THE
MICK POINTER
INTERVIEW
The following interview with founder member and original drummer of the PROGRESSIVE ROCK kings MARILLION, "MICK POINTER", was held this Autumn after a chance meeting in a Basingstoke pub with our intrepid reporter "HEINZ SWINE".
SILHOBIT reserves all copyright on this article, and wish to make it clear that any quote, or statement is licence to editorial scrutiny and as such, is probably quite untrue or at the very best of dubious origin.
Meeting MICK POINTER (Ex MARILLION) drummer or MICKIE THE CHIPPIE as he is often known now, was a shock. He still has blonde hair and that classic look of a PROGRESSIVE ROCK hero. I asked him whether music figured prominently in these days of his life?
| Mick Pointer : | "Well HEINZ, to be honest, not really. When I left MARILLION I knew that I was wrecking the career of what could have on to be the most influential PROG ROCK band of the eiqhties. The guilt I felt at ruining STEVE'S (ROTHERY, lead guitarist of MARILLION) last hope of fame has kept me off the scene since, but you never know!!" |
| Heinz Svine : | "A return to PROGRESSIVE ROCK? A reunion perhaps?" |
| Mick Pointer : | "Ha! ha! Well I don't know, I mean I haven't spoken to the boys since, but one day I might ring them up, maybe do a couple of dates" |
| Heinz Svine : | "What are your recollections of those heady hacloyn days?" |
| Mick Pointer : | "Well, you know we were young, and life was for living. I remember when I finished writing GRENDAL (the 20 minute epic, and the one that sounds like GENESIS SUPPER'S READY, and the boys just stood back and said 'Look MICK, It's what the kids want but.. are we that good", and I just said "Look I'1l start with a simple 4/4 pub rock beat and you just improvise", and apart from the end bit where we seemed to lose that good beat for a bit, I think It's a stormer, and all my work!". |
| Heinz Svine : | "Yes MICK. Er, what was FISH (lead singer of MARILLION) like in those crazy days?" |
| Mick Pointer : | "A total B**T**D. I remember when I wrote "GARDEN PARTY" and FISH said "Look MICK, It's a great song but, I don't know if I can sing it". So I said "Look just quote from the Ross Benson column in the Daily Express, maybe throw in a swear word for good measure, and Top Of The Fops were we come!" and of course my plan worked a treat!". |
| Heinz Svine : | "Nice one MICK!, but what do you think of the last MARILLION album?" |
| Mick Pointer : | "Well, everyone knows I'd already written most of FUGAZI, before I decided to leave. So I saw it as a kind of tribute album to me, a kind of thank you to me for lifting these other four guys out if the humdrurn obscurity that they came from, and unfortunate to say, went back to". |
| Heinz Svine : | "Er yes MICK, so you haven't heard any of their last five albums then?" |
| Mick Pointer : | "I'm sorry?" |
| Heinz Svine : | "That's write, MARILLION have brought out an album called HOLIDAYS IN EDEN" |
| Mick Pointer : | "Are you sure it's the same band?" |
| Heinz Svine : | "Yes MICK" |
| Mick Pointer : | "Is FISH still the singer?"'. |
| Heinz Svine : | "Er no MICK, but.." |
| Mick Pointer : | "Well there you go then! A different band trading in on the success of my band, I might even sue!" |
The interview ended hare with a heated argument on whether the MARILLION of today are in fact a continuation of the sane band, or whether they are a crap American band cashing in on MICK POINTER's undoubted (sic) talent and influence. MICK PIONTER, an enigmatic enigma in the world of PROGRESSIVE ROCK drummers.
by Heinz Swine.
