Marillionados

10 years is a long time for a marriage with a publishing company. MARILLION are proud of this fact, mainly because the relationship seems steady. We started by asking Mark Kelly how these first 10 years with EMI had elapsed.

"They went by pretty fast. It is funny and frightful to think the way the time passes. I remember better the first year, than the other nine altogether."

In these 10 years of career MARILLION loaded the burden of being pointed as a copy of the Genesis. With or without intention, the fact it is that they had to live with it as Ian explains.

"I think that the main problem was that Fish resembled Peter Gabriel, but all people has a hero. I did not know Genesis before joining MARILLION. Later I only noticed some similarities."

That wasn't the cause for the divorce between Fish and MARILLION. Anyway, the inevitable has happened. Fish gave place to the eccentric Steve Hogarth. "Hooks in You" was the chosen business card of the new MARILLION. Reason for this choice?

"It hasn't a great significance for us. The reason why it was the first single is because it was an accessible Rock song. We thought that it would be good, as first single to edit an easy song to hear, but it is not exactly a special song."

Then what song would you choose for first single with Steve Hogarth?

"The special song of the album is possibly "Easter". It is a song where music and the lyrics combine harmoniously; it approaches subjects with great interest. We all like it and we are very happy with the result, especially Steve that wrote great part of the song before joining MARILLION."

From songs in particular to albums in general, it was a short step. We asked Ian Mosley which album he preferred.

"It is difficult to answer. I like isolated themes, as for example "Easter" from the "Seasons End" album."

Mark Kelly approaches the question under another perspective.

"I still haven't chosen one album, but I like "Seasons End" a lot, it is very good musically, even if the level of the lyrics is not so strong. "Misplaced Childhood" has very good lyrics and is very good musically. The lyrics and music work well together. It's perhaps the best. That is my opinion. In Fugazi the lyrics are very good, but musically it is poor."

Regarding live performances, MARILLION had always been a well-received band in every place (at least they had never been stoned). We asked them which are the countries that had better received them.

"We played recently in Mexico and France. In Mexico it was spectacular, wonderful. The stage was enormous and the public was all around us. The sound was perfect, excellent hearing. It was the first time that we were there and they knew all the songs. We liked very much to play in Portugal. We still we have a tape with the Oporto concert."

Since they mentioned Oporto we wanted to know their opinion concerning Portugal.

"The first time we came here was in 85. It was good, since the band was already very popular at the time. We were in first place in Portuguese tops, which was good. This is an interesting country, we spent good moments here."

Hence the interest in celebrating the 10th anniversary with EMI in Portugal. The invitation came from Portuguese EMI. From a simple anniversary party to an acoustic concert for almost four thousand people it was a short step.

"The recording label told us that we'd come to a party and asked us to prepare some songs. When we arrived here they had said that the show would be sold for the television. We were not prepared for that, otherwise we would have brought drums. I think that we cannot play only two songs, but perhaps ten. Without drummer they will sound differently."

We finished the interview asking how are going to be the next 10 years with EMI.

"We still do not know if next the 10 years will be with EMI, but we are satisfied with them. The first 10 years were good and famous. It is always the same cycle: to write, to record and to tour. It doesn't mean nothing is going to change. Perhaps the next album will allows us to have some more time to rest and to make other things, to try other projects. I think that after 10 years, we necessarily need a break. Besides that, it's going to be business as usual. One of the goals is to record one live album, but I think that we are not prepared for this yet."