Now I can move on to talking about the real reason I flew 4,500+ miles across the Atlantic to come here to England. I boarded the train from Victoria Station and traveled down to seaside town of Brighton, with the camp venue, the Waterbear Music Bar, standing just across from the Brighton Pier that stretches out over the English channel.
I gathered up my nerves and walked to the venue with my travel guitar swung across my shoulder to wait in line with the other attendees. We had to be present by 9:30am in order to get checked in and acquaint ourselves with the venue’s amenities. We also acquainted ourselves with each other. Not surprisingly, I walked into a familiar environment: I was the sole female camp attendee. That said, I wasn’t the only female in the building or room, as several other women, including Steve’s wife, Jo, came by either to visit or to lend their voices for lead and backing vocals on a couple of the songs we learned. Despite this, I could not have been brought into a more welcoming and supportive environment. Most of the camp attendees were from around England, but I met a couple of fellow Americans, one of whom traveled out from California. What mattered was that we were all there for the same reasons: love of Marillion, and to learn the ways of the force.
The room in which the classes were held was in a basement room under the bar, and we all walked down the stairs to find Steve and Dave already seated on the tiny stage. We were each greeted warmly as we took our seats. I made a promise to myself that I would take advantage of this opportunity as much as I could. I didn’t travel thousands of miles internationally to fall victim to my insecurities and often painful shyness, so I took a seat at the very front.
Day 1 did not involve any use of our instruments. Instead we were treated to thorough and insightful discussions between Steve and Dave on their preferred guitar gear (amplifiers and pedals) and critical playing techniques that have helped them find their sound over the years. This discussion centered mainly around learning from their influences, with Steve’s being Steve Hackett, David Gilmour, and Andy Latimer. This led to Steve making a point that really struck a chord with me: One mistake guitarists tend to make is they learn and play material from too few artists. Consequentially, you will end up sounding more like them rather than like your own sound. It sounds obvious now, but it was very impactful hearing it said like that. And it makes sense. I’ll confess that I fall into that habit of learning material from only a handful of artists, like Rush and Marillion. While they are fun to play, only playing their material can hamper my ability to find my own voice.
Another big piece of advice Steve offered might just be the best one I heard: Don’t be afraid to play the wrong thing. I had no idea how badly I needed to hear something like that, but I did. I’m a big perfectionist. I do this both as a writer and a musician. I never allow myself to display my work to others unless I think it’s 100%, but I guess in doing so, I’m robbing myself of the chance to help a creation reach its fullest potential by not leaving room to be vulnerable or, basically, human. We learn through our mistakes, and art is no exception.
The rest of the afternoon following our 1-hour lunch break consisted of additional discussions about guitar techniques that can add more personality and emotion when you’re playing a guitar solo. Steve called this “phrasing,” likening the technique to the breath pauses someone may take when playing a wind instrument, a fascinating way to look at crafting. This leads to more intuitive playing, where your focus is more on the quality and timing of the notes you choose, rather than trying to play as many notes as possible. For me, that’s a huge reason why Marillion speaks to me so much, as do bands like Pink Floyd. Quality over quantity is how I would approach soloing too, if I were better at it. It’s a concept that I’ve heard since my first guitar lessons in 2008.
I was lucky enough to catch up a bit with Steve at the end of the day. He came and sat down next to me, appearing to remember who I was from previous encounters. It was a precious 15 or so minutes of me telling him about life in the Midwest after moving from California, sharing our mutual thoughts about AI’s intrusion in the arts, and Steve filling me in on how his band mates are doing, along with the joy and tribulations that came with their shows in Pompeii last month. He was appreciative of me making such a long trip out for this event. Those of you who know Marillion fans know that we’re willing to go to the ends of the earth to support this band.
The Girl in the Scarf 
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