Marillion - Montreal weekend 2013

[Progatron]

Hotel booked, train tickets purchased (first class this time, how luxurious!) - Hoping to see some of you guys there! My wife and I were at the first two and we're especially excited for this one with the added bonus of an opening act I actually want to see (Mystery). Not to mention, of course, Brave in its entirety, and I'm looking forward to the STCBM material live. When this is all said and done, I will have seen Marillion eleven times, and there will be very little of their material that I haven't seen them play.

I'm so excited - these weekends are absolutely amazing. Three completely different sets over three nights - the awesomeness can hardly be exaggerated. I'll always remember the very first night of the 2009 weekend (Seasons End in its entirety + non-album tracks + new material) when at the end of the show, h said "See you tomorrow!"

[JKL2000]

I was at the 2011 weekend in Montreal (and 2005 or something at Minehead) and had a blast. But I don't think that I can make this one, much as I'd love to.

[Brave73]

I was going to skip this year's convention due to financial reasons (couldn't afford a 200$ ticket, plus bus/subway expenses for 3 nights). However, a certain number of single night tickets were made availible a few days ago and I grabbed mine for the Saturday night performance (the one concert that I had to see, for Brave in it's entirety, and I just couldn't pass up on the opportunity).

[Father Tiresias]

You definitely picked the best night, Thomas! Look forward to seeing you there.

[eporter66]

I would love to get up there, especially to see Brave performed. I am sure it will be a fantastic weekend for everyone, sorry that I cannot make it.

[Progatron]

It's just been announced that Sound Of Contact - featuring our own Dave "Squids" Kerzner and Simon Collins, will be another opening act in Montreal! woohoo!!

I'm very excited for you, and looking forward to seeing you guys play, Dave. Hopefully we can meet after all this time on PE and facebook! Bring merch!

I know you're a man of some culinary skill - I hope you get a chance to check out some of the fine restaurants while you're in Montreal.

[Reach]

Ticket procured (finally). See you all there...

[JKL2000]

I really wish I was going. You guys who are should definitely try to attend the sort of informal pre-shows at the Brutopia bar. Get there early for a seat, hang out and have dinner and a few beers. It's a fun scene. Saturday night it's Pete Trewavas' side project Edison's Children. Last time Steve Hogarth showed up and sang a tune with Sun Domingo.

[Squids]

It's just been announced that Sound Of Contact - featuring our own Dave "Squids" Kerzner and Simon Collins, will be another opening act in Montreal! woohoo!!

I'm very excited for you, and looking forward to seeing you guys play, Dave. Hopefully we can meet after all this time on PE and facebook! Bring merch!

I know you're a man of some culinary skill - I hope you get a chance to check out some of the fine restaurants while you're in Montreal.

Thanks. We're really excited to be invited to play at this event. We'll be in the midst of rehearsing for a European tour so we're not going to get what I'd normally do visit a place like Montreal (which I've never been to... will have to come back for the food experience!). We'll be in and out of there fairly quick but with a mission! Definitely going to be a fun one. I love the new Marillion album too so I'm just as excited to see them play that stuff live along with Brave and anything off Marbles. Been getting into it more and more lately.

Gonna have some cool merch there. There album won't be out yet (but should be out by the time we do the Euro tour) but we'll have some music and a really really cool looking Sound of Contact T-shirt with the tour dates and Dimo the main character of our concept album "Dimensionaut". Plus Simon and the band will sign some swag. It'll be cool. John Wesley from Porcupine Tree live band has joined our live group as has PE's very own prog buddy Jonathan Schang of District 97! I met him through PE so... nice place Sean!

[Progatron]

That's a shame that the album won't be released yet, was hoping to grab it there (I hurl my wallet in the general direction of merch tables the second I make it inside the venues )... but I'll be patient! This will be about the fifth time I've seen John Wesley play now, between these Marillion weekends and PT live. He's a really nice guy. Nice little bonus having Jonathan Schang, I'm a big fan of D97 too. Not to mention I'm looking forward to seeing Simon live, which will be a first for me. Hopefully you will catch the Friday opener, Mystery! Really looking forward to that too, and yes the Edison's Children Brutopia gig as well. What a weekend this is gonna be. On paper it seems it will outdo the last two, which seems impossible somehow! I'm rambling now. Exciting times.

[Squids]

We won't be there Friday night. Might do a surprise gig somewhere down here in Miami though just to crack our knuckles a bit before we step onto the MW stage. But, either way we'll be busy preparing for this upcoming tour. Can't imagine a better kick off than this though. If any PE people are there you should grab me and say hello if you see me wandering around.

[JKL2000]

That's a shame that the album won't be released yet, was hoping to grab it there (I hurl my wallet in the general direction of merch tables the second I make it inside the venues )... but I'll be patient! This will be about the fifth time I've seen John Wesley play now, between these Marillion weekends and PT live. He's a really nice guy. Nice little bonus having Jonathan Schang, I'm a big fan of D97 too. Not to mention I'm looking forward to seeing Simon live, which will be a first for me. Hopefully you will catch the Friday opener, Mystery! Really looking forward to that too, and yes the Edison's Children Brutopia gig as well. What a weekend this is gonna be. On paper it seems it will outdo the last two, which seems impossible somehow! I'm rambling now. Exciting times.

Fuck!!! I have to try to get my wife to allow this! It can't get any better!

[Progatron]

If any PE people are there you should grab me and say hello if you see me wandering around.

I will do, Dave.

Fuck!!! I have to try to get my wife to allow this! It can't get any better!

Dude, you really do. Just when I thought they couldn't outdo the last two Montreal weekends, they add opening acts that I actually want to see. Not to mention a great new album of material, which I suspect will be played in its entirety.

[progeezer]

For the first time, I am now officially pissed. Really happy my friend Mr. Schang is getting some props!

[Scott Bails]

Man, this is really shaping up to be an event.

Damn, I hate being poor.

[mnprogger]

I really wanted to go, but with like a dozen or so Concerts this late Winter/Spring, including a trip to Chicago for Bend Sinister (finally!) I couldn't justify the $1000 nor the fact I already had bought a ticket for Local Natives at First Ave the same night of the Saturday night of the Con.

Brave is my favorite album ever, but I guess I'm going to have settle for a DVD or wait for another chance to see it live someday.

[Wilton Said...]

My wife and I are looking forward to this. I think after this convention we will have seen almost every H era song performed live. What will we do after this.???

[Yaman Aksu]

this guy has better ear and taste than most guitarists covering Rothery parts on youtube:

[Progatron]

My wife and I are looking forward to this. I think after this convention we will have seen almost every H era song performed live. What will we do after this.???

Yes, I think you're right. Going through the albums chronologically, it's difficult to find many songs that they haven't played for us in Montreal/Toronto over the last eight years - especially once you factor in Brave and Radiation. I know they haven't played "Hope For The Future" (thankfully) and I don't recall ever seeing "An Accidental Man", "Bastard Radar", "Enlightened" or "House". Other than that, I think we've seen everything - including the b-sides - from Seasons End up to and including Anoraknophobia plus the majority of Marbles, Somewhere Else, and Happiness Is The Road. Pretty amazing.

Those of you still on the fence or wondering if you can afford it - I would pay double the ticket price for these weekends. They are a JOY.

Here's a photo from 2011's weekend where my wife won a contest to go on stage with the band. She still points at it on the wall at least once a week and says "Remember that?" :P

mar.jpg

[Brave73]

I really wish I was going. You guys who are should definitely try to attend the sort of informal pre-shows at the Brutopia bar. Get there early for a seat, hang out and have dinner and a few beers.

The Friday pre-shows at Brutopia will have two Marillion tribute bands performing (as a prelude to the real thing a few hours later) : Scripted (concentrated on Fish-era material) and Kings (H-era material band).

[Rufus]

What size venues do Marillion play these days ?

[Scott Bails]

this guy has better ear and taste than most guitarists covering Rothery parts on youtube:

That was really cool. Thanks for posting!

Those of you still on the fence or wondering if you can afford it - I would pay double the ticket price for these weekends. They are a JOY.

I'd gladly pay thousands for it - if I had it.

If you can't afford it, you can't afford it.

[Scott Bails]

What size venues do Marillion play these days ?

The last two times they came through Philly, they played the TLA, which only holds 1,000.

Really a shame, IMO.

[Progatron]

I'd gladly pay thousands for it - if I had it.

If you can't afford it, you can't afford it.

Fair enough.

[Patelena396]

What size venues do Marillion play these days ?

I think it depends on what part of the world they are playing in at the time.