Marillion
JB’s, Dudley
By Ian Harvey

There’s a lot of Marillion to cram on to the tiny stage at JB’s.

Last night there were a lot of fans to cram in too, with the venue tightly packed and the car park full to overflowing.

See our gig photo gallery below

Latter day Marillion may be regarded as one of British rock music’s best kept secrets, but to those in the know they are a national treasure, purveyors of music that defies categorising but which is deep and soulful, with nods to their early prog-rock roots when they were fronted by Fish.

Since 1989, vocal duties have been carried on by Steve Hogarth, like his predecessor the focal point for the group.

Bare foot and full of enthusiasm, Hogarth was in fine form as he led the band and fans on a two-hour-plus odyssey, a night of emotional, modern rock music with occasional jazz, eastern and classical interludes.

The show was bookended by songs from Marillion’s new album, starting with the aptly-named Dreamy Street and ending with the uplifting title track, Happiness Is The Road.

Half the time Hogarth didn’t seem to know which albums various songs were from, but that didn’t matter, with the songs Mad and The Great Escape unnervingly powerful and Afraid Of Sunlight full of passion, lifted by Steve Rothery’s trademark soaring guitar.

Propelled by the rhythm section of ever-youthful bassist Pete Trewavas and drummer Ian Mosley and bolstered by Mark Kelly’s huge bank of keyboards, Marillion often tread a path that is dark yet uplifting.

At one point Hogarth donned a jacket and dark-framed glasses, transforming himself into a nondescript teacher or a librarian for The Invisible Man and on Three Minute Boy with its infectious “la-la-la” singalong, joked: “Whatever happened to Robbie Williams?”

There may be many naysayers who ask “Whatever happened to Marillion?” The answer is that they are alive and well and still making magnificent music.

The proof will be there for all to hear when last night’s JB’s show is made available to download from the band’s website, www.marillion.com, from November 20.

For those who hanker for the Marillion of old, Fish still includes plenty of the early hits in his gigs, and original drummer Mick Pointer will be bringing his band to JB’s in January to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Marillion’s debut album, Script For A Jester’s Tear.