Marillion weekend, Port Zelande, 2015 |
First, here's the band's Christmas message:
Second, there's the North American tour next year, plus loads of other dates around the world. Dates and venues have been announced and tickets are already on sale. If you haven't seen them live yet, don't miss this opportunity, don't think about it, just get yourself and your nearest and dearest a ticket or ten... it's a wonderful, wonderful experience. The tour begins at the Regency ballroom in San Francisco on October 21st, makes stops in Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, Northfield (Ohio), Toronto, Montreal and Quebec in Canada, then back to the USA for dates in Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia, with a final stop in New York, Check out all the dates for the North American tour (and where you can purchase your tickets), plus South America and European dates too, and a few festivals on the band's tour page.
And then... and then...
The new Marillion documentary video, "Unconventional", is out, and this week I received my copy direct from the UK. Produced by the exceptional Toward Infinity team, it tells the story of the biennial Marillion weekends, focusing on this year's event in Port Zeland, the Netherlands. It tells the story of the huge amount of work preparing for the three days of concerts, and the fans who travel from all around the globe to experience the event. There are interviews with the band, and glimpses of the wonderful live shows, the band's interaction with the fans, and what makes the entirety so very special. If you've wondered why fans travel so far to experience the music of one band, why they often make an international trip their annual vacation and save for it for two years, and then again two years later, it's your opportunity to find out.
(Marillon won the Prog mag award for the "Best Live Event" for the weekends of 2015, over and above stiff competition. Having had the chance to experience all three of these events, I totally agree!)
And this is not only for Marillion fans: there are some deep insights into the music industry from the band who created crowd-funding many years ago, who don't have to rely on a major label's whim to be able to create the music that they (and their fans) want to hear. If you're in a band yourself and wondering how to survive in today's streaming, no-money-for-music business environment, you really should get yourself a copy of this DVD, take look at how this band grows and keeps such a dedicated, global fan base, enabling them to continue touring and producing new music.
It's also as stunning piece of musical documentary as you'll ever see.
The pre-order campaign for the next Marillion album is going strong: if you want to see your name in the materials, act fast! Lots of different packages are available. This is a real example of the Marillion way of life, in action.
And I cannot wait to hear the new music...
Articles and photos on this publication that may also be of interest:
- Photos from the Port Zelande weekend
- Photos from all three 2015 Marillion weekends (Netherlands, UK, Canada)
- A review of Bring Me The Horizon's Live at Wembley DVD, also by Toward Infinity
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