Fish - Live At The Globe

I rather like the synchronicity of things ...

Three years to the day I got made redundant from Clariant. Three years to the day I was stood in the Globe watching The Reasoning play live. That was my last gig of 2011, this was my last gig of 2014.

It was a good one to finish with, and a fantastic way to celebrate a year of discovering some fantastic bands and music.

We were supposed to have seen this gig back in May. It was cancelled back then as the guitarist got chickenpox. The irony that my brother couldn't make it tonight as he has tonsillitis wasn't lost on me.

There was no support tonight, just two hours of Derek Dick and his band.

It was a bit of a slow start, with Fish opening with Perfumed River and Feast Of Consequences from the same titled album. We then rocked into two songs from 13th Star, with Manchmal and Arc of Curve. We then had Fish's incredible tale of how the High Wood suite came to be written, with a load of coincidences and emotional family history. I must admit he really did nail the suite, and it will be a highlight of the live music of this year for me.

We got back into sing a long mode with Big Wedge to up the tempo again. Finally during Vigil, Fish came out and shook my hand, after my brother and Dawn getting that honour the last twice we have seen them. We finished of the set with the end of Misplaced Childhood and the Heart Of Lothian suite. Rumour has it he is touring that album next year as part of the long goodbye. We shall see.

The encore started with my favourite Fish era Marillion track , Incubus, a track that always takes me back. Blind To The Beautiful came with another long lecture from Fish on the state of the planet, and then it was time for the traditional concert ending with The Company.

It was a little odd seeing the band with a different line up having got used to the familiar faces of Frank Usher and Fos, but the band did sound sublime.

I was luckily enough to chat to Robin Boult, the guitarist, and Fish after the gig, thanks to Matt (from the Reasoning).

It was a rather cool way to finish off a year of musical reawakening for me.

Can't wait to see what 2015 will bring .. I'm already looking forward to Steven Wilson on March! Another life tick ...