THE MARILLION & FISH FILES
Edwin Ammerlaan EA MEDIA
Marillion unscripted; past and present.
Dutch music journalist Edwin Ammerlaan began conducting interviews with Marillion back in 1987, which is why this book starts around the time of Clutching At Straws and ends with Ian Mosley, in 2022, revealing he can’t start the day without a coffee and a shower and recalling playing a charity gig with Steve Hackett, Peter Gabriel and Mike Rutherford. Ammerlaan didn’t start writing for Dutch music mag OOR until 1986, which helps to explain the chronology, even if it feels a little odd given that 95 per cent of the book deals with Fish and Marillion post-split, the tome actually begins with this little coda. That doesn’t dent the fact that these uncut interviews remain an interesting read for the diehard fan. The author, too, does himself a disservice saying he’s “not the world’s best reporter”. Despite being all Q&A-style interviews, there’s interesting stuff in here from the naturally amiable band. Best of all is a 2007 interview with Pete Trewavas and Steve Hogarth where they’re played a selection of modern prog and Trewavas needs a gentle nudge to help spot his Transatlantic colleagues Neal Morse and Roine Stolt (in The Flower Kings), while Hogarth thinks the former “sounds like the Eagles”. An enjoyable read, designed to be dipped in and out at your leisure.