When I first started this little exercise we were a month into lockdown on the 24th April. Like most of you I expected this to last a month or two and some form on normality would have prevailed and I would be back to live music by the autumn. It quickly became apparent that this was not going to be the case and I soon wrote off the whole year pinning my hopes on a quick resumption in 2021.
Well after his latest bout of brinkmanship with the virus Boris has blinked too late yet again and we’re back in full lockdown. The reality now is clear and sadly it will be a full twelve months and probably a lot more between my last gig and the next one. I will be surprised if I am seeing any live music again before June.
We go again and hopefully this brings back memories for my gig going chums who have joined me on this great musical journey down the years.
Just the one today and it’s another oldie and this time it’s a band I was obsessed with in the mid to late eighties for Antony and me for my look back trip down memory lane.
1986, Marillion, Hammersmith Odeon, London
We saw these guys many times at this period and this time it’s the 'Misplaced Childhood' tour. Looking at the setlist now it doesn’t get any better than this. A lovely blend of the first two albums and then the whole of ‘Childhood’ and of course a bit of ‘Market Square Heroes’ to end. We like it so much we went again a couple of days later.
Fish is an energetic and charismatic frontman and the band are just superb. It’s a faultless show and it was either this show or the next that we were sat in with the bands girlfriends, etc. as we left our seats higher up in the circle and hijacked a couple in the front section.
Nothing more to add as I have reviewed these guys many times and they were such an important part of my life at this time. Sentimentally I still go back to those early albums which all still hold up and indeed those first three albums are framed and in my office as the artwork is stunning too.
That’s it for today’s trip down memory lane. With hopes dashed of any form of normality soon I am trying to cling on that by June we could be back in business but my hopes have been dashed so many times in the last twelve months that I wouldn’t bet on it.
Don forget, support your small local venues and smaller artists in these difficult times, stay safe and keep on rockin y’all.