FISH

VENUE THE PALLADIUM, LONDON

DATE 25/02/2025

SUPPORT ALISSIMON

Here we are, at last. It’s time to say a fond farewell to Fish, one of rock’s most gifted lyricists and an artist whose catalogue has played a massive role in the lives of Prog readers for more than four decades. But all good things come to an end and following last year’s triumphant auf wiedersehen to the continental mainland, the UK leg of this much-vaunted farewell tour, ‘Road To The Isles’, is five dates old as it rolls into London town.

The line-up of Fish’s band reconnects some emotional ties with the past, but in another touching link with days gone by it falls to Alissimon, an indie-folk singer-songwriter whose father happens to be original Marillion bassist Diz Minnitt, to begin the show. It’s the first time the quartet have played together live but you’d never know it. With Alissimon herself projecting a friendly and amusing stage persona, Same Old World and Rain Hits The Deck are agreeable, mellow slices of soft rock. There isn’t a whole lot of prog in there, but given the unfortunate way Diz’s spell in Marillion ended all those years ago, their presence on this evening’s bill could be interpreted as a beautiful piece of synchronicity. Yes indeed, tonight the wheel of life turns full circle. We all have our cherished Fish memories, and back in October of 1981 your correspondent witnessed Fish’s first-ever show in London as his then-unsigned band Marillion played second fiddle to glam hard-rockers Girl at the Marquee Club. During the decades that followed, Fish achieved most of his goals as a musician and in later years, when the industry made it so much harder for an artist to retain a voice, his never-say-die DIY mindset commanded respect.