![]() We had done maybe about five shows, just weird and wonderful things: we played at a hospital we played a street carnival on the back of a trailer in Watford, supporting Garston Magicians. “Doug left when he reached the ripe old age of 25,” says Rothery. Although less than a year in there would be yet another line-up change. They just blacked out the ‘Sil’.”Īnd so, in 1979, 40 years ago, Marillion were born. ![]() “I heard that when they were called Silmarillion they were too lazy to change the stencil. “There’s a bunch of stories about why that came about,” Fish will chuckle later on. The first featured the aforementioned songs alongside Scott’s Porridge, the second featured another version of Alice, along with Lady Fantasy and Close, parts of which would later resurface in He Knows You Know, The Web and Chelsea Monday. ![]() The band recorded two demos in March and the summer of 1980. Certain sections of early material like Herne The Hunter, The Haunting Of Gill House and Alice would later be adapted into some of Marillion’s better-known early songs. That’s how we ended up with Marillion.”Īt this stage the band’s repertoire was slowly taking shape. “During that time I suggested to Doug that while people left, we should lob off letters of the name – jokingly, down at the pub,” Pointer laughs. Local keyboard player Brian Jelliman completed up the Silmarillion line-up, but before the band had even played their first gig (which would be at Berkhamsted Civic Centre, attended by a very fresh-faced Steven Wilson) there was one major change. “I was practically living there myself as well. “I’ve got a funny feeling that he practically moved in from that day,” Pointer laughs. Rothery had set his heart on playing guitar in a band, but when his own local band had all set off for college he set his sights further afield. I gave up my job and moved down and lived in this little tiny cottage.” I came down and got chosen for the guitarist. “A band called Silmarillion, who had only ever done one gig, and it was really just a bass player with a drummer. “I came down and auditioned in the late spring of ’79,” Rothery does remember. Legend suggests he arrived unannounced with guitar in hand, although in truth today no one can really remember. We put an advert in Musicians Only.”įirst to answer the call was a young guitarist from Whitby called Steve Rothery. “Doug said, okay, let’s find two other people we need. The band then split following a row over equipment, leaving a core of Pointer and Irvine. This line-up only played one gig, at Southall’s Hanborough Tavern, at the tail-end of 1978. Me and Doug had a lot of our own material we were working on and it was all instrumental.” Very fleetingly, but it was a bit of a moment for us. ![]() “…Camel! They would come in and watch us. “We had this rehearsal room, and in the other room happened to be…” “We used to rehearse in the Princes Risborough area,” Pointer recalls. Camel, with whom Irvine and Pointer shared a mutual love, became their main reference point. The early line-up was Irvine (bass) and Pointer (drums), keyboard player Neil Cockle and guitarist Martin Jenner. Inspired by a Tolkien book that Irvine had, the new outfit called themselves Silmarillion. Except they weren’t called Marillion back then. So me and him said let’s form our own band, and put our own guys together that would suit what we’re attempting and trying to do.”Īnd in one fell swoop, Marillion were born. We spent all the time together just mapping out where we’d like to go, like everybody does when they’re young. “As usual with most of these things, everything was done down at the pub. “I got along particularly well with Doug,” Pointer says. ![]()
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