Two nights at the Pompeii amphitheatre in July. Images that catch your breath captured in a fantastic photo book by the Marillion photographer Ann-Marie Forker. Alongside everything else that has captivated me this summer, the setting for a band who sit comfortably alongside Pink Floyd, King Crimson and Opeth as musical innovators sparkled brightly.
Marillion
Bristol Beacon – 18 September 2026
Words And Photography: Paul Hutchings
Marillion may not be in such impressive surroundings tonight, but the refurbished Beacon is steeped in history and tradition with a track record that reaches back to 1867. They have played the city 13 times, their first time at this venue being on 28 March 1983. The Script Tour, no less. Their last performance came eight years ago on the F.E.A.R tour.
Since that initial show at this grand old venue, Marillion have shed many skins. Disappointingly, despite the current incarnation of the band being a mere three years away from their 40th anniversary, the band is still more recognisable for their 1980s output. The power of radio in that era, no doubt.
But regardless, the band’s rabid fanbase, infiltrated with those few still hoping for something a bit ‘Fishy’, healthily populate European theatres in good numbers. Few of the UK shows have tickets left.
Time is marching on. Keyboardist Mark Kelly is the youngest member of the band, and he has been entitled to free bus travel for five years. It is inevitable that the end is closing in. Not something that we think about tonight, though.
Drummer Ian Mosely belies his 73 years with a performance of imperious quality. Tucked away at the back, only flashes of his face are visible behind an impressive set.
And then we have H. Steven Hogarth. Is he still jokingly called the ‘new’ boy? Surely not. Aged 70, he belies those years with a vocal performance some half his age could not get close to. Not to mention a wit which many comedians could only wish for.
Early on, he points out a Classic Rock article that named three things that happened in 1989. The fall of the Berlin Wall, the Tiananmen Square massacre, and H joining Marillion. “Hard to rank them in order of importance,” quips his comedy sparring partner, bassist Pete Trewavas.
There is a grace about Marillion. Forced to pursue their journey independently and subsequently becoming leaders of the internet revolution, they stand proudly as an outfit that has never compromised.
They echo my beloved Rush in many ways. Enter their world and enter a secret society. One that has formed over 40+ years. Many in the audience do not go to one gig. They follow the band across Europe, to the famous Marillion weekenders. In large numbers at multiple shows. There is an obsession few bands receive or deserve.
It is a great atmosphere as the lower stalls are standing, creating a buzz that all-seated shows cannot match. The band open with Gaza. A 17-minute behemoth, and probably the most political song the band has written, although this is an outfit never afraid of commentary. 17 minutes of captivating progressive rock and still heartbreakingly relevant lyrics fly by.
It is more of a suite than one flowing track, but the audience is spellbound, cheering at key moments. The lights are incredible. It is the start of over two hours of magnificence and humour as H dedicates Gaza to Ed Sheeran.
It is the start of his between-song banter, which is dry but sums up the band’s band of brothers approach. H and Pete trade to comic effect. Never more has a band typified the saying that it is the sum of the parts.
Mosley anchors the outfit with Trewavas. They can do heavy. They can do light. They do both with style. Mark Kelly has always intrigued me. His autobiography revealed many sides to him, and tonight he does his stuff with minimum fuss. The spotlight falls on him, revealing a man in his kingdom, the master of keys, semi-hidden in concentration at the back. Mission control.
Most of the time it is H who takes the lead role. He has never been the jester despite his humour and smile, and his vocals are an acquired taste which took me time to appreciate. As he has got older, his style has developed and adapted. He is still a brilliant frontman, his enunciation and delivery as individual as ever. At times he is caught just watching the brilliance around him. Glorious admiration of the masters at work.
But if the spotlight shines on H, then it also finds the glorious guitar of Steve Rothery, another who sits in the totally underrated category. Plagued by an uncooperative pedalboard, his tech earns his corn, and then some. You end up rooting for him to resolve the issues. He deals with it in a sardonic manner, but with warmth underneath. There is the inevitable frustration, but he does not let it bother him one bit.
The tech problem is resolved eventually with the use of old-school leads.
Rothery’s style is instantly recognisable, beautifully organic and never forced. Fresh from releasing The Roaring Waves, his joint venture with Steve Hackett, Rothery is in great form. Understated, subtle, yet essential to the mix, he plays a blinder throughout. The bursting solo that emerges ten minutes into Gaza escalates the emotions higher.
The ease of that soaring lead on Care (I) Maintenance Drugs still bursts my heart.
It is a stunner of a setlist. H and Pete do an impromptu The Bell In The Sea whilst Rothery’s rig is sorted. Seasons End gets the cheer it deserves, whilst H’s intro for new song Ribbons And Lace is interrupted by Rothery, who reminds H to read the setlist. It is You’re Gone First.
In fact, it is a show bookended by first and most recent with five from Seasons End and five from An Hour Before It’s Dark. The latter comes in a block which sees H dedicate the songs to those working in the health service during the pandemic. An emotional moment, no doubt replicated across the country each night, but poignant, and an opportunity to pause for a brief reflection on a time now buried in the memory banks.
The inevitable shout for Grendel is laughingly dismissed by H as he introduces Enlightened, followed by Built-in Bastard Radar, both from the recently reissued Marillion.com. And then there is Easter. A number 34 chart placing in 1990, H leads the audience in a rendition which sees him singing very little. The crowd are word-perfect, and it is a moment to appreciate. These are dedicated fans, alright.
Two hours fly by, with a blinding Mad And The Great Escape concluding the main set.
It is a phenomenal set-up. The Light show is magnificent, and despite Rothery’s technical issues, the sound is crystal clear. As they conclude with The Release and The Space, I am left to ponder that despite the advancing years, Marillion seem to have plenty of gas left in the tank.
A new album beckons. They seem fit and in great form and another decade seems perfectly possible at this stage. We shall see, but tonight has been an epic set from a band who, one day, might just achieve the plaudits they richly deserve.
Haunt The Woods
“We’ve been together for 14 years,” reminds singer/guitarist Jonathan Stafford midway through Haunt The Woods beautifully curated 35 minutes, before taking us back to Said And Done, a track from the early days.
The Cornwall outfit were support to Weather Systems in Thekla in this fair city in May 2025, and tonight they easily improve on that showing.
They remain an alternative outfit without a single genre label slapped on them. Their sound is beautiful, with Stafford’s vocals capturing both vulnerability and power in the same delivery. It is no wonder they are on this tour, as their music flirts with some of Marillion’s lighter catalogue.
Helter Skelter kicks things up a bit, whilst Ubiquity is shimmering in its delicacy.
The blend that they have crafted sees folk, progressive pop and rock merge. Guitarist Phoenix Elleschild and bassist Jack Hale are rooted to their spots, partly due to the need for rich harmonies, but they both play their part along with drummer Oliver Bignall.
Once again, though, it is Stafford who delivers the frontman role. He is funny, humble, and by the end of their set, the audience, who at the start were a bit reserved, are whooping and cheering.
