In 2017 Prog’s reader ballot of the 100 best prog anthems resulted in a number of Marillion entries throughout the checklist. That 12 months we spoke to guitarist Steve Rothery about various careers, his relationship with ex-vocalist Fish and discovering focus within the blurry world of the music trade.
Steve Rothery almost caught fireplace the primary time he performed a gig with Marillion. “The profession might have ended there after which,” he says matter-of-factly. It was 1980 and Marillion – nonetheless known as Silmarillion – had been making their debut look in entrance of 1 man and his canine (and a teenage Steven Wilson) at Berkhamsted Civic Centre in suburban Hertfordshire. However extra on that later…
At this time Rothery and Marillion are nonetheless intact, and their spectacular exhibiting within the prime 100 best prog anthems checklist illustrates the extent of affection through which they’re held. “I believe Marillion appeals to people who find themselves searching for one thing a bit extra… possibly a bit deeper,” he says. “One thing you possibly can sink your enamel into.”
An uncommonly grounded musician – the time period ‘rock star’ feels inappropriate – he’s manned his nook of the stage with understated effectivity and delicate virtuosity. Not for him the drink, medicine and divorce papers which have felled a few of his heroes and contemporaries. “All the pieces has a value,” he says philosophically.
Rothery is speaking to Prog from Aylesbury, the Buckinghamshire city celebrated in Marillion’s debut single, 1982’s Market Sq. Heroes. The guitarist, songwriter and – one suspects – the band’s prog rock conscience, is a person nonetheless charmingly fascinated by music: his personal and different individuals’s. Particularly Genesis and Camel’s. However the place did all of it start?
You had been born in South Yorkshire and lived in North Yorkshire till you had been almost 20. Do you continue to contemplate your self a Yorkshireman?
Deep down I most likely do. I lived in Whitby till I used to be 19. However I’ve moved round a lot since then, it’s all began to get a bit blurred. My daughter and now my son had been at college in York, and I spend lots of time there. It’s nonetheless one in every of my favorite locations within the nation.
What was the primary music you keep in mind listening to?
Like each one in every of my era, I used to be uncovered to The Beatles. My uncle nonetheless has a reel-to-reel tape recording of me singing a Beatles tune, once I was three or 4. Sure [puts on faux-serious voice], my earliest recording! However then I acquired actually into movie music once I was about 11 or 12.
Which movies?
I began listening to all of the John Barry soundtracks for the James Bond movies, and the rating for The Dam Busters. I went deep into these items on vinyl. I additionally had an album known as Area Expertise by John Keating. I believe it was one of many first synthesiser data. That acquired me actually involved in synthesisers.
Are you a annoyed keyboard wizard then?
Sure – I initially needed to be a keyboard participant. My mother and father thought-about shopping for a piano, however they couldn’t get one; it wouldn’t have fitted in the home. However after the movie soundtracks and John Keating I acquired into rock music and guitars once I was 15 [in 1974].
What transformed you?
I fell in love with Genesis after I heard The Knife on Alan Freeman’s Saturday Rock present. After that, I found Camel, Sure, King Crimson…
Don’t you assume Camel are the good unsung heroes of 70s prog rock?
Completely – particularly these early albums. There’s one thing magical about these data; a really particular chemistry. They had been an enormous affect. Actually, my guitar enjoying is a mixture of [Camel’s] Andy Latimer, Steve Hackett and David Gilmour.
You’re not shy about mentioning these influences?
I’ve no downside being in comparison with them in any respect. They’re the individuals whose music I grew up with. It’s humorous, as a result of I do know Andy and Steve rather well now. David Gilmour, although… Ummm…
I’ve by no means been seduced by the rock’n’roll fantasy. That’s not what’s actual for me. That’s not what life’s about
Gilmour’s a bit extra distant, isn’t he?
Yeah, he’s up there within the stratosphere.
What was the primary tune you ever wrote?
I can’t keep in mind the identify. I wrote bits and items once I nonetheless lived in Whitby. I had a band with a good friend of mine who had an entire Beatles fixation. We had been by no means going to get signed. I didn’t actually begin writing till I moved down south to Aylesbury and joined Marillion.
What was the primary piece of music you keep in mind writing in Marillion, then?
In all probability a tune known as Shut which later grew to become The Internet. Then there was one other monitor known as The Tower which grew to become a part of Grendel.
What was your debut Marillion gig like?
It was in Berkhamsted, and a really younger Steven Wilson was within the viewers. This was once we had been nonetheless a four-piece earlier than Fish joined. Our unique bass participant Doug Irvine was additionally the singer.
It was… er… nice! There have been solely a handful of individuals there. One thing went flawed with the pyrotechnics – there was an excessive amount of, and I felt this sheet of flame shoot up my again. I used to be simply completely satisfied to be gigging. That was the dream then: simply to play stay.
Aylesbury Friars was one in every of the nice music venues. Bowie, Genesis and Mott The Hoople performed there within the 70s and Marillion within the 80s. What was it like if you first arrived on the town?
It was nonetheless in its heyday. The music was unimaginable, and there was an actual sense of group. You’d go there even if you happen to weren’t nuts concerning the band enjoying that night time. I keep in mind seeing Camel on the Nude tour and King Crimson on the Self-discipline tour. I additionally noticed The Police there a few occasions. The bands enjoying there have been generally out of all proportion to the dimensions of the venue.
What was your first impression of Fish?
Very tall and really Scottish! I had no downside understanding his accent however not many individuals within the band might comply with it. Clearly, he was very self-confident and really pushed. You might hear his influences, however there was one thing distinctive about the way in which he blended them collectively. Even then he was an important lyricist. We knew we’d discovered the lacking piece.
If Fish was self-confident, the place did you match into the band?
Within the early days I suppose I used to be the principle musical author, however I’m not naturally a pushy particular person. I’m not ego-driven. My focus has all the time been the music. As of late no person assumes the function of chief. Marillion actually has turn into a democracy.
You talked about your son and daughter. How essential is household to you?
Very. My daughter Jennifer is a songwriter and lately moved to Brighton. My son, Michael, is in his third 12 months learning pc science. My spouse Jo and I celebrated our thirtieth anniversary final 12 months.
Thirty years goes some within the music enterprise. What’s your secret?
Many issues. Behaving your self? Sure! I married the best particular person, which is all the time a plus. Jo gave me lots of love and help. Typically, if you’re away on the street and also you’ve acquired a younger household, it’s like your accomplice turns into a single guardian, and it takes somebody fairly devoted to drag by means of that.
However is she a Marillion fan?
Sure, she actually is. My son and daughter are as nicely. You get the sense everybody within the household understands the sacrifice. They get it.
You’ve all the time appeared like a really clean-living musician.
I’ve by no means been seduced by the rock’n’roll fantasy. That’s not what’s actual for me. That’s not what life’s about.
You revealed a Marillion picture diary, Postcards From The Highway, in 2016. Pictures appears to be your solely vice.
Sure. I’ve been involved in pictures since I used to be about 14, once I used to wander round Whitby taking footage. I had an previous Zenit B SLR. As soon as I began incomes a bit of cash across the time of Script For A Jester’s Tear, I acquired myself a Pentax. I don’t know what drives me to do it, nevertheless it’s one thing I really like.
When Steve was supplied the job, he needed to go away and give it some thought – which we discovered greater than just a little conceited
Are you want everybody else as of late, although, taking footage in your iPhone?
I attempt to take a digicam with me. However I’ve dragged large digicam baggage all over the world through the years, and also you get sick of that. There are a lot of occasions when the very best digicam is the one you’ve acquired with you – and that occurs to be your cellphone. It’s OK, so long as the sunshine’s good. If not, you’ll wrestle.
You talked about your love of soundtrack music rising up. Is it true Marillion had been supplied the soundtrack to Highlander? You turned it down and Queen acquired the gig as a substitute?
That’s what I used to be instructed. It was a administration determination to not do it. We had been touring the world on the time on the success of Misplaced Childhood. So there was no time. Fish acquired supplied an performing function as nicely round then. It was a kind of nice what-ifs.
Would you continue to love to do a soundtrack?
Sure. I did some music for an American PBS documentary about bullying [the Emmy-winning From Our Hearts in 2014]. So it could be nice to do one other soundtrack. It doesn’t need to be an enormous funds movie – one thing fascinating, possibly an artwork movie.
What’s it like being mates with Steve Hackett if you’re an previous Genesis fan?
We solely grew to become good buddies about three years in the past, and it’s very unusual listening to these tales about Genesis’ previous days when he’s one of many causes I picked up a guitar. We go to dinner fairly commonly, and it usually finally ends up with my spouse Jo and his spouse Jo down one finish of the desk and me and Steve on the different, speaking guitars and world domination.
Marillion performed Cruise To The Edge in 2014 and 2015. How is it being caught at sea with a bunch of prog rock followers?
It’s surreal – a bit Twilight Zone. Our followers are improbable, however you’re on a ship with all these individuals who share a standard ardour for this sort of music. And, let’s face it, there are usually not that lots of these individuals on the earth, so to place all of them collectively on a ship does warp the material of actuality. However on the identical time, it’s lots of enjoyable, and we’ve met some pretty individuals.
Have Marillion ever had a mad fan or a stalker?
Very often you get the scary ones. There was a lady within the 80s who used to write down Fish letters in her personal blood, and there was an American fan who you might think about… er… having a John Lennon second with. It’s important to watch out, however we’ve been extremely fortunate.
It’s been virtually 30 years since Fish left. There was unhealthy blood and recrimination on the time. Is there something you’d have carried out in another way?
Funnily sufficient, not a lot to do with when Fish left. However extra to do with what occurred a number of years later after we sacked our supervisor, John Arnison. This was across the time we had been signed with Fort Communications [in the late 90s and 2000s]. I made a degree of attempting to grasp the music trade, as a result of if you’re a musician in a band, that isn’t the precedence – the music is. So I learn a number of books about how this trade I’d been working in for 20 years really labored.
It gave me some perspective on how loopy our scenario was within the 80s. We had been promoting out stadiums and having gold and platinum albums, however we’d seen little or no of the cash. There have been varied frustrations and issues taking place that might have been resolved by somebody with a bit extra imaginative and prescient and a clearer head.
So what you’re saying is your supervisor allow you to down and you ought to be richer than you might be?
Sure. We bought one thing like 10 million albums. We should always all be in residing in nation piles with crunchy drives… However on the finish of the day it’s important to take a look at the place you might be in your life, and put all of it in perspective.
That will need to have damage, although?
Yeah; you possibly can’t assist however really feel just a little… aggravated.
What was your first impression of Steve Hogarth?
Steve’s music publishers Rondor despatched us a cassette, and his voice jogged my memory of Paul Buchanan from The Blue Nile. When he got here in we had been rehearsing in Pete Trewavas’ storage. Pete has cats and Steve is allergic to cats. So there was this brief interval when he sang a few issues, and we had been blown away by his voice, after which lots of time was spent speaking exterior within the freezing chilly. When he was supplied the job, he needed to go away and give it some thought – which we discovered fairly unusual and greater than just a little conceited.
It’s humorous, isn’t it, if you see that {photograph} of very early Radiohead and there’s a Marillion poster within the background…
Don’t you assume his vanity turned out to be a optimistic? Absolutely, higher that than some Fish clone?
Completely – and we auditioned sufficient of these to know that’s not what we needed. However Steve had additionally had a suggestion to play keyboards for The The – who had been ultra-cool again then; whereas we had been as distant from ultra-cool as you might get.
If Marillion are having an argument does Hogarth ever lose his rag and go, “I might have been in The The!”?
Ha – I’m positive he can think about another actuality! However I believe he’d gotten to the purpose the place he was so disillusioned with the enterprise he was fascinated about strolling away and changing into a postman within the Dales. In the long run, all of it labored out. We went right down to the mushroom farm close to Brighton to provide it a go, and the remaining is historical past.
If music hadn’t labored out as a profession, what job would you’ve had?
In all probability pictures. It’s the one different factor that’s known as to me in an analogous method to music. When our unique bass participant left, simply earlier than Fish joined, I went for a job interview on the Nationwide Movie Archive. That’s the factor that might have diverted me off this path.
There are a number of Marillion songs in our readers’ prime 100. However if you happen to had been attempting to transform a non-believer, which album would you play them?
The brand new one, F.E.A.R., in fact! I truthfully assume it’s one in every of our best-crafted albums. Afraid Of Daylight is one other one in every of my favourites – a improbable assortment of songs, every one so totally different and never a weak tune on there. Lots of people additionally like Marbles.
F.E.A.R. was your highest-charting album since Clutching At Straws in 1987. Is the tide lastly turning for Marillion?
Now we have seen issues slowly flip round. Possibly as a result of we’re virtually just like the final males standing within the prog world. However I believe you’ll all the time have that factor if you happen to had massive success 30-odd years in the past. Some individuals will all the time affiliate Marillion with Fish. There are nonetheless some individuals who assume Marillion are a Scottish heavy metallic band!
While you first heard Radiohead’s OK Pc in 1997, did you not discover it galling? There wasn’t a lot distinction between, say, Karma Police and a number of the songs on ’94’s Courageous.
[Long pause] Yeah, it’s humorous, isn’t it, if you see that {photograph} of very early Radiohead and there’s a Marillion poster within the background…
We get on with Fish so much higher however everybody is aware of that the entire reunion factor is simply not going to occur
However you possibly can see the comparisons? No offence, however you’re each teams of earnest males enjoying the identical form of music with what seems like lots of repressed emotion.
I do know. However Radiohead managed to encapsulate no matter that ‘pupil band’ cool factor is, and it by no means appears to go away. I believed A Moon Formed Pool had some nice songs on it, and there’s a nice artistic pressure there. Nevertheless it’s humorous how some bands can do no flawed.
I get the impression that Marillion being known as a prog band doesn’t hassle you?
For me, there’s solely good and unhealthy in music. Labels are meaningless, and the true which means of ‘progressive’ is music with none self-imposed boundaries. It’s having the liberty to work exterior the constraints of standard tune construction – virtually like a soundtrack sort strategy to creating songs. It’s no matter you wish to name it.
Nearly each Marillion album since 2001’s Anoraknophobia has been crowdfunded. Have been you all the time satisfied it could work?
It was remarkable – however we needed to attempt. Our take care of Fort Communications ended; we needed to resolve, “Will we signal with one other small label or attempt one thing else?” That’s when Mark Kelly had the thought: Let’s take management ourselves, mail the followers direct and see in the event that they’d be keen to pay upfront. It’s one of many causes we’re nonetheless round. Our followers need it – they need the ultra-edition of the brand new album.
Will there be one other Steve Rothery solo album?
Sure. I’ll do one other solo album subsequent 12 months, however this 12 months I’ve one other undertaking I can’t discuss but. It’s very thrilling however I’ve acquired to ensure it’s going to work earlier than I announce it. Prog would be the first to know.
When was the final time you spoke to Fish?
Fairly lately, really. We get on so much higher as of late. We’re older and wiser and all of us have a unique perspective. All people’s calmed down, and everybody is aware of that the entire reunion factor is simply not going to occur.
It’s actually by no means going to occur?
No, it couldn’t ever occur. I perceive why individuals hold asking, due to what it represents to them and their lives, however no. Steve Hogarth has a T-shirt – ‘The New Boy Since 1989.’ We did 4 albums with Fish, however we’ve carried out 14 with Steve.
What’s subsequent then?
Other than my extremely secret new undertaking [laughing], the Marillion Weekends are arising [in March], in Holland, Poland, Leicester… and Chile.
Cling on – Marillion are formally massive in Chile?
Sure. There’s a radio station in Santiago that performs us on a regular basis. We’re holding the conference in the identical theatre we play in – the Teatro Caupolican. Each time we play there, there are 4000 individuals going loopy from the primary observe.
And also you’re nonetheless massive within the vacation parks?
We’re doing Middle Parcs in Holland. We did our first Marillion Weekend at Pontins, then we barely upscaled to Butlins. Now we’ve gone utterly upmarket to Middle Parcs. We’re going up on the earth!