UK rock stars find small, but loyal, U.S. audiences

Sometimes the particular musical tastes of a region cause
considerable variability to a band’s success. Although a band
will rarely alter the material on its albums significantly between
releases in the United States and the United Kingdom, inherent
cultural disparities can make up the difference.

Take the UK rock veterans Marillion, for instance. Having played
together for approximately 25 years, Marillion has built up a
strong and loyal fan base in its native England. Over the years,
they have released thirteen studio albums, eight of which reached
the top 10 on UK album charts. They tour the UK quite frequently
and consistently receive critical acclaim from the European
press.

Surprisingly, Marillion’s sound has also strongly
resonated in Mexico, where they play for upwards of 9,000 fans
every time they come to tour the country.

“We’re massive in Mexico,” said bassist Peter
Trewavas. “It’s quite bizarre actually. I guess
we’re just one of the bands that has always cared about
Mexico and has always gone to Mexico, so they’ve stayed with
us.”

But Marillion has never quite reached the same level of success
in the United States, where they have received strong support, but
on a smaller scale. It is directly because of their fans’
support that Marillion has made the effort to return to the United
States for the first time in seven years, despite smaller audiences
and greater expenses.

“We had a situation a few years back where we decided we
couldn’t tour America, but our fans actually raised about
$60,000 for us to come over and tour,” said Trewavas.
“Isn’t that amazing?”

Marillion owes its longevity and support from fans to its
artistic individuality. Trewavas attributes their staying power
over the years to “a love of what we do and a belief in what
we do. It’s a kind of honest music we make. I think our fans
admire that and trust that and believe in what we do because of why
we do it.”

This very honesty and sincerity is evident in Marillion’s
newest album “Marbles.” Lead vocalist Steve Hogarth
titled the album after a poem he wrote in reflection of a childhood
experience. Throughout the album, themes of loss and wrongdoing
pervade the work to create a deeply personal memoir. But the band
directly juxtaposes these songs with others that critically examine
the world today, ultimately resulting in a simultaneously intimate
and universally relevant experience for the listener.

Throughout its career, Marillion has consistently honed its
craft to produce albums that showcase its fine musicianship.

“I think (our sound) has got better (over the years). I
think we’ve got better as musicians, we understand what
we’re doing in the studio more, and as a consequence of that
we’re a bit more relaxed as to our approach,” said
Trewavas. “It’s not always a bed of roses, but we get
on incredibly well as people and we love what we do as musicians
““ we love each others’ work.”

Marillion has been in the business long enough to recognize that
talent endures longer than adhering to the latest commercial
trends. Although they affirm that they are not directly influenced
by other musicians, they can appreciate those bands who write songs
with the same honestly and musicality that they themselves strive
toward.

“It is kind of nice to see music turning a bit of a corner
and getting a bit real again. I suppose it inspires you to carry on
doing what you’re doing sometimes,” said Trewavas.
“I’m thinking for example of bands like Radiohead and
Coldplay. It’s quite nice to see real bands with real music
being written.”

For a band that has performed with the likes of Queen in front
of hundreds of thousands of people, its smaller, upcoming North
American tour might seem like a bit of a letdown. But for
Marillion, such a venture is primarily about connecting to its
fans, regardless of their number or of the financial constraints
involved.

“We do it for the right reasons I think. Commercialism has
never really played a part in what we do. And people admire that, I
think,” said Trewavas. “What we’ve focused on
with this album is that we’ve put enough various things in
place so that we won’t lose our shirts. We might lose a sock
or two along the way, but we can cope with that.”

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