Concert Review
Marillion
Montreal Weekend ’13
Night One- Friday
L’Olympia Theatre
Montreal, Quebec
Friday March 22, 2013
Review/Photos: Joseph Suto
It was quite fitting that Marillion should go off script, I mean these Weekends are for the fans after all as singer Steve Hogarth, “H” for short sang “Welcome to Montreal” to kick off Friday evenings festivities. “Montreal” was the only difference from the Holland Friday night set list as the band once again put on a hypnagogic show.
Radiation while not being one of my favorite Marillion selections, it is a respectable piece of work in the bands storied catalog. Having only seen a few of these songs performed live before it went off better than expected. “Under The Sun”, “The Answering Machine” and “These Chains” were the songs that stood out and enhanced the album performed as a whole.
Drummer Ian Mosley
It wasn’t until when the band came out for the second set where things really took off. Beginning with a passionate “80 Days” a song written for the fans, H was all over the stage enticing the crowd to sing along. With so many choices of song this band can choose from, the block with “Cover My Eyes” segueing nicely into Slàinte Mhath, a classic from the other era, the Fish era, provided the elevation that took this show to another level. To top that off “Lavender” followed by connecting song “Heart Of Lothian”, left the crowd like putty in the hands of Marillion. If you had thought the next song, 1995s “King” that there would be a drop off in crowd enthusiasm, you guessed wrong. Usually Montreal ovations are long, loud and heartfelt and on this night they were no different.
Back for the encore, the band resurrected “Script For A Jester’s Tear”, a song that last appeared in a regular set some twenty years ago. It sounded so refreshing hearing a song from the very first Marillion album. Ending the night with Happiness Is The Road, H had the crowd singing right till the end as he bid the crowd good night. H bid the crowd adieu as he left the stage with his customary “We’ll see you tomorrow night”. Stay tuned for our review on Saturday.
Opener- Montreal’s Mystery
Set List
Montréal
Under the Sun
The Answering Machine
Three Minute Boy @With[Jacob Moon]
Now She’ll Never Know
These Chains
Born to Run
Cathedral Wall
A Few Words for the Dead
Set Two
80 Days
Genie
Somewhere Else
Hooks in You
Cover My Eyes (Pain and Heaven)
Slàinte Mhath
Lavender
Heart of Lothian
King
Encore
Script for a Jester’s Tear
Happiness Is the Road
