h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Psycho Chicken,

I too have been a big Marillion fan - up to the point where Fish left the band. I saw them 5 times I think twice at the Hammy Odeon, twice at the Milton Keynes Bowl and once in Aberdeen.

I'm also a huge Genesis fan, so speak to me....



Bassman

Hi Bassman!

For a band 'nobody likes' I keep coming across fans. Good to meet another.

My first interest was in the Fish-era stuff (my first exposure to this whole world was 'Vigil' in fact, which got me into Marillion) but after overcoming my irrational 'but he's not Fish' thing and going to see them on the Brave tour I've been hooked on the newer stuff too. Now to be honest I rarely play the early stuff. Clutching at Straws and Misplaced Childhood for nostalgia but that's about it.

I never saw them live with Fish, although I've seen him solo dozens of times and Marillion in their current guise a good number of times too, including the convention in March, which was amazing!

Well, you get a Fish-era Marillion fan and chances are you'll find a few Genesis albums lurking in the collection too . I like a lot of their stuff, particularly 'Duke' which is one of my favourite albums, and 'Selling England...' which I love too.

So... Camel anyone?

I'venot heard any Camel - other than what was played on the Top Ten Prog Rock Bands show on channel 5.

I got into Genesis when I worked for Falmer Jeans in a warehouse. Some of the lads had been to London to queue for tickets for a few days and ended up getting me one. It was the first "Propper" gig I had ever been to. It was at the Lyceum Ballroom and as it happened, was shown on "Sight and Sound In Concert" on Radio 1 and BBC2 a couple of days after the actual gig. It was fantastic, just blew me away.

That was in May 1980, still got the tickes stub in my scrap book I think!! It was the Duke tour as well. I bought Duke, then I got Seconds Out as a leaving present when I left Falmers to join the RAF.

The guys in my band (1982) went to the Reading festival that year - didn't invite me for some reason.... I think they got the tickets before I knew them, they all came back raving about this band that had totally stolen the show on the Sunday afternoon. A massive guy with his face painted in a Union Jack - playing this song called "Script For A Jester's Tear".... Guess who? So I had to go out and get the album when it came out. I must admit, I was annoyed at the Genesis comarisons that were going on in the music press. Having grown to love Trespass and Wind and Wuthering etc, I just couldn't see it. There were similarities - the complexity and length of the songs, maybe, but as for content and subject matter, I thought they were leagues apart.

I got a little disinterested in Marillion when they released Cluthing At Straws, they said that they had tried to avoid releasing "Misplaced Childhood 2" but I thought that was exactly what it was. I saw them on that tour in Aberdeen and thought their performance was decidedly mediocre - then Fish left and for me that was the end. I've got a couple of compilation disks with a few Steve Hogarth era songs on - Hooks In You is fantastic - but I just don't feel enthusiastic enough to go out and buy any more. Maybe I should.

The first time I saw Marillion, the support act was a band called Pendragon. They were absolutely fantastic, best support act I think I've ever seen in a non-festival show. If you ever get a chance to listen to any of their stuff, I'd recommend the first live album - some top tunes on there. They come from the South West, so their songs are full of Arthur and the round table sort of subject matter.

I was starting to get into Yes again, after seeing them in 1980, after a 20 year break, unfortunately the CD I'd bought got half inched from my car - along with about 10 - 15 others.

My other interests in Music include.... in no particular order....

The Stranglers (seen once)

Thin Lizzy (saw them on final tour)

Rush

Queen (saw them at the penultimate gig at Knebworth)

Seal (seen twice)

Pink Floyd

Ten (saw them once, chatted with the band in the bar at the end of the gig)

AC/DC (saw them at Milton Keynes)

Deep Purple

Stevie Wonder

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Def Leppard

The list goes on and on, I'm sure you get the picture....



Bassman

Wow. Great story. I was 6 in 1980, so didn't quite get into Genesis then As I remember I was into Ultravox and Blondie . Strangely those can still be found lurking in my record collection...

How much of the new-era Marillion have you heard? Honestly, they're a different band now. You might not like them, but you should give them a try. I'm beginning to feel like Marillion's ambassador to Hootoo

Seal huh? Can't wait for his new album. Was disappointed with Human Being, but the first two are among my favourite albums.

Floyd? Well, everybody loves a bit of Floyd - have you ever seen the Australian Pink Floyd - they are absolutely fantastic.

And Stevie Wonder - as long as we're talking the 70s stuff here. I can't listen to anything after Hotter than July....

Cheers

I've only heard a couple or three new era Marillion tracks, like I said, I really liked hooks in you. I'd fancy playing that with my band, but I've probably got more chance of going to the moon!

We're supposed to be a tribute to stadium rock, but I can't ever see us playing Floyd, Genesis Marillion or Rush. Go figure.

I've seen the Aussie Pink Floyd twice and thought they were brilliant. I've seen Limehouse Lizzy on numerous occasions as well - if your into Thin Lizzy, they're a must.

One of the guitarists used to live in my home town and was taught how to play dancing in the moonlight by one of the chaps I used to go to Scouts with. Small world.

I just bought Hotter Than July on CD, I got the vinyl 23 years ago!! All those memories came flooding back, nostalgia eh.... can't beat it.

I've gotta say, I think Seal is one of the most tallented vocalists I've ever seen. Both times I saw him, I thought he was totally outstanding, he truely deserved all the awards he won, when he first appeared with the likes of Killer and Crazy. Have you ever heard the acoustic version of Crazy, it's fab (not the MTV Unplugged version) it's on the B side of one of the early singles I think. Or his version of Hey Joe - knockout - he did that at the first gig I saw him.

I used to play Killer in a band I used to be in, what a great riff, it always went down a storm. I was a bit disappointed with Human Being, although that track is very emotive. He's popped up here and there in recent months, but I'm not aware of any new CD in the offing. If you know any different, please let me know.



Bassman

Canibal Surf Babe is very clever as well, I like that purely for the 60's spin it's got.



Bassman

Seal has a new album due late September - inkeeping with his imaginative album titles it's called Seal IV . If you visit www.seal.com there is a MP3 player that has 2 or 3 new tracks from it. Sounds great!

You REALLY need to hear more new-era Marillion. Honest! If you like Hooks In You, then get a hold of the new album Anoraknophobia, as it has a fair few straight up rockers on it, but also some slightly off the wall stuff. As a bass player, you have to hear 'Quartz' - it has the best bass riff ever! You've also got the hear 'Brave' and 'Afraid of Sunlight' which also shows Mr Trewavas at his best.... Have a look at www.marillion.com. You can get a sampler for a couple of quid, or even free if you don't mind waiting for it.

Enough plugging.....

I think it's time you started to get paid for the plugging, or at least a few backhanders....

That's what *I* said....

I stood behind Fish in a queue in W H Smith in Aylesbury in the early eighties.

He is hugely vertical!

I have a photo of me with him taken at a gig. I'm 6'2 and far from skinny, and he makes me look ickle.

He heap big bloke.

I'm 4'11...

Sheesh - he must've blocked out most of Smith's then...

Now theres a photo I NEED to see!

Zantic

For all the wrong reasons I'm sure

Hey Bassman - public service announcement : new Seal album is out next week.

I knew it was on the way, I've heard the single on the radio a couple of times - I don't think it sounds as strong as some of the earlier stuff, maybe it'll grow on me once I've listened to the whole CD.

Talking of Seal - he's a big bloke too. In one of the early videos he's seen playing a weird Bass guitar, it has a through-neck, but no material in the body - just a bit of something that gives the shape of the outline. (I hope that makes sence). I heard that they were going to use a guitar from the same manufacturer, but he dwarfed the thing, so the company made a bass specially for the video.



Bassman