The Girl in the Scarf

Where do I start when it comes to writing about Marillion? My dad and I discovered them when we decided to see them in Beverly Hills during their last US tour in 2016. There’s a college essay I wrote about that very show sitting somewhere in my iCloud, but I have every intention of uploading it here at some point. For now, I will say that, of all the concerts I’ve been lucky to see over the years, I’ve only been profoundly moved enough to write academic and creative papers on a few of them. Those include seeing/meeting Greg Lake in 2012, Yes at the L.A.Orpheum Theate in 2013, my first King Crimson concert in 2014, and then my first Marillion concert in 2016. Shortly after that show, I found myself positioning that performance as the #3 greatest concert I’d ever seen, sitting only behind Roger Waters’ performance of The Wall in 2010, and my first David Gilmour concert in 2016. Now, nearly 9 years later, with plenty more shows behind me, that position has not changed.

I felt compelled to write about them today since I watched/listened to my DVD of “From Stoke Row to Ipanema” while prepping homemade applesauce with apples that I picked myself this last weekend at a nearby apple orchard. In the last 9 nears, Marillion have gone on to earn a special place in my heart. They are a band for which I have grown to develop a deep fondness. It’s a level of love and respect that I only have for one other band, that band being Rush. I’m not just moved by the music. I also deeply admire the people behind the music. Having met all 5 current members of Marillion, I can only say that the love and respect I have for them has grown. They say it’s bad to meet your heroes, but there are exceptions, with Marillion being a major exception. The picture at the top of this entry was taken on the 2024 Cruise to the Edge. Later that day, I wandered down into the ship’s casino, looking for a friend. I wasn’t having any success, so I decided to call it a night and head back to my cabin. I was passing by, when I suddenly heard someone call out, “Hey!” I turned, and who else was it but Mr. Mark Kelly and his wife, Karina. I don’t remember the first part of our conversation, but I I made sure to let him know how dear he and his bandmates were to me, that I hoped to make it out to a Marillion Weekend at some point, and to remember that he and his bandmates could always reach out to their fans if they ever needed anything. We shared a hug, and then I was off. I totally made my night, and it always touches me when an artist goes out of their way to approach me. It hasn’t happened that often, so that’s why it’s extra special.

On another exciting note, I will be flying out to attend the last night of ProgStock next weekend, so I can see Steve “H” Hogarth perform his first H Natural show in the US. With that, here’s one more picture, taken by me, on the 2024 Cruise to the Edge.