Torsdag 24. oktober 2024
More than 1200 aficionados were gathered at Rockefeller on Thursday night to witness the return (and final visit) of Fish to Oslo. The 66 year old Scot is currently travelling through Europe with his «Road to the Isles tour», a farewell tour that started few weeks ago in The Netherlands. He was joined on stage by his most faithful collaborators, Mickey Simmonds on keyboards, Steve Vantsis on bass and Robin Boult on guitar; as well as newer recruits Gavin Griffiths on drums and Liz Antwi on vocals.
The show started with Rossini’s «La Gazza Ladra», famously known to all Marillion fans. Then Fish walked on stage during the intro of «Vigil». From the first verses of the song, we could hear that something was off. Everybody is aware that Fish doesn’t have the same vocal range he had in the 80s or even in the 90s; but this sounded different. The vocal issues continued during «Credo» and «Big Wedge». He kept coughing and cursing on stage as if each note he sang came with a set of sharp razorblades. He was struggling for real.
After «Pipeline», he sat down to catch his breath and explained that he caught a virus in Poland, and he was not at his best. He hoped he would be able to get some rest during his day off and feel better, but he didn’t. He then continued with «Shadowplay», «Weltschmerz»’, «A Feast of Consequences» and «Just Good Friends».
He then took another break and explained that his band asked him if he wanted to cut songs from the set. He said that he insisted on singing the next one, the iconic «Incubus». Quite frankly, it sounded great, and we all thought that maybe the worst part was behind us. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. He continued with the epic track «Plague of Ghost» which forced him to walk off stage for a moment and the musicians had to «vamp» a bit before he returned to finish the song.
He then finished the show with «Kayleigh», «Lavender» and «The Company». An abrupt ending that didn’t match the setlist printed in front of me. Disappointing for sure, but also very understandable given the circumstances. He visibly cared about his performance in Oslo and wanted to give everything he could. His frustration was palpable, and we could only admire his determination to deliver the best performance possible. It’s astonishing he managed to last that long on stage. Hats off!
When you attend a Fish concert, you don’t only go to hear your favourite songs, you also want to hear the stories. Fish is an excellent storyteller. Honestly, if Fish ever writes his memoirs, he should tour and read some passages of his book mixed with some musical moments; similar to what Bono did few years ago with his «Stories of Surrender» book tour.
All in all, Fish had nothing to prove last night. He is not out there trying to gain new fans, nor to compete with Taylor Swift on the charts. He started this 6-month journey simply to say farewell to his old friends who have been supporting him all those years. The man genuinely cares about his fans, and he certainly wants one last round with them. Last night wasn’t the best, but we all walked out of the Rockefeller with a big smile. Slàinte Mhath! 4/6 (with an extra point for effort when sick)
Tekst: Olivier Fillion Boutin
Foto: Ellen Palmeira