 Best Live Acts of All Time" in 2008. Despite unpopularity in
Marillion - Misplaced Pages Continue
3936-539: The Alan Parsons Project in the early 1990's returning Neo-Prog back to its former glory. Giorgio A. Tsoukalos of Ancient Aliens fame brought more attention to the "alien based" concept album through social media and most importantly the attention of the NASA Apollo 11 Neil Armstrong family including Neil's musical son Rick Armstrong who requested to. become a permanent member of Edison's Children during
4059-426: The Alan Parsons Project later in the evening for a two band encore "mashup". Along with Marillion, Fish and Edison's Children, alternative rock band Radiohead 's ambitious work has been credited with inspiring a revival of interest in progressive rock. Fish (singer) Derek William Dick (born 25 April 1958), better known by his stage name Fish , is a Scottish singer, songwriter and occasional actor. He
4182-627: The COVID-19 pandemic to keep in touch with his fans and share stories from his career, the show was voted as the Event of the Year by Prog magazine readers in 2021. Fish on Friday remains active as of 2023, with new episodes of the show broadcast weekly. In September 2020, Fish released Weltschmerz , his final studio album. The album was supported by the singles "Weltschmerz", "Garden of Remembrance" and "This Party's Over". The album received positive reviews and
4305-580: The ITV series The Bill , titled "Manhunt", and played Derek Trout, a record producer in the series The Young Person's Guide To Becoming A Rock Star . He appeared as Barry Judd in a 2000 episode of the TV detective series Rebus alongside John Hannah . Later that year he appeared in episode number 48, "Skin Deep", of the popular Scottish detective television programme Taggart . In 2001, he auditioned (unsuccessfully) for
4428-539: The James Bond film Die Another Day . He then went on to appear in two episodes of Snoddy , a short-lived Scottish television sitcom. In 2004, Fish played Finlay Price in the TV movie Quite Ugly One Morning alongside James Nesbitt , Eddie Marsan and Annette Crosbie . Fish appeared as Old Nick, a camp homosexual , in the 2002 crime comedy film 9 Dead Gay Guys . In the 2005 film The Jacket , Fish appeared alongside Adrien Brody and Keira Knightley as
4551-682: The Marillion 2013 Weekend tour in Montreal which he was granted and has contributed to Edison's Children's next four Supernatural / Extraterrestrial / Apocalyptic -based double LPs. This culminated in the 2019 concert celebration for the Astronaut Scholarship Fund's concert celebration for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, starring Neil Armstrong 's son Rick Armstrong performing with his band Edison's Children and then joining
4674-583: The Official Charts Company when he released Weltschmerz , an album self-funded, marketed and distributed from his home in Scotland. As Fish did not partner with a record label as per chart rules and regulations, he missed out on a Top Ten chart placing when early sales revealed that he would have been number 2 on the UK midweek charts behind that week's chart topper, the independent band Idles . In May 2008, Fish's Planet Rock show Fish on Friday won
4797-501: The Songs from the Mirror album to assist employing his classical training and expertise with arrangements. It proved invaluable and together with his awareness and experience with modern production techniques the material was guaranteed to enter a new direction and to gain a momentum that would usher the solo career into a new era. Touring took precedent and Fish was well aware that road work was at
4920-415: The 'Hobble on The Cobbles' show at the Market Square in Aylesbury . He was accompanied on stage by his four former Marillion bandmates from the classic line-up ( Mark Kelly , Steve Rothery , Ian Mosley and Pete Trewavas ) for one song: " Market Square Heroes ". This was the first time they had performed together in nearly two decades. In a press interview following the event, Fish denied this would lead to
5043-527: The Amsterdam Paradiso ), the band returned to their own studio, The Racket Club, in November. During 1997 to 1999, EMI issued 2-CD remastered editions of Marillion's first eight studio albums ( Script for a Jester's Tear through Afraid of Sunlight ), each with a second CD of non-album tracks and other archival recordings. The band's tenth album, Radiation , released on 21 September 1998, saw them taking
Marillion - Misplaced Pages Continue
5166-557: The B-side of the 12" version. Following the single, the band released their first full-length album in 1983. The music on their debut album, Script for a Jester's Tear , was born out of the intensive performances of the previous years. Featuring a dark and progressive rock sound, the album was a commercial success, peaking at No. 7 on the UK album chart and producing the singles " He Knows You Know " (No. 35) and " Garden Party " (No. 16). Although they were accused of being Genesis soundalikes,
5289-607: The Blue Turtles , entered the chart in the same week. The third single from the album, " Heart of Lothian ", became another Top 30 hit for the band, reaching No. 29. The album came sixth in Kerrang! magazine's "Albums of the Year" in 1985. "Kayleigh" also gave Marillion its sole entry on the Billboard Hot 100 , reaching No. 74. In the summer of 1986, the band played to their biggest ever audience as special guests to Queen at
5412-610: The Desert, on 22 April 1996. Rothery's project with the female singer Hannah Stobart, drummer Paul Craddick (from Enchant ) and Trewavas, called The Wishing Tree , released their album Carnival of Souls in September 1996. Hogarth released his solo album Ice Cream Genius in February 1997. This Strange Engine was the following Marillion album released in April 1997 in the UK, and in October in
5535-545: The Europeans and the duo How We Live . Hogarth first sang with the band in Pete Trewavas' garage on 24 January 1989, and the first public pictures together were released in Kerrang! magazine issue 230 on 18 March 1989. Hogarth was a significant contrast to Fish, coming from a new wave musical background instead of progressive rock, and possessing a very different vocal style, image and stage presence. He had also never owned
5658-859: The Hill". Several well known musicians contributed to the album, including former Dire Straits guitarist Hal Lindes , who played guitar on most tracks and also contributed to the writing of three of the album’s songs. Frank Usher , a Fish companion from pre-Marillion times, also contributed. Drums were played by Mark Brzezicki ( Big Country ) and John Keeble ( Spandau Ballet ), John Giblin contributed bass and Luís Jardim contributed additional percussion. Backing vocals came from Tessa Niles , who had appeared on Clutching at Straws . Many of Fish's later works contain lengthy spoken-word lyrics, shorter examples of which can be heard on earlier Marillion albums. He has collaborated with Genesis founder Tony Banks on Banks's Still and Soundtracks albums, singing on
5781-427: The Mirror . Produced by James Cassidy, whom Fish met while both were working on Jeff Waynes Spartacus album. They started recording in summer 1992 while simultaneously writing material for the next studio album Suits , a cynical examination lyrically of the music business and executives who still fed Fish's cynical outlook on life. Songs from the Mirror , released in January 1993, became the last album on Polydor. But
5904-629: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (Fish would later pay tribute to these early influences on his covers album Songs from the Mirror ). Fish has also cited Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell as "one of the biggest influences on me because of her approach to lyrics". The first band he saw live was Yes at Usher Hall, Edinburgh, in 1974. As well as his love for music, he was also a voracious reader, and his literary inspirations included Jack Kerouac , Truman Capote , Robert Burns and Dylan Thomas (all of whom would later be depicted on
6027-840: The Silver award in the Music Broadcaster of the Year category at the UK Sony Radio Academy Awards 2008. In June 2008, at the New York Festivals Radio Broadcasting Awards, he and Gary Moore jointly received the Gold World Medal in the Regularly Scheduled Music Programme category for their respective shows on Planet Rock. Fish was offered and accepted a part in the 1986 film Highlander , for which Marillion were also offered
6150-677: The Sky . A predecessor to this genre was The Enid , who fused rock with classical but were more heavily influenced by Ralph Vaughan Williams than by more modern composers. The change of approach can be heard in the shift toward shorter compositions and a keyboard-based sound in the 1980s Rush albums Signals , Grace Under Pressure , Power Windows and Hold Your Fire . Neo-progressive bands emphasised individual solos instead of group improvisation , and they included more world-music elements. Lyrics became more personal and less esoteric. Concept albums were still created, but not as frequently and on
6273-415: The UK , in 2002. April 2002 marked a new era of Marillion fandom. The band decided to book out a holiday camp and invite their fanbase to enjoy three entire days of Marillion with three concerts, signing sessions, and more. The hallmark of the weekend was the first night which hosts the entire rendition of an album of Marillion's choice. The Marillion weekends began at Pontin 's Holiday Park, Brean Sands in
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#17328519734106396-626: The UK Top 30. The success of the album was further underscored by that of the download-only single "See it Like a Baby", making UK No. 45 (March 2007) and the traditional CD release of " Thankyou Whoever You Are " / "Most Toys", which made UK No. 15 and No. 6 in the Netherlands during June 2007. The Somewhere Else tour started in Gibraltar 14 April 2007, and they also played in some places they had never been before like Bratislava. In July 2008,
6519-690: The UK album chart and produced two top five hit singles in the UK. The album has been called "the cornerstone of the entire 'neo-prog' movement". Following this peak, neo-prog declined in popularity as a genre, although several bands have continued to record and tour, with Marillion and their ex-singer Fish in particular both maintaining a large cult following . They would also spawn a Sci-Fi based trans-Atlantic Neo-Prog side project in Edison's Children in 2011 starring, Marillion 's Pete Trewavas and NYC's Major Motion Picture Special FX Technician Eric Blackwood . Their 1st album "In The Last Waking Moments..." marks
6642-502: The UK for an exclusive and intimate 10th Anniversary show at London's Borderline for members of their The Web fan club on 9 May 1992, followed by another European tour in August. Marillion returned to the UK to headline Wembley Arena, for what would ultimately be the final time for the band, on 5 September 1992. The 1992 tour wound up in Baltimore, USA on 23 October. 1992 also saw the release of
6765-527: The UK in July, with a sold out show at Wembley Arena , highlighting how successful the shift from Fish to the new frontman Hogarth had been. Hogarth's second album with the band, Holidays in Eden , was the first he wrote in partnership with the band from the beginning, and includes the song "Dry Land", which Hogarth had written and recorded with his earlier duo, How We Live. As quoted from Steve Hogarth, " Holidays in Eden
6888-633: The US, with limited promotion from their new label Castle. Marillion could not afford to make tour stops in the United States. Their dedicated US fan base decided to solve the problem by raising some $ 60,000 themselves online to give to the band to come to the US. The band's loyal fanbase (combined with the Internet) would eventually become vital to their existence. Following the completion of the extensive 1997 tour (including Marillion's one-thousandth gig, on 27 October at
7011-529: The United States, followed up by the "Not Quite Christmas Tour" of Europe throughout the end of 2005. A new DVD, Colours and Sound , was released in February 2006, documenting the creation, promotion, release, and subsequent European tour in support of the album Marbles . In February 2007, the Marillion weekend was held abroad for the first time in the Netherlands at Center Parcs , Port Zélande. April 2007 saw Marillion release their fourteenth studio album Somewhere Else , their first album in 10 years to make
7134-545: The West Country, to which fans would fly in from all over the world. In March 2003 they continued and held the Marillion weekend at Butlin's Minehead . The success of Anoraknophobia allowed the band to start recording their next album, but they decided to leverage their fanbase once again to help raise money towards marketing and promotion of a new album. The band put up the album for pre-order in mid-production. This time fans responded by pre-ordering 18,000 copies. Marbles
7257-460: The album reached the Platinum certification and has been credited with giving a second life to progressive rock bands from the previous era. In April 1983, following the UK tour to promote Script for a Jester's Tear , Mick Pointer was dismissed due to Fish's dissatisfaction with what he later described as the drummer's "awful" timing and failure to develop as a musician with the rest of the band. Over
7380-485: The album was a turning point for Fish, and fully prepared him for the Suits sessions, material which he had been rehearsing constantly on tour as he struggled to pay bills and musicians. Fish formed his own record company, Dick Bros. after advice from a medium who passed on messages from his grandfather. The Co. was named after the garage business he had started and Fish's father had run throughout his childhood. The first release
7503-524: The band 18 months to write and record and marked the start of their longtime relationship with producer Dave Meegan . Some of the material had been aired at that sole 1993 show in Utrecht, and was also previewed at low-key gigs in the Netherlands, Italy, and Germany before Marillion kicked off the Brave world tour at Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre on 20 February 1994. The Brave tour was another lengthy one, and
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#17328519734107626-471: The band Steam Shed. By the end of 1981, Mark Kelly had replaced Jelliman on keyboards, with Pete Trewavas replacing Minnitt on bass in 1982. Minnitt later formed Pride of Passion and went on to perform with Zealey and Moore. Marillion's first recordings were two demos recorded in March and the summer of 1980, before Fish and Minnitt joined the band. Two versions of the Spring demo circulate amongst collectors;
7749-462: The band posted a contest for fans to create a music video for the soon-to-be released single "Whatever is Wrong with You", and post it on YouTube. The winner would win £5,000. Happiness Is the Road , released in October 2008, again featured a pre-order Deluxe Edition with a list of the fans who bought in advance, and a more straightforward regular release. It is another double album, with one disc based on
7872-511: The band recorded another demo tape, produced by Les Payne, in July 1981 that included early versions of "He Knows You Know", "Garden Party", and "Charting the Single". The group attracted attention with a radio session for the Friday Rock Show . They were subsequently signed by EMI Records . They released their first single, " Market Square Heroes ", in 1982, with the 17-minute epic "Grendel" on
7995-494: The band to the attention of a much wider audience. "Kayleigh" reached No. 2 in the UK and " Lavender " reached No. 5; these remain the only singles by the band to enter the Top 5. Following the exposure given to "Kayleigh" and its subsequent chart success, the album became their only No. 1 in the UK, knocking Bryan Ferry 's Boys and Girls off the top spot and holding off a challenge from Sting , whose first solo album, The Dream of
8118-447: The band undertook the move to perform the whole of their new album in its entirety (as they had done with Misplaced Childhood just under a decade earlier). However, this meant the inevitable relegating of some Fish-era songs from the set. After a series of summer shows in Japan, the Brave tour wound its way down to Mexico in September. An independent film based on the album, which featured
8241-789: The band's first Top 40 entry since "Beautiful" in 1995. The second single from the album, "Don't Hurt Yourself", reached No. 16. Following this, they released a download-only single, "The Damage (live)", recorded at the band's sell-out gig at the London Astoria . All of this succeeded in putting the band back in the public consciousness, making the campaign a success. In September 2004, Marillion returned for shows in Mexico, USA and ended in Canada Quebec City on 13 October 2004. Marillion continued to tour throughout 2005, playing several summer festivals and embarking on acoustic tours of both Europe and
8364-472: The band's lineup, with the recording beset by production problems. Despite this, the album built upon the success of Script for a Jester's Tear , with a more streamlined hard rock sound. It improved on the chart placing of its predecessor by reaching the Top 5 and produced the singles " Punch and Judy " (No. 29) and " Assassing " (No. 22). In November 1984, Marillion released their first live album, Real to Reel , featuring songs from Fugazi and Script for
8487-429: The band's management led to the rift. Although reportedly now on good personal terms, both camps had always made it very clear that the oft-speculated-upon reunion would never happen. When Fish headlined the 'Hobble on the Cobbles' free concert in Aylesbury's Market Square on 26 August 2007, the attraction of playing their debut single in its spiritual home proved strong enough to overcome any lingering bad feeling between
8610-399: The band, was also released in February 1995. The film was directed by Richard Stanley . The band's next album, Afraid of Sunlight , was released June 1995. It would be Marillion's last studio album with EMI Records. It received limited promotion, no mainstream radio airplay and the sales were disappointing for the band. Despite this, it was one of their most critically acclaimed albums and
8733-480: The beginning of May 2001. As a 'thank-you' gesture to the fans who pre-ordered it, their names were credited in the sleeve notes and the pre-order "Special Edition" came in a deluxe 48-page hard-bound case with an extra enhanced CD. The band was able to strike a deal with EMI to also help distribute the album. This allowed Marillion to retain all the rights to their music while enjoying commercial distribution. The band went on tour which started in May 2001. A second leg of
8856-778: The best album he made with the band. On 2 August 1995, Marillion began their Afraid of Sunlight tour in USA at the Bayou in Washington DC. They returned to the UK and Europe before ending the tour in Krakow, Poland on 21 November 1995. The band's independent status was confirmed with signing a deal to the UK-based Castle . The first album to be released through Castle was the band's third live album (the first with Hogarth) Made Again . Not only did it release Marillion from its obligations with EMI (as
8979-430: The best of the situation. In April 2009, they took their Marillion weekend to Montreal for the first time. Neo prog Neo-progressive rock (commonly abbreviated neo-prog ) is a subgenre of progressive rock developed in the UK in the early 1980s. The genre's most popular band, Marillion , achieved mainstream success in the decade. Several bands from the genre have continued to record and tour. Neo-prog
9102-402: The bonus disc of the remastered version of Clutching at Straws , while those lyrics found their way into various Fish solo albums, such as his first album Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors , some snippets on his second album Internal Exile , and even a line or two found its way to his third album Suits . The first time Marillion would appear in public with Steve Hogarth as the new singer
9225-647: The breakthrough that would give him the space to take a breath and write new material. It never happened until 1997 when, after a tour in Bosnia, playing to the UN troops he reached the stage where he had to get experiences out and onto paper. Fish was introduced to Steven Wilson , who although sympathetic to the progressive rock genre, had no intention of getting involved in a regressive album, which suited Fish fine and welcomed Wilson's influence with open ears. The writing sessions were open and new songs and approaches were generated from
9348-443: The end of an era. Owing to lengthy legal battles, informal contact between Fish and the other four band members apparently did not resume until 1999. Fish would disclose in the liner notes to the remastered edition of Clutching at Straws that he and his former bandmates had met up, discussed the demise of the band and renewed their friendship. They had come to the consensus that an excessive touring schedule and too much pressure from
9471-407: The expense of writing a new studio album. He went for the break and opted for the two "Best of's", Yin and Yang , containing re-recorded material from the Marillion era and solo albums, to give Fish the fuel and introduction to countries he had never managed to reach so far with his career. Released in 1995 these albums allowed him to stay on the road for nearly two years plugging away and hoping for
9594-419: The fifth album in a five-album deal), as well as paying off the debts without creating new ones, it marked a certain symmetry with the first seven years of the band. Mark Kelly noted: "Our first four studio albums were followed by a double live album that signalled the end of a chapter. Now, after another four studio albums, followed by a live album, we move from EMI." Featuring Brave in its entirety, Made Again
9717-773: The first has four tracks; "The Haunting of Gill House", "Herne the Hunter", an untitled track known as "Scott's Porridge", and "Alice". The second version has an instrumental version of "Alice" in place of "Scott's Porridge". All tracks are instrumental apart from "Alice", with vocals by Doug Irvine. The summer demo has three tracks; "Close" (parts of which were later rewritten into "The Web", "He Knows You Know" and "Chelsea Monday"), "Lady Fantasy" (an original based on an earlier Electric Gypsy song), and another version of "Alice". Both were recorded at The Enid 's studio in Hertfordshire. Following Irvine's departure and replacement by Fish and Minnitt,
9840-418: The first wave of progressive rock such as early Genesis , Camel , and to a lesser extent Van der Graaf Generator and Pink Floyd . Funk , hard rock and punk rock were also influences on the genre. In the book, The Progressive Rock Files , author Jerry Lucky dedicates a chapter to neo-progressive rock with the title "A Neo Beginning!", stating this subgenre "surfaced in late 1981, bearing testimony to
9963-423: The former bandmates, and Kelly, Mosley, Rothery, and Trewavas replaced Fish's backing band for an emotional encore of "Market Square Heroes". In a press interview following the event, Fish denied this would lead to a full reunion, saying that: " Hogarth does a great job with the band. We forged different paths over the 19 years." After the split, the band found Steve Hogarth, the former keyboardist and vocalist of
10086-667: The lasting values of this musical form" of progressive rock, but distinguishing it from this main genre by saying, "Sure the sound was a bit different ... a little more bite, a little more eighties". Later in the same book, Jerry Lucky suggested this subgenre of progressive rock peaked in the mid-1980s: "As 1984 dawned all of the British neo-progressive rock bands release material." Famous neo-prog albums were Marillion 's Fugazi , Pallas ' The Sentinel , Pendragon 's Fly High Fall Far , Twelfth Night 's Art and Illusion , Solstice 's Silent Dance , IQ 's The Wake , and Quasar 's Fire in
10209-416: The mainstream media and a consistently unfashionable status within the British music industry, Marillion have maintained a very loyal international fanbase, becoming widely acknowledged as playing a pioneering role in the development of crowdfunding and fan-funded music . They have sold over 15 million albums worldwide. "I thought they were a lot like Camel . It was also very clear to me that Steve Rothery
10332-407: The manager was on 20 per cent of the gross. He was making a fantastic amount of money while we were working our asses off. Then I found a bit of paper proposing an American tour. At the end of the day the band would have needed a £14,000 loan from EMI as tour support to do it. That was when I knew that, if I stayed with the band, I'd probably end up a raging alcoholic and be found overdosed and dying in
10455-459: The new album. Three songs were taken from the sessions in France for the set up for Raingods with Zippos , together with a 25-minute epic called "Plague of Ghosts" written together with Tony Turrell and Mark Daghorn featuring Steven Wilson on guitar, and two tracks written with his old friend Mickey Simmonds . Raingods with Zippos was released by Roadrunner Records in April 1999. The Raingods album
10578-428: The new label, Polydor , filled him with dread. His second album Internal Exile released in October 1991, was flirting with styles but never got into a particular groove and locking into a direction. The album's music reflected Fish's indulgence in the vast regions of music that he wanted to explore as a solo artist; most notably Celtic music and folk styles. The acquisition of Chris Kimsey as producer could not save
10701-466: The next couple of years, leading to the release of their top-ten debut album Script for a Jester's Tear in 1983. They achieved further chart success in the UK, attaining top-ten hit singles in 1985 with " Kayleigh " and " Lavender ", and again in 1987 with " Incommunicado ". In 1988, due to the stress of touring and the detrimental effect it was having on his health, as well as having a falling out with bandmate Steve Rothery, Fish left Marillion to pursue
10824-417: The next six months, three drummers passed through the band - original Camel drummer Andy Ward , followed by John 'Martyr' Marter, followed by Jonathan Mover - before Ian Mosley , who had played for acts including Darryl Way's Wolf , Trace , Gordon Giltrap , and Steve Hackett , was secured in October 1983. The second album Fugazi , released in early 1984, was written during this period of upheaval in
10947-479: The only time that all active members of Marillion (and Robin Boult, the lead guitarist of Fish) appeared on the same album that wasn't an official Marillion album. " In The Last Waking Moments ...'" Extraterrestrial / Alien Abduction theme garnered tremendous attention including the Top 40 FM Radio Hit "A Million Miles Away (I Wish I Had A Time Machine " marking the first time that Neo-Prog has had an FM hit since
11070-459: The press. The band released " You're Gone " as the lead single from the album. Aware that it was unlikely to gain much mainstream radio airplay, the band released the single in three separate formats and encouraged fans to buy a copy of each to get the single into the UK Top Ten. The single reached No. 7, making it the first Marillion song to reach the UK Top 10 since " Incommunicado " in 1987 and
11193-449: The project as he attempted to come to terms with a newly built studio and Fish plagued by bitterness and cynicism toward the industry. Polydor had rushed the album out with his acquiesence resulted in a fractured promotion campaign and low sales, and the UK promoter went bankrupt just as the tour was about to kick off. Polydor wanted a new studio album but Fish persisted and he decided to release an album of cover versions called Songs from
11316-447: The recordings for the album finished in June 1989, EMI Records decided to delay the release until 1990, to avoid collision with Marillion's album Seasons End , released in September 1989. Keyboardist Mickey Simmonds who had played with Mike Oldfield , co-wrote the songs on the album, and would continue to play with Fish on the tour. Also guitarist Janick Gers co-wrote the track "View From
11439-561: The release of Seasons End . The band ended 1989 with their traditional Christmas show at London's Hammersmith Odeon , and kicked off 1990 with the beginning of the Seasons End world tour, in front of 180,000 people at Hollywood Rock Festival in Rio de Janeiro in January, then rolling through Canada and North America before returning to Europe. The tour would prove to be the longest that Hogarth has thus far undertaken with Marillion. The tour ended in
11562-418: The release of their 1996 live album Made Again , and the dissipation of the band's mainstream popularity in the late 1990s; save for a resurgence in the mid- to late-2000s, they have essentially been a cult act since then. Since the arrival of Hogarth, Marillion have achieved a further 12 Top 40 hit singles in the UK, including 2004's " You're Gone " from the album Marbles , which charted at No. 7 and
11685-589: The same time as singer Fish and bassist William 'Diz' Minnitt replaced original bassist/vocalist Doug Irvine following an audition at Leyland Farm Studios in Buckinghamshire on 2 January 1981. The line-up of Rothery, Pointer, Jelliman, Fish, and Minnitt performed their first gig at the Red Lion Pub at 35 Market Square in Bicester on 14 March 1981. Many years after his departure from Marillion, Irvine eventually joined
11808-547: The single " Blind to the Beautiful ". Fish celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Marillion album Clutching at Straws on tour in 2018, alongside debuting material from his then upcoming studio album Weltschmerz . A three track EP, A Parley With Angels , was released in September 2018. In April 2020, Fish revived his Fish on Friday show in the form of a weekly live video podcast, initially broadcast on Facebook (later simulcast on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter). Created during
11931-422: The singles Top 20 since "Incommunicado". Marillion would play only one live show in 1993, a fan club gig at Tivoli Theatre in Utrecht on 19 June, as a duo with only Hogarth and Trewavas. The band spent most of 1993 recording what would become one of the most significant albums of their history. Brave was released on 7 February 1994. A dark and richly complex concept album inspired by a true news story, it took
12054-602: The sleeve of Marillion's Clutching at Straws ). Fish worked as a petrol pump attendant, gardener , and from 1977 until 1980 worked in forestry at the Bowhill Estate in Selkirk . While living in Fochabers , Moray he adopted the nickname of Fish, which originated from a landlady who lamented the amount of time he spent in the bath. Fish has been quoted: "With a real name of Derek William Dick, it became very necessary to find
12177-505: The soundtrack, but he eventually had to turn it down owing to his tour commitments with the band. Fish first appeared on terrestrial television as himself in the "More Bad News" episode of the series The Comic Strip Presents... in 1988. His first acting role was as a guest star in an episode of Zorro called "The Newcomers" (aired 10 February 1991) but a more prominent role was as the thug Ferguson alongside John Sessions in Jute City ,
12300-532: The strains of constant touring that would result in the departure of Fish to pursue a solo career. It did continue the group's commercial success, however; lead single " Incommunicado " charted at No. 6 in the UK, gaining the band an appearance on Top of the Pops , and the album entered the UK album chart at No. 2. " Sugar Mice " and " Warm Wet Circles " also became hit singles, both reaching No. 22. Fish has also stated in interviews since that he believes this
12423-888: The terms of the deal, this was to be the third and final album distributed on the Castle label. The Dot Com tour, again with dates only in the UK and mainland Europe, started on 13 October at the MCM Cafe in Paris, and ended with a special Christmas show for the Web fanclubs worldwide in Aachen, Germany on 5 December 1999. For the whole of 2000, the band were writing the next album at the Racket Club and in November 2000 they played 2 Charity gigs at Bass Museum in Burton-on-Trent, before playing some more Christmas shows for their European fan clubs. Marillion needed
12546-623: The tour (with a setlist largely decided by a poll of the fans) reached places that had never been played before, such as in the Azores at Ponta Delgada 22 September 2001. A US Tour was still not a possibility. A four-part BBC documentary 'The Future Just Happened' aired in the UK on BBC2 in the Summer 2001. Featured in Episode 3 was Marillion's revolutionary internet pre-order campaign for Anoraknophobia . The band released its fourth live album, entitled Anorak in
12669-588: The tracks "Shortcut to Somewhere", "Angel Face" and "Another Murder of a Day", co-writing the latter. His solo career has never received the same recognition or attention, and to a lot of people he went missing soon after the Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors album, in February 1990, the album peaked at number 5 in the UK Albums Chart . After finishing the Vigil World Tour at Royal Albert Hall on 9 July 1990, Fish
12792-454: Was Sushi , a live album to follow the five official bootleg releases, on Battleside, a company that temporarily filled the gap between Polydor and Dick Bros., and provided Fish with a lifeline and a quality alternative to the illegal live bootlegs that had followed his career. His confidence had grown and was excited about the new songs on Suits released in 1994, some of which were co-written by James Cassidy who had stayed on since producing
12915-537: Was a brilliant guitarist." —Fish on his first impression of the band In 1977, drummer Mick Pointer joined Electric Gypsy, which also included Doug Irvine on bass, Alan King on vocals and Andy Glass (later of Solstice ) on guitar. Pointer and Irvine left to form their own band, Silmarillion, named after J.R.R. Tolkien 's book The Silmarillion , in late 1978. They played one London show as an instrumental band with Neil Cockle (keys) and Martin Jenner (guitar). 1979 saw
13038-405: Was commercially successful, having sold over 60,000 copies to date. Fish toured Weltschmerz and celebrated the 30th anniversary of A Vigil In A Wilderness of Mirrors as part of the Vigil's End tour in 2021. The tour was documented on the live album Vigil's End Tour 2021 , released on physical formats in December 2022 and digitally in March 2023. In November 2023, Primary Wave Music struck
13161-406: Was effectively broke and financing the recording of the album Raingods with Zippos were beyond his means. Fish was asked to take part in a writing retreat in France by Miles Copeland . Together with 23 songwriters from all over the world, Fish rediscovered himself and when he returned with new songs he was excited and eager to get on with the job of redefining his career, and writing the rest of
13284-583: Was followed by a headlining appearance at the second and final Cumbria Rock Festival at Derwent Park in Workington 13 July 1991. The Cumbria appearance kick-started another lengthy world tour that would see the band course through the UK, before venturing through Europe and returning to the UK for some Christmas shows. At the beginning of 1992 the band built their own recording and rehearsal studio, The Racket Club, in Buckinghamshire. March and April 1992 saw Marillion back touring Canada and America, before returning to
13407-496: Was included in Q ' s 50 Best Albums of 1995. A particularly notable track on the album is "Out of This World", a song about Donald Campbell , who died while trying to set a speed record on water. The song inspired an effort to recover both Campbell's body and the "Bluebird K7", the boat which Campbell crashed in, from the water. The recovery was finally undertaken in 2001, and both Steve Hogarth and Steve Rothery were invited. In 1998, Steve Hogarth said he considered Afraid of Sunlight
13530-475: Was later determined not to be cancerous. Fish is a lifelong fan of Edinburgh football club Hibernian . He also has a keen interest in marine science. In mid-2023, Fish announced plans to permanently relocate to a 35-acre crofting smallholding on the Outer Hebridean island of Berneray (North Uist) with his wife in 2024/5, as he retires from the music industry. On politics, Fish said in 1993, "I've got
13653-522: Was mainly co-written with Bruce Watson and Irvin Duguid . Fish appeared at World Bowl XI, 14 June 2003, Hampden Park, Glasgow. His performance included a rousing rendition of "Caledonia" before kick-off. In 2005, he won a Celebrity Music edition of The Weakest Link , beating Eggsy of Goldie Lookin Chain in the final round, sharing £18,750 with Eggsy's charity and his own. On 26 August 2007, Fish performed at
13776-631: Was marked by sophisticated lyrics and often dark themes. While the accessibility of neo-prog to the mainstream is debatable, the form did generally seem more radio-friendly, with shorter and less complex songs than earlier progressive rock. Nonetheless, neo-prog never achieved the heights of popular success that the first wave of progressive rock in the 1970s did, with only one band, Marillion, achieving arena status. Marillion achieved major success across Europe in particular and produced eight top ten UK albums between 1983 and 1994, peaking in popularity with their album Misplaced Childhood in 1985, which topped
13899-532: Was nominated for Scottish Model of the Year, but lost to Annie Lennox 's daughter. Following the divorce, Fish entered into a relationship with Mostly Autumn singer Heather Findlay. In April 2009, he married his second wife, Katie Webb. The couple divorced after less than a year. On 14 October 2017, he married his third wife, Simone Rösler, at Aberlady Church, East Lothian, Scotland. In 2008, Fish stated that he would be taking at least six months off from singing due to an "irregular cell growth" in his throat. It
14022-475: Was printed in the album credits (like with the previous album, Anoraknophobia ). The band's management organised the biggest promotional schedule since they had left EMI and Steve Hogarth secured interviews with prominent broadcasters on BBC Radio , including Matthew Wright , Bob Harris , Stuart Maconie , Simon Mayo and Mark Lawson . Marbles also became the band's most critically acclaimed album since Afraid of Sunlight , prompting many positive reviews in
14145-491: Was released 25 March 1996 as the final EMI-era Marillion release in the UK, with Castle handling the release in mainland Europe and the US. The release was followed by a brief tour with four dates in Europe at the end of April. In the months prior, Rothery, Hogarth and Mosley used the break from Marillion to record separate solo projects. Mosley's project, IRIS, with French guitarist Sylvian Gouvernaire and Trewavas, released Crossing
14268-592: Was released at the end of April 2004 with a 2-CD version that was only available at Marillion's website. The pre-order version (known as the Deluxe Campaign Edition) of Marbles was packaged as a 128-page hard-bound book, packed in a rigid slip case. Those who purchased the Deluxe Campaign Edition by the end of 31 December 2003 were directly helping the Campaign Fund, and as a "Thank You" their name
14391-562: Was the band's last studio album with original lead singer Fish , who left for a solo career in late 1988. Altogether, during the Fish era, Marillion scored 11 Top 40 hits on the UK Singles Chart . "Kayleigh" also entered the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. In early 1989, Marillion announced Steve Hogarth as their new lead singer. The first album with him, Seasons End , was another Top 10 hit, and albums continued to chart well until their departure from EMI Records , following
14514-410: Was the best album he made with the band. The album came sixth in Kerrang! magazine's "Albums of the Year" in 1987, equalling the ranking given to Misplaced Childhood . It was also included in Q magazine's "50 Best Recordings of the Year". Fish made the decision to leave the group after this tour, explaining his reasons for departing in a 2003 interview: "By 1987 we were over-playing live because
14637-472: Was the lead singer and lyricist of the neo-prog band Marillion from 1981 until 1988. He released 11 UK Top 40 singles with the band, including the Top Ten singles " Kayleigh ", " Lavender " and " Incommunicado ", and five Top Ten albums, including a number one with Misplaced Childhood . In his solo career, Fish explored contemporary pop and traditional folk , and released a further five Top 40 singles and
14760-501: Was to become Marillion's "pop"est album ever, and was greeted with delight by many, and dismay by some of the hardcore fans". EMI also wanted Marillon to deliver three hit singles from the album. Marillion returned to their pseudonym Low Fat Yoghurts in December 1990 to preview their forthcoming album at the Moles club in Bath, Somerset . Holidays in Eden wouldn't be released until June 1991, and
14883-461: Was to enter litigation with EMI records resulting in a High Court injunction that stopped him releasing new music for almost a year. The extensive touring cost him dearly and the decision to go ahead with building a new studio in his home in Haddington Scotland meant that funds were rapidly depleted along with his confidence and his creative energies. The prospect of writing the follow-up for
15006-710: Was under the banner of Low Fat Yoghurts, at the Crooked Billet pub in Stoke Row , on 8 June 1989. Only about 100 fans attended that Crooked Billet show, while considerably more attended Hogarth's official introduction to fans at the recording of the promo video for " Hooks in You " at London's Brixton Academy on 1 August that year. Hogarth's first proper concert with Marillion was at the Palais des Sports in Besançon, France on 5 October following
15129-413: Was voted at number 37 in a poll of the greatest voices in rock music by Planet Rock listeners. In 2020, Fish released his final studio album Weltschmerz (German for "world-weariness"), to critical acclaim and commercial success. Fish toured Weltschmerz and celebrated the 30th anniversary of A Vigil In A Wilderness of Mirrors as part of the Vigil's End tour in 2021. Fish plans to retire following
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