Marillion's beginnings can be searched back to 1978, in Aylesbury, going under the name of JRR Tolkien's novel: Silmarillion. Two years later, with the addition of guitarist Steve Rothery and the name change to Marillion (due to copyrights), the band began to take its familiar form. Performing mainly instrumental sets, that changed when they met a man named Fish.
Fish, whose real name: Derek William Dick, was born in a small town named Dalkeith - just east of Edinburgh Scotland 25th April 1958, an ex-gardner, forest worker auditioned and joined the band in December 1980; immediately contributing his sense of passion, emotion and theatrics into the band's performances. Their first gig together was a small venue: The Red Lion Pub on March 15, 1981.
In the spring of 1982, both Mark Kelly (keyboards) and Pete Trewavas (bass) joined to group, strengthening their line up. With a constant gig schedule and sheer hard work, their brand of advanced and enlightened rock began to appeal to a large audience. EMI signed the group on September 8th 1982, and a month later, they released a single- "Market Square Heroes" and in March of 1983, their first album: `Script For A Jester's Tear.' The album fused Fish's poetic and complex lyrics with the bands fine musicianship.
A year later, drummer Ian Mosley (ex- Steve Hackett), joined the band, and they released their second album, `Fugazi'.
Touring continued, Fish complete with face-paint, a powerful light show, props and the emotional theatrics lifted audiences into an emotional frenzy- clapping and singing along with Fish. The band was gaining popularity.
Songs varied in content from simple fantasy to political issues and social reform.
`Misplaced Childhood' followed in 1985 and gained the number one album spot in the UK. Their single- "Kayleigh" hit #2 on June `85.
In 1987, `Clutching At Straws,' was the last album that included Fish. Fish suddenly and unexpectedly quit the band to pursue a solo career. A 90 min. video- Live from Loreley, UK 1987 of one of the last shows he performed and shows the band toning down the visuals.
About Fish's departure..."During the process of writing the new album it became apparent that differences, both musically and lyrically, between Fish and the rest of the band were irreconcilable". Fish himself said: "I've had a brilliant 7 years with Marillion; however, recently the musical directions of the band have diversified to such an extent I realised the time had come to embark on a solo career." Adding to this, his voice being sytined by escessive drinking and smoking... the break-up was nnevitable.
With the heart and soul of their band gone, most people wrote off Marillion the same as they cast Genesis aside when Peter Gabriel left, but the band survived.
Carrying a red bucket of demo tapes, singer of `The Europeans' and the group- `How We Live,'- Steve Hogarth made an immediate impression with his strong voice, he lead the group to their first album together- `Season's End' was released in 1989 and was mostly penned before Hogarth joined. Steve Rothery recalls about the transition- "Considering some people had written us off after Fish had left, it was a very strong statement that the band still had a lot going for it. And proved that what we found with Steve was something equally exciting and original as we had with Fish. It is an album that I am extremely proud of, and includes some classic songs".
1991's `Holidays In Eden,' album saw the band going closer to mainstream music. It showed that the band could write simpler tunes that still had their characteristic hooks and solid melodies.
On February 7th 1994 `Brave' was released- a dark, often disturbing conceptual work, recorded during lengthy sessions in Miles Copeland's French castle. The story of the album was inspired by a news flash about a girl wandering around the M4 near the Severn Bridge that connects England and Wales. She refused to or could not speak, so the police requested the public to contact them in case they knew who she was. Steve Hogarth wrote the concept of Brave that explained what drove the girl to the bridge.
A disturbing feature film with the same name accompanied the album, directed by Richard Stanley. The low-budget movie cost 100.000 pounds to produce. Unlike the album, the movie makes it very clear that the girl (played by Josy Ayers) does commit suicide.
The following year, in contrast, Hogarth wanted to create an album full of soul and potency and a year later- `Afraid Of Sunlight,' was released. The album was not a big commercial success.
In 1996, Marillion left EMI and formed their own label called- Intact.
In 1997 This Strange Engine, was released, highlighted by a lengthy title track that paralleled closely to Hogarth's life.
Though many cynics could say that they left their progressive roots in the late 80's, I believe that Marillion abandoned them in 1997. The group created `Radiation', then the next year released `marillion.com.'
Anoraknophobia is a new album that is being released under EMI. Rothery states that it shows that they are not 5 dinosaurs repeating past glory, but can show that we are capable of producing music relevant to today's the music scene. Very contemporary.
Marillion is currently planning the `Marillion World-Wide Web Weekend.' It is scheduled for 5-7 April 2002 and will include a performnce of the complete Brave album. To see this, fans will have to be a member of one of the fanclubs to be able to buy tickets.
In 2001 the band released a CD single: Between You And Me / Map Of The World, only availablke through their web site.
After a gig on March 14, 2003, Marillion released a DVD of the show, amazingly 41 hours after the concert was finished. Running 73.41 minutes, the gig is quite watchable, considering the break-neck pace in which it was released.
Some people say that Marillion like Genesis in the 90's has lost their magic. Perhaps they are just evolving or devolving, finding new avenues. I hope they are not embarrassed about their Prog roots, what made them famous. Only time (or their next album), will tell.
In 2004, the bands new single from the `Marbles,' album- 'You're Gone' (released on April 19th!) charted in both the UK (entering #7 and raising to #4), and Holland and Germany. The song was number one in the www.amazon.co.uk pre-order chart. And in October, a new online single 'The Damage' - entered the UK charts at Number 2! These singles gave Marillion the first hit songs in many a year. The band toured over 60 towns and cities across Britain, Eire, Europe, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Mexico, USA and Canada. Besides the singles- the album- `Marbles,' is a diverse mixed of long and short songs, bring back the older strengths of Marillion with Hogarth's calm command of the mic. reviews have been excellent. Many fan and live albums of the Marbles tours were released in 2005 & 2006 as well as the Christmas messages/CDs.
Besides albums, Marillion and Fish has been releasing new and old tours on DVD including- The Brave movie and a Return to Childhood.
Marillion's 14th studio album- will be entitled- `Somewhere Else.' The album contains more of a personal and topical theme. The CD will be a collection of shorter pieces- ranging from 2 1/2 minutes to 7.
April 2007 saw Marillion release their fourteenth studio album Somewhere Else, their first album in 10 years to make the UK Top No. 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.
In July 2008 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 a concept and the second containing the other songs that aren't 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 the best of the situation.
Less is More and Sounds That Can't Be Made (2009–2014)
The band's sixteenth studio album (released 2 October 2009) was an acoustic album featuring new arrangements of previously released tracks (except one, the new track: 'It's Not Your Fault') entitled Less Is More.
Their seventeenth studio album is titled Sounds That Can't Be Made and was released in September 2012. Two versions of the album were released: A 2-disc 'deluxe' version that included a DVD with 'making-of' features and sound-check recordings and a single CD jewel case version. The 'deluxe' version also included a 128-page book that incorporated lyrics, artwork and, as was the case with Anoraknophobia, Marbles and Happiness is the Road, the names of people who pre-ordered the album. Parts of the album were recorded at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios in 2011.
Marillion were awarded "Band of the Year" at the annual Progressive Music Awards in 2013.
The band announced in September 2015 that they were working on a new album, provisionally titled M18 and later confirmed as Fuck Everyone and Run (F E A R). As with several of their previous releases, the recording of the album was to be funded by fan pre-orders, this time through direct-to-fan website PledgeMusic. The album was released on 23 September 2016 debuting at number 4 in the official UK charts of 30 September 2016, their highest placing since Clutching at Straws nearly three decades earlier. In November 2016, they announced their first ever show at the Royal Albert Hall in London, in October 2017] The gig sold out in just 4 minutes and was filmed for DVD release. They also won "UK Band of the Year" at the 2017 Progressive Music Awards.[52] In March 2018, the film of the Royal Albert Hall gig was premiered at cinemas around the UK, before the DVD launch, with the band attending the showing in London. On April 6, the concert was released as All One Tonight - Live at the Royal Albert Hall.
In March 2018, the band helped to unveil a memorial to David Bowie, which is situated close to Aylesbury's Market Square. The memorial was the inspiration of promoter David Stopps, who booked Bowie to appear at the Friars Club in Aylesbury where he debuted Ziggy Stardust. The bulk of the funds for the memorial were raised at a gig held at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury on the evening of the unveiling which Marillion headlined, alongside Howard Jones, John Otway and The Dung Beatles, all of whom have close association to Aylesbury and in particular, The Friars.
Discography:
Discography
Main article: Marillion discography
Studio Albums
Script for a Jester's Tear (1983)
Fugazi (1984)
Misplaced Childhood (1985)
Clutching at Straws (1987)
Seasons End (1989)
Holidays in Eden (1991)
Brave (1994)
Afraid of Sunlight (1995)
This Strange Engine (1997)
Radiation (1998)
marillion.com (1999)
Anoraknophobia (2001)
Marbles (2004)
Somewhere Else (2007)
Happiness Is the Road (2008)
Less Is More (2009)
Sounds That Can't Be Made (2012)
Fuck Everyone and Run (F E A R) (2016)
1991 Dry Land
1992 Sympathy
1992 No one Can - re-release
1994 The Great Escape
1994 The Hollow Man
1994 Alone again in the Lap of Luxury
1995 Beautiful
1997 Man of a Thousand Faces
1997 Eighty Days
1998 These Chains
2004 You're Gone
2004 Don't Hurt Yourself
2004 The Damage
Videos:
Grendel/The Web ep-
Sugar Mice/Incommunicado-
Live at Loreley- 1987 Festival gig (90 Minutes)
Six of one half a dozen the others
12 Marillion Video Clips.
2004 Brave, The Film (DVD)
Shot.in.the.Dark same as above, but includes The Brave movie the music from Brave with a 30 min. documentary "the making of Brave" (DVD = 140 min)
The EMI Singles Collection
A Piss-up in a Brewery
An acoustic concert (100 Min.)
Before First Light
2003 Recital of the Script (DVD)
2003 From Stoke Row to Ipanema (DVD)
2005: WIsh You Were Here (Documentary/Live Video)
2006: Colours and Sound (DVD)
