Komedia, Brighton

Sweaty sardines as hundreds catch Fish at Brighton

It was a triumphant return to Brighton as Fish played his regular once every 24 year show. For a change, The Komedia Luvvies club was turned into a progger’s love in as the Big Dick came out in this most metrosexual of venues.

Fans new and old were well catered for in a two hour set list which aired the best moments of his outstanding new album, The Thirteenth Star, as well as offering a spectacular rocking retread of most of Marillion Mark One’s finest hour, Clutching at Straws. There was even time to mosh out during a pile-driving journey through Fish’s Caledonian heritage in an encore featuring The Sensational Alex Harvey Band’s Faith Healer.

The band were as tight as a flounder’s sphincter, but special plaudits must go out to Frank Usher, back this Easter (topical) from a heart attack in the Autumn, and shredding the frets as if he had never been away. His solo on Cliche was a standout in a blistering set. Great to see Chris Johnson, seemingly now a full time Fish head after the deck chairs on SS Mostly Autumn were re-arranged (again). As well as offering contrasting guitar textures to FU, he was also able to help out Fish vocally in those duets with himself passages from the new album. Having said that, the big man was on top form vocally tonight too, giving as emotional and dramatic as I can remember from the Lothian Librettist.

The venue was a full as I have seen, it perhaps just short of a sell-out, with a healthier cross-section of ladies than is often the case at prog-gigs. Reaction, well I hardly noticed, lost in my own reverie during the CAS set. Lets just say the clap along sections were as enthusiastically followed as a Nuremburg rally, rather ironic during the chorus for White Russian! Speaking of which, Croydon Mick and a number of Company Croydon and Company Lewes were seen indulging a Fish gig tradition of drinking velvety Black Russians before the gig which may have contributed to the good humour of many in the audience.

Setlist:
Slainte
Circle Line
Square Go
Open Water
So Fellini
Dark Star
Hotel Hobbies/Warm Wet Circles/ That Time Of The Night
Zoe 25
Arc Of The Curve
Faith Healer
Manchmal
White Russian

Cliche
13th Star
Incommunicado