Marillion Weekend - Montreal
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Topic: Marillion Weekend - Montreal
Posted By: E-Dub
Subject: Marillion Weekend - Montreal
Date Posted: April 13 2009 at 22:13
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Marillion Weekend Théâtre L'Olympia, Montréal, Canada 3-5 April 2009 Friday, April 3, 2009 Seasons End Set list King Of Sunset Town Easter The Uninvited Guest Seasons End Holloway Girl Berlin After Me Hooks In You The Space The Bell In The Sea The Release The Man From The Planet Marzipan Essence Asylum Satellite #1 Whatever Is Wrong With You Happiness Is The Road When I was re-introduced to Marillion back in 2004, I had always heard how amazing these so called ‘conventions’ were--the band plays 3 separate shows, 3 separate themes and set lists. I have also heard how when rabid Marillion fans get together, you’re immediately among friends. How true this is, indeed. I’m not very accustomed to making small talk with complete strangers, but the wallflower in me was completely set aside as I enjoyed what I can only describe as a magical weekend in Montreal. Day #1 crawled by for me. I don’t know if it was the anticipation of my first Marillion concert, but I was antsy all day. The meet-n-greet at Montreal’s Brutopia made for a nice break in the day, and allowed me to meet some incredibly nice Marillion fans and even chat with their manager, Lucy Jordache. After a couple of hours at Brutopia, it was time to head to the concert hall for the first night. Oh, and what a first night it was. After a short opening set by Sundomingo from Atlanta, the crowd became electric for what was to come next. I thought I could make a final pit stop before Marillion hit the stage, but halfway up the steps the house lights went down, the crowd lost their heads and I could hear the opening swirling vortex of sound, which marked the opening to “King Of Sunset Town”. I said, “I don’t have to go that badly,” and ran down to the floor. Spotlights rotate madly as the silhouettes of Steve Rothery, Pete Trewavas, Ian Mosley and Mark Kelly take their spots on stage. The quartet explodes with Rothery’s triumphant guitar solo shredding the hall, which causes the cheers and roars from the crowd to climb even higher. As the intro quiets down, out from between the drum riser and keyboards comes h to a wild reception, which forces a huge grin on his face.  Seasons End still sounds wonderful…and the band pulls it off flawlessly. Hogarth especially is in fine form on opening night. Commanding the attention and exhibiting an abundance of energy as he ping pongs from mic to keys and all over the stage. Easter has always been a favorite of mine, so it was extremely meaningful to get to hear it live and be a part of the cadence of claps at the end of the song. As they were re-creating the album, it would’ve been nice to have Hogarth play the keyboard parts that he played prior to the Anoraknophobia tour. Still, it didn’t take away the emotion and brilliance of that song. And even though Rothery can play that heart wrenching solo in his sleep, it’s great to hear it live. The two surprises of the first set, however, were the performances of Berlin and The Space. The latter shows up on so many of the FRC and official discs that after a while it starts to lose it’s impact. Not so when you’re there in the moment. My God, what a brilliant song! And Hogarth reaches back for the song’s emotional climax. Additionally, Berlin’s intensity is heightened when performed live. 20 years later its still razor sharp and Marillion executes it with precision on this night.   After performances of b-sides The Release and The Bell In The Sea, the band spends the rest of the evening showcasing songs from the marvelous new album Happiness Is The Road. The spacey introduction to The Man From The Planet Marzipan starts in as Hogarth comes stumbling out like a space alien dressed what can only be described as some sort of Eastern Indian formal wear. Many comments after the show wondered if he was simply boiling in the suit, but he never broke stride and performed like a true pro. The evening ended with the title track, with h sitting on one of the theater’s platforms that flanked both sides of the stage. An especially moving rendition of the title track and the crowd was really into it. The set ends with the entire crowd chanting, “Happiness is the road!” Night one ends, everyone’s exhausted…but there’s two more nights to go. Saturday, April 4, 2009 1990-2009 Set List This Train Is My Life Somewhere Else Real Tears For Sale State Of Mind The Damage Genie Fantastic Place When I Meet God Map Of The World Legacy Cathedral Wall Estonia Afraid Of Sunlight Out Of This World The Great Escape No One Can The Party Cover My Eyes (Pain And Heaven) Slainte Mhath Garden Party I will preface this by saying that if Marillion has performed a better set list, I’d like to hear it. Within the first 20 minutes they had performed 2 songs that I really wanted to hear (Somewhere Else and Real Tears For Sale). Starting from their newest disc and working their way backwards, tonight was a song from every album they’ve done since Steve Hogarth joined the band in 1989. Aside from hearing two songs that I just love, the next surprise was hearing the lovely State Of Mind, which hasn’t been performed live on the band’s last tour….and it sounds marvelous live. Hogarth especially sounded great.  The other song I wanted to hear was Fantastic Place, from the Marbles masterpiece. It wasn’t played at the European convention, but brought out for us….which is perfectly fine by me. Absolutely stunning performance! Loved it! As the set list progresses, it becomes clear that Marillion will drag some songs out of moth balls—the first being Anoraknophobia’s Map Of The World. I’ve always enjoyed this song (co-written with Nick Van Eede of Cutting Crew) and it seemed to get a warm reception from the crowd. Nothing could prepare us for the latter part of the first set, which could go down as one of the most memorable moments in live Marillion history (the other happened on the 3rd night, but more on that later). A powerful moment was the original footage of the tragic death of Donald Campbell (who lost his life attempting a boating speed record) during the haunting Out Of This World, which is written in remembrance of him. Both the song and the footage visibly entranced the crowd. Not performed in Europe, the band played “Afraid Of Sunlight”, which happens to be another song that I’ve always wanted to hear live…and it was a stunner. STUNNER! After the song’s completion, the crowd responds with a extended ovation that visibly left the band both elated and stunned. The crowd only got stronger as the cheers and roars got louder. You could lip read a member looking at one another and comment on how loud it was. After the crowd finally settled down, the band pulls out another NA only addition in The Great Escape.  The band comes back out and performs No One Can after many years left in the vault. I don’t think it’s a particularly favorite song on the band, but it was fun to hear. After Holidays In Eden’s representatives were completed, it was time to go way back into the catalog with a couple of Fish era tunes. Hogarth finishes off especially strong, leading the audience in claps and chants. A particularly funny part during Garden Party when h sneaks behind Mark Kelly and gets him to sheepishly sing ‘violins’ for the “Swooping swallows…” section, but gets a very evil smirk from Rothers as Hogarth attempts to get him to sing the next line. He either doesn’t know the line, or will not sing under any circumstances. Everyone in the hall had a blast this night—crowd and band alike. Easily the best of the 3 nights. Sunday, April 5, 2009 Epics A Few Words For The Dead This Town / The Rakes Progress / 100 Nights This Is The 21 Century Ocean Cloud If My Heart Were a Ball It Would Roll Uphill Interior Lulu Kayleigh Lavender Heart Of Lothian The Invisible Man This Strange Engine Neverland Many have said that this was the most bizarre gig Marillion have ever played. Not that I have anything to base it from, but I could easily agree. It began brilliantly with A Few Words For The Dead; however, during The Rakes Progress it was clear that Rothery’s guitar wasn’t up enough, which seemed to agitate Pete to the point that he yelled, “We can’t hear the guitar. Please turn up to the guitar!” That’s not all that bizarre, I agree. The evening just took on a strange tone from that moment on. Perhaps you’ve seen the YouTube clip of Marillion’s country song. Just innocently jamming between songs, it turned into a tribute to Brokeback Mountain that got everyone laughing, but causing h to apologize to any of the ‘gay guys’ in the audience. A very lighthearted moment, but odd nonetheless. So, the set continues with Ocean Cloud, which received another thunderous applause that rivaled the previous nights (but fell short…which you couldn’t tell by the stunned looks on Marillion’s faces). Rarities like a blistering version of Interior Lulu and Kayleigh/Lavender/Heart Of Lothian were resurrected after years in exile, much to the delight of the crowd. First set over. In the books. Done. Now, this is where it really gets weird.  Band re-emerges for one of my favorites, The Invisible Man. A wrong sound sample triggered by Mark Kelly is the only blemish during this. That (and everything) is overshadowed by Hogarth’s dramatic interpretation of the main character. Really is something to see the theatrical side of Hogarth as he acts out the song’s lyrics. Now, from watching the DVD’s, I know whenever Rothery straps on the black Strat, they’re doing a pre-Anoraknophobia tune. With that and h wielding his cricket bat, I knew a dream of mine would be realized: to be at a Marillion show when they do This Strange Engine. Sure enough, I hear, “There was a boy who came into this world…” and I was ecstatic. From an otherwise forgettable album, This Strange Engine is easily one of their best songs and a crowd favorite. As the song’s pace begins to quicken you could tell that something was amiss…it was the cricket bat. Hogarth and a stage hand battle with this thing for what seemed to be an eternity. Keys being pressed and horrible sounds coming out, the song was taking a downward spiral and h was visibly upset. So much so that in a fit of rage, he takes the cricket bat from around his neck and slams it to the ground and it skips off stage. He then attempts to use his keyboard as a replacement, but it too produces a horrible sound. This song means something to h, so you could tell that this upset him a great deal. I (along with everyone else) battled with feelings of sympathy and uneasiness as we looked on. He just sort of strolled over to one of Pete’s basses and acted as if he was impaled by the head of the bass. After that, he simply sat on the drum riser with his head in his hands, but we were there for him as the hall erupted into a thunderous applause as if to tell him that everything will be OK. The crowd is still behind the band. So, as I am watching Rothery’s amazing solo, I notice something out of the corner of my left eye. I look over and it’s Hogarth crowd surfing and headed right towards me. I quickly step over to help him. He is carried all the way to the back of the hall and I had time to take a quick shot before heading right back at me. I quickly had to step over and help him back to the stage. The events of the past 5+ minutes became the talk of the night and for the following week. This could’ve easily been disastrous; however, h took a negative and turned it into a positive. The crowd loved it!   Night #3 ended with the triumphant and awe-inspiring Neverland. After what had plagued the band all night, they closed out with a searing version of this instant classic. A perfect way to draw the first ever Marillion Convention in North America to a close. The days subsequent to the convention have been very strange. I (along with many others, as evident from the online forum at marillion.com) am having a tough time letting this go. To describe this weekend in mere words is impossible. My imagination has boundaries for events like this. I can say, “Oh man, the weekend was so awesome!”, but it doesn’t quite do it justice. What’s a word that goes well beyond awesome? You tell me, and it still wouldn’t be enough. The performances aside, the formation of new friendships and the experiences I had from Thursday to Monday will be with me forever. Per my opening statement, I had always heard about how special these weekends are. Now I know. It’s indescribable. I hope it impacted the band as much as it did us because we need another one over here in 2011. I have feelings of ‘needing’ to get back more than ‘wanting’. If there are Marillion fans that have always wanted to attend, but passed, all I can tell you is do yourself a favor and go. You will be so glad you did. ------------- 
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Replies:
Posted By: tszirmay
Date Posted: April 13 2009 at 22:38
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So, did you have fun? Montreal was good? ------------- I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth. |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: April 14 2009 at 00:09
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Sounds amazing! ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph  
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Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: April 14 2009 at 00:33
Simply stated, I had the best time. It's amazing how warm and friendly people were. Night #2 I was down in the middle of the crowd with a friend, but had several by the night's end. People with whom I'll keep in touch. The shows just floored me. I went there hoping they'd do certain songs, and I'll be damned if they didn't deliver. Hogarth really stole the show. Not to take anything away from Fish, but the guy is a hell of a frontman and gives this band a certain energy. Wildly entertaining to watch him perform. E -------------
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tszirmay wrote:Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: April 14 2009 at 00:34
Words cannot do it justice. Truly special time up there. E -------------
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Posted By: debrewguy
Date Posted: April 14 2009 at 12:24
And I had the unfortunate luck of being in Florida during this time.  Ah well ... I suppose family should come first some times. But if they're back next year or after, I'm certain I can, "ahem", convince my wife and daughter to plan a vacation to Montreal  ------------- "Here I am talking to some of the smartest people in the world and I didn't even notice,” Lieutenant Columbo, episode The Bye-Bye Sky-High I.Q. Murder Case. |
Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: April 14 2009 at 19:11
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You will come away with a ton of new friends. This band really should be seen live, too. E -------------
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Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: April 15 2009 at 11:43
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One of the best reports of any live gig I have ever seen. I'm glad you had a great time. The band are still exceptional, and I will never tire of hearing them, although I'm hoping that they hold a weekend closer to home next year. Again - great report  ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: April 15 2009 at 21:00
You're too kind. Thank you, though. Very nice to hear. It's worth the trip. You really should go. E -------------
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Posted By: OzzProg
Date Posted: April 15 2009 at 21:10
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Of course you had a good time in Montreal... It is of course the most musically open city in the entire world :) -------------  |
Posted By: Finnforest
Date Posted: April 15 2009 at 21:12
Wow Eric.....just wow. Sounds freakin' amazing. I'm so glad you had a great time, I know you've felt a bit off re prog lately. Sounds like this was good prog medicine indeed. 
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Posted By: Progfan1958
Date Posted: April 16 2009 at 07:46
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Well done Eric ! A great review. You were right on about Transatlantic too.... Kudos.
Best wishes from Montreal. ------------- Progfan1958 "Peace to you all" "La paix est avec vous" "Pax vobiscum" "Al salaam a'alaykum" "Vrede zij met u allen" "Shalom aleichem" |
Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: April 16 2009 at 10:12
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Thanks, Steve. Hanging out with you and your lovely wife before the shows was a blast. I'm still having a tough time letting that weekend go, though. Way too much fun! Hope to do it again in '11. E -------------
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Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: April 16 2009 at 10:25
It's weird, but to call this merely a 'concert' barely scratches the surface. First of all, the sense of unity and togetherness amongst the fans was unlike anything I had ever experienced at a live show. Secondly, not a lot of bands to 3 straight concerts with a different set list each night. It all was just too cool. E -------------
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Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: April 16 2009 at 10:33
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^^Additionally, Marillion were really in fine form. Even though the 3rd
night had it's rough spots (beyond the band's control), there just
seemed to be a buzz around it. Especially after Hogarth went crowd
surfing. I know the Fish faithful still can't overlook Hogarth, but the man is quite the showman. After about 15-20 minutes upon completion of the last song, the band would file out one-by-one to mingle with the crowd. H was just swarmed by fans, so good luck getting to meet him. The only one I met was Rothery (photo attached) and he was very pleasant. E  -------------
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Posted By: sigod
Date Posted: April 17 2009 at 08:42
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I’m really pleased that you had such a great time mate.
Marillion are one of those bands who will forever remain in the consciousness of those
who both love and indeed despise their music, for the simple fact that they have always
chosen the path less taken. You capture the excitement, the nuance and the
flaws in all three shows beautifully. Each element its part to play in a
performance and without them, nothing is truly a unique experience. It’s a
great piece of writing sir. Marillion always push technology to the very limit but it’s precisely because of that desire to break new ground both technically and sonically, that the guys make such a beautiful noise together. I’d rather hear a flawed version of TSE than no version at all. I hesitate to quote Leonard Cohen at this point but he did say rather tellingly of making mistakes that; ‘It’s the cracks that let the light in’. Their choice of sets for these conventions also seem to be a testament to the band’s imagination and ingenuity. It’s fascinating to see the threads of theme and meaning woven into their selections but I guess it’s something unique to Marillion. Could you really see Genesis ditch the modern ‘greatest hits’ format for a set containing the same kind of narrative edge? As for the Marillion fans, well I think you couldn’t find a nicer bunch of people to share a concert with. Everyone is open and good humoured, safe in the knowledge that their love of the band allows them the kind of social safety net few can enjoy in everyday life. I can’t say I’m a fan of every album (I’m not) but your review really brings home the reason why so many people turn out year after year at the shows and put their hands in their pockets to buy their music; to be a fan of Marillion is to belong. ------------- I must remind the right honourable gentleman that a monologue is not a decision. - Clement Atlee, on Winston Churchill |
Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: April 17 2009 at 19:42
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You pretty much hit everything on the head, Friend. I had always heard of the closeness Marillion fans have when they all get together, and it was special to experience it first hand. For the second night I was down on the floor with a friend and ended up buddying up to 2 other dudes. As the show ended he goes, "You be at this same spot tomorrow night and we'll be here!" Sure enough, night #3 I'm there and here comes Chris. We still remain in touch via e-mail (he's in Canada) and he's sending me maple syrup for my daughter and I'm sending him KC BBQ sauce. Seriously, with the exception of the rectum heads who insisted on talking throughout John Wesley's set, I didn't meet a single A-hole! And they really dug out some songs that they haven't done in years. Kayleigh/Lavender/Lothian haven't been done since (maybe) the Holidays In Eden tour (they performed Kayleigh/Lavender up through the Dotcom tour, but not all 3) and the crowd went nuts. Still sounded good. And I'd love to have the H detractors experience him. He truly captivated the audience and shines on stage. You can tell he was born to lead a band. E -------------
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Posted By: threefates
Date Posted: April 27 2009 at 07:07
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I took quite a few pics at the Marillion festival as well...
Friday
      [
  Saturday
       Sunday
              ------------- THIS IS ELP 
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Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: April 27 2009 at 08:21
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NICE!!! E -------------
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Posted By: progkidjoel
Date Posted: May 24 2009 at 06:49
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Looks and sounds like you enjoyed yourself!
I hope it was fun, and I also hope they COME TO AUSTRALIA SOOOOON! Just for mee! Hope it was good fun, sounds unbelieveably awesome to me -Joel G ------------- 
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Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: July 25 2009 at 09:58
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Joel, it was unbelievable. I went wanting to hear certain songs, but thought I was asking too much and that wouldn't happen. I think I heard every song I wanted to hear. I went wanting to hear "Real Tears For Sale", "Somewhere Else", "Fantastic Place", "Afraid Of Sunlight", "The Great Escape", "Ocean Cloud" and "This Strange Engine"....and I heard 'em all. What makes it even cooler is "Fantastic Place" and "The Great Escape" wasn't performed at the European convention, but they wanted to treat us to some of their staples since the full band hardly makes it here. The extended ovations after "Afraid Of Sunlight" and "Ocean Cloud" (where the band was visibly stunned), and h body surfing during "This Strange Engine" really stand out. I'm eagerly awaiting the DVD because I helped h going out to the audience and then coming back. Right place at the right time, I guess.  E -------------
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Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: July 25 2009 at 14:44
Eric, I remember being blown away by the live rendition of This Strange Engine in Wolverhampton Civic Hall during the album's tour. An incredible feat ro recreate such an incredibly complex piece of music live. Let us all know when the DVD comes out, in case I don't hear first. ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: July 25 2009 at 20:38
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Amazing song, isn't it? Hogarth was having all sorts of problems with the cricket bat throughout the middle part of the song. He even went to Trewavas' bass and acted as if he was impaled by it. It was during Rothery's amazing solo when the crowd surf began. I was fixated on H during the last part of that song as all of his frustration just channeled during that particular part of the song. When he hit that final "And is true" part, he just grabbed the mic with both hands and just belted it. Friggin' amazing! A rarity was them doing "Interior Lulu" during the third night when they did all of their epics. Should be very cool to see this on the DVD as it's hardly been done live before. Not a huge fan of Dotcom, but that song is a highlight. E -------------
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Posted By: progkidjoel
Date Posted: July 25 2009 at 22:01
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Eric, as always I am envious...
Its a shame they never have, and probably never will, come to Australia  -------------
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Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: July 26 2009 at 07:57
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It would be a haul, but you should make it to one of the conventions. Well worth it, in my opinion. There's a guy who sold his drum kit to fund his trip to the UK for the 2002 convention. On one of the nights they had fans come up and play and this guy got to play drums on "King". It's documented on the Wish You Were Here DVD and the guy did a hell of a job. E -------------
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