In 1985 Derek William Dick, the Scottish singer known as Fish, was locked into an intense, vivid and kaleidoscopic LSD experience which provided him with the inspiration for a concept album Misplaced Childhood, which would go on to be hugely successful and spawn multiple hits. Forty years later, the closest thing to hallucinatory visions tonight are the trippy, lysergic slides that play behind him, as the ex-singer of the neo-prog rock outfit Marillion begins his farewell tour at 66.
There are roars from the crowd and a Scotland flag draped over the balcony to welcome the singer and his band, who prepare to depart on an emotional note. The opening Vigil, from Fish’s 1990 debut solo album, comes to life with atmospheric whirrings of synthesiser that float through the room before Fish’s voice gently joins in, and soft plucks of glimmering guitar arrive as it hums along with an ever-building presence before erupting with euphoric force. It sets the tone for an evening of back and forth between theatrical, epic, sprawling soundscapes and tender, stripped-back, restrained songcraft.
