MARBLES ON THE ROAD

I had the pleasure of seeing Marillion perform their MARBLES set at The House Of Blues in Hollywood. Before they took the stage I had listened to the album only once and wasn't very impressed with it.

Then, the creepy opening to "Invisible Man" kicked up and " Hoagy" strode onto the stage with his hair pulled back , a pair of nerd like glasses, wearing a grey business suit. By the time that song was over, I knew I'd judged the album harshly. By the time the show was done I couldn't wait to go home and listen to the CD again. That show was intimate (small club setting) due in large part to Steve Hogarth's connection with the tiny audience.

This DVD captures much of that experience. Watching of my bigscreen with the surround sound sometimes make me feel I'm right there in the audience. The band delivers a heart felt , technically proficient performance, searing with lush melodies, manic (yet controlled ) drumming from Ian Mosely, thundering bass pedals from Pete Trewavas and inspired vocals from Hoagy.

Watching " Neverland " being played sent shivers down my spine. I also bought the "Christmas In The Chapel " DVD and it's good but this is leaps and bounds above that.

The only downside to this DVD is that it is not a full concert. There are definately songs missing that at the HOB were performed to ultimate perfection. Of particular note, "The Great Escape " from BRAVE was one the highlights of the show I saw and is left out of the DVD.

This , however , is not enough for me to say anything bad about the DVD itself. It's wonderful and well worth the price of admission.

Go and buy this DVD and crank it up in the dark :)