I don’t need a better reason for a trip than attending a concert. Put it in a place I want to visit and there I am once more, on my way to the airport. This time around it was Barcelona and Steve Rothery Band. If you read this and you get surprised by the fact that I didn’t write Marillion, well, please find out that Steve Rothery is their guitar player, and he has his own project: SRB. If you are familiar with this detail, carry on. I’ve seen this formula live for the very first time about a year ago, and with a great deal of nostalgia for that concert, I decided to fly to Barcelona and enjoy some old Marillion tracks (Fish-era – Google it). But I didn’t get to enjoy only that. What came our way went beyond anyone’s expectations. Or hit right on target.

After a few days of soaking up the sun and walking (ehem… getting lost) on the streets of Barcelona, it was time to go to the 1st night of the event. Yes, there were two. Queued early enough to get a good spot close to the front, and when the time came the man walked on stage with part of his band: Leon Parr, Yatim Halim, Dave Foster and Riccardo Romano. Good sign to know that they were going to start with an instrumental piece. And also warm welcome on stage from us all. The gig kicked in with Morpheus and Old Man of the Sea. Such good way to immerse in the evening.

Things got really, really loud when Martin Jakubski walked on stage, and as everyone expected and knew, Misplaced Childhood started. Now there was a bit of drama around the set-up of the two gigs, as organisers initially announced that the whole Misplaced Childhood would be played on night 1, and Clutching at Straws on night 2. A while after the announcement came out and people started buying tickets, there was a correction that mentioned that the setlists would be split: side A of each of the albums for the first evening, while sides B would be heard on the second night, and some Fugazzi, Script for a Jester’s Tear and h songs. And somehow this got some people really upset, mostly because they wouldn’t be hearing the entirety of Misplaced Childhood on the first night. Anyways, going back to the moment, after Heart of Lothian we were spoiled with some h songs. I’ve never heard any of these songs sung by anyone else than Mr. h himself, so it was strange to hear them in this set-up. One thing’s for sure: Mr. h makes singing Afraid Of Sunlight sound like a walk in the park. Hearing and seeing Martin Jakubski sing it made me realise what a vocal piece that song is. Martin slayed it. And that’s how we slowly slid towards Clutching at Straws that left us hanging after White Russian. The encore meant I got to hear a song that was on my wish-list for the evenings: Cinderella Search, and the first show ended with Forgotten Sons.

For the second night, an early time in the queue meant a place even closer to the stage. Now Razzmatazz 1 holds close to 2000 people and it has decent visibility. But if one can get a spot in the 3rd row, why not? There were two tall guys in front of me who tried their best to be really really close to the separating fence, breathing down the necks of those in the 1st row. Due to their height and attitude, nobody got in between me an them, so I had plenty of space in front, next to the guy who stood by my shoulder and benefited from the same conditions.

Counting out h Natural gigs, I’ve only been this close to the stage at a K’s Choice concert some many years ago. Being in that location is a totally different experience than what I am used to which usually is side stage, middle of the venue. And this changes the perception of the music. While in itself, the music is the essence and the reason why so many of us are there, it is a totally different experience when you are this close (note to self: buy a front row ticket to Marillion at least once). To clearly see Steve’s fingers sliding down the guitar strings, to observe if he and Dave play in sync or to realise, based on the movement of their hands, which sounds come from which guitar. It is incredible to see so clearly how Ricardo’s fingers move so flawlessly on his keyboards, or to notice the inner comms between the band members, how they gaze at each other counting tempos, showing non-verbal appreciation for a bass line, the reassuring they give each-other, and to catch glimpses of all the inner jokes and spice.

But going back to the second concert, we were once again delighted by Morpheus and, this time, Summer’s End, as well as by a short anecdote Steve told us while his guitar was at the doctor’s (re-stringing). And probably just to tease us by not jumping directly into the rest of Misplaced Childhood, Script for a Jester’s Tear was the first track where Martin, introduced this time as William Shatner’s younger brother, entered the stage. The Trekkie in me was happy. And that was about the time when my sense of observation got lost and I got engulfed by the euphoria of the moment. One after the other song, I found myself singing and dancing (more like swaying a bounce) but to my defense, it’s close to impossible to stand still and keep your mouth shut on Childhood’s End? and White Feather.

The h era songs were The King of Sunset Town, Cover My Eyes – which got us all singing and clapping under the guidance of Martin and Riccardo – and Hooks in You – which is a total banger. And then we jumped directly into Incommunicado which is also a banger but this one has blazing keyboards. I like Clutching at Straws and I enjoyed hearing it live again. Funny enough, I had The Last Straw/Happy Ending on repeat a few months ago so it was very cool to sing along to it. The evening ended with Incubus and Fugazzi.

Now, there are very little words that can be used to give justice to a live gig. The enthusiasm of the moment fades as soon as the adrenaline rush disappears. In the end you are left with a bitter-sweet memory that last a lifetime. And a desire to do it again, in another place, or maybe the same one, surrounded by the same type of people, chanting, clapping, singing, smiling. Looking at the artists on the stage, hearing their music, singing their lyrics and dancing to their tunes. In this situation Marillion tunes brought together in front of us by a guitar magician under the embodiment of Steve Rothery and the people he gathered around for this project. Leon is to me the invisible man, sitting behind his drum kit, I know he is there but I get to see him only when he walks on and off the stage. Yatim is focused, facing his band mates and in tune. He seems to be the quiet one. Dave is simply amazing, disappearing from the stage when a second guitar is not needed for a track, I often found myself looking for him and confused by this absence and the emptiness he left behind. His smile and good mood are contagious, he’s a spot of colour even when he’s wearing black and even more with a pink/purple shirt and orange shoes. Riccardo Romano is a presence in itself. Both a performing artist and a fan, playing his keyboards and singing along with a burning passion that overtakes the whole audience. That man’s heart and soul are all about the music. And those dance moves. Martin has a remarkable voice. Playing in his own Marillion tribute band – StillMarillion, the Fish-era songs are his forte. His singing is intense and he easily connects with the audience. He brings to our ears something that many old-school Marillion fans want to hear, and sometimes even some newbies like me, or like that kid in the front, barely in his teenage years, singing his heart out on Childhood’s End?.

And I am sure that during the concert I heard, saw, noticed, felt and lived many things that I would have liked to put in words, but they’ll just have to remain in that venue in Barcelona.