Marillion @ Sentrum Scene, Oslo

Posted on June 19, 2025 by Diana

The time has come for my third, and last, Marillion weekend for this Spring/Summer. Even though when they announced the locations I had hoped they would visit Stockholm again, I was happy with the opportunity to visit Oslo as I hadn’t made it there yet. I was also happy for the opportunity to take a train to a place: it gives me another good reason to listen to This Train Is My Life on repeat.

The ride itself is a bit under 6 hours, but of course, on the way there, the train got delayed. There was even a point when we were informed that we might not even be allowed across the border due to a fire in a town on the Norwegian side, that impacted a silo located very close to the tracks. But after a two hours delay, I found myself at Oslo Central Station, and a few minutes after, in my hotel room.

I had a few landmarks I wanted to see in Oslo, but most of the sightseeing was just picking random streets and places that came on Google Maps, and desperately looking for good coffee. Of course I wanted to see the Munch Museum, due to MTV’s bumper from a long time ago, but also because of a project of one of my favorite Norwegian bands, Satyricon. Unfortunately I was unable to see their project when it was underway, but it was enough reason to go see the museum and the artist’s works. Impressive and very beautiful!

But after complaining about not finding good coffee and walking till my feet gave up on me, it was time for the first evening of the weekend and hearing Marbles again. The location: Sentrum Scene. First impression of the venue was that it’s a bit claustrophobic because of its very low ceiling in the back. Good set-up though as it’s an amphitheater, but if you get there too late and stand in the back, the stage is not visible at all. As tall as I am, I had taller people in front of me so I snuck a bit lower to be able to at least see the guys in turns. I learnt my lesson for the second evening.

Marbles. Lovely album, one of their most appreciated. There are many songs on that album that I like and listen to on a regular basis. Strangely, the opening track, The Invisible Man, is not one of them. Live the song is amazing and h’s theatrical interpretation makes it feel like a punch in the stomach. If seeing Marbles so many times taught me something is that The Damage is super fun live and that I can never get tired of You’re Gone and Neverland. First evening surprise when comparing with Paris and Padova: Man of a Thousand Faces was played for the encore. The show was flawless until Mark’s toys collapse for the Neverland intro. Probably one of the most beautiful intros to a song ever written, the pass between Marbles IV and Neverland gives me goosebumps and the first notes themselves are just a prelude to the blissfulness of, if you ask me, a perfect song. 

The first evening of the weekend is always easy to leave behind, because we all know another one is coming. And after stopping by the merch stand, I made it back to the hotel on a clear and bright Scandinavian evening in the city of Oslo.

The second day was marked by finally finding good coffee (bitter, flavored but not sour or over-brewed) and by getting attacked by a crow at Akershus Fortress. And by more walking. Oslo has dodgy parts that are easy to stumble into but it also has a supermarket full of Romanian and Polish products. Yay for me for finding my favorite snacks: pufuleți (corn puffs).

I made it to the concert earlier and found a spot on the left hand-side of the stage, middle of the hall. I finally interacted with other concert-attendees and promised I wouldn’t block their view. Overall the people around me the second evening were more mindful. The 1st night they were more beer and fun-oriented, though I have to say they sung their souls out on Sugar Mice (we all did). On the second night though I think we all joined in on the singing like never before. I have to give credit to the Norwegian audience: they were loud, they were active, they were engaged. Might have also helped that I was in the standing area, compared to Paris and Padova where I had seats. But the second evening we started singing from the first verse. And didn’t stop till the last.

The guys were in very good form and h was very chatty and joked a lot. Made me miss his solo shows but also wonder how the other guys put up with his shenanigans. The interaction between the band members on stage was fun to watch: mostly Pete and h, with the first trying to tamper our chatty lead and get him back to singing, but also h and Steve R. and occasionally Mark or, rarely, Steve R. and Ian. Also fun to get to see the crew sing in between running back-and-forth on stage with guitars. 

The biggest surprise of the second evening was to hear Seasons End (replacing Holloway Girl from the previous gigs and getting the band to do a little oopsy quickly covered up by h’s cheeky comments). Fascinating how the end part of the song got all 5 members playing different instruments in perfect harmony under an amazingly synced light show. Goosebumps! Beautiful was simply beautiful and The Great Escape sounded flawless. The encore meant another journey with The New Kings, a suite perfectly encompassing the political reality, now as as well as when it was released nearly 10 years ago. The band ended the gig with The Crow and the Nightingale and Care (IV) Angels on Earth. And that’s when it hit me, that feeling of emptiness in my stomach that replaces the fluttering of excited butterflies. The excitement started before Paris but after that came Padova and after Padova came Oslo. And now came the time to be a leaver and head back home, waiting patiently for the next chance to see them live. The walk to the hotel was a mix of joy and melancholy: the chance to travel and listen to live music, but also losing an anchor in time and schedule after each event ends. 

The last day in Oslo meant a quick goodbye to a beautiful city and a walk to the train station. The sunny skies of the first days was replaced by gray clouds, and when it was time to board the train the rain started pouring. The train ride back home was smooth and gave me the chance to look out the window and be amazed about how orderly Norway is. And that marked the end of my first attempt at following the band around at more than one event happening on the same leg of a tour. Sort of. It was fun!

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Marillion Weekend @ Padova

Posted on May 14, 2025 by Diana

This one is a little bit special. Why is it a little bit special you ask? Maybe because it took place in Italy, maybe because it came with other small travels that made it special? Maybe because after missing the one from 2023, it was finally time to see the band play live here? Or maybe it was an opening act that added the sprinkles on top of it all. Or maybe it was all of these reasons in one. But irrelevant, here I was, on Friday evening, walking happily to Gran Teatro Geox in Padova ready to see Marillion live again for the first “album evening” of the Weekend, knowing that they will most likely play Marbles, just like they did in the previous events this year.

I was so impatient and excited that I kept walking around, looking at people, watching them socialise, looking at the merch, checking out the details of the organisation and watching the RanestRane guys interacting with fans. It was so cool to see them mingle and take the time to talk to anyone who wanted to say hi. And as much as I wanted to go say hi, I was too nervous and timid to even dare to take a step in their direction. More about them later.

At 9 pm I was at my seat, eagerly waiting to see Marillion again. One month from Paris and it felt like I just saw them live a week ago. The familiarity of the mood of their concerts was setting in. And so, at the expected time, they started with The Invisible Man. One by one, some of the songs of Marbles were ringing in our ears until Cannibal Surf Babe made its way in the setlist all the way from Afraid of Sunlight. That was a nice surprise. You’re Gone followed it, and I was happy to hear it live again. I don’t think I will ever get bored of this song. And then, another surprise: they played King, which was usually an encore song until now, in the main body of the concert. After taking a short break to allow us to cheer a bit more loudly, they came back and continued with Waiting to Happen which is one of my favorite songs from them. They ended the first night with Marbles IV and the beautiful Neverland which is the perfect cliffhanger when knowing that there’s another concert the next day.

After hearing them live in Paris, I tried to take the time to snap out of the spell of the music and observe other details too, like how Steve (R) and Pete change places and greet fans from their opposite sides of the stage. Or how Mark looks at Ian. Mr h is all over the place, and he is such an amazing frontman that he tends to capture all our attention. You can also see how the guys communicate with their tech team and observe the interactions with the crew helping them to change instruments or tape a loose paper or cable to the stage. It’s all part of their show. And you can see all this while singing along, of course. You can also glance at the people seated around you, like the lady behind me with a teddy bear dressed in a Marillion t-shirt that “danced” its little body out all evening. Or the man in front of me that seemed to allow each song to run through his veins. Or the guy sitting next to me that was so kind and even said hello the next evening, though all we shared was some good times to good music and no other words at all. And that was only the first day.

Now, another fun aspect of this event is, especially in smaller places like Padova, meeting other fans on the street. Whether we wear the band’s t-shirts or just recognise each-other by the bracelet we get for the access, on Saturday, we ran into each-other repeatedly: at the terraces, on the streets, visiting landmarks. So it was more than just heading together to and from the venue and spending some hours there listening to music. I even had a lady working at the Pallazo della Ragione reading the info on my bracelet and sharing amused that she saw so many people with these, she became curious to know what they were for. 

The second evening for me was a bit more than just Marillion. After seeing that they played around with the setlist for the first evening, I was expecting changes from previous weekends for the second concert as well. And I kept wondering: what if they bring on the choir? But even before getting to Marillion, I knew that I was going to see RanestRane live, finally, with their very own setlist. I somehow haven’t managed to see them in this formula before, but I’ve been listening to them. The closest they got to Sweden lately was The Netherlands and Germany, and since they play mostly in Italy and in Italian, the chances of getting to see them more often are slim, though they exist. Prog band, with a quite special concept attached to their live performances – CineConerto – their music is quite elaborate, energetic, entwined with melodies that stick to you, parts that have the talent of turning into ear-worms, making them a fascinating live act. They are well known to Marillion fans, having worked with both Steve R and h, having been opening act for Marillion before, played with h on the Roman stage for his solo shows. Their keyboard player Riccardo Romano is most likely known better as a member of SRB, a project that he’s been part of for more than 10 years. Now, any other details about them are available online, what I would really like to say is that I was so happy to see them live. The venue was almost full for their opening gig but I still managed to find an empty seat a bit more to the front of the stage and got to see them a bit up close. It’s quite a pleasure to hear their harmonies blend, watch them navigate songs so easily, focus on a guitar riff one moment and smile and encourage us to clap the other. Being Italian, they were received warmly by their home crowd. Being used to Italian music ever since I was a kid, I find it easy to listen to them, but I am still a bit far away from singing along. They really represented the best way that second evening could have started. And at the end of their quite short gig (45 minutes), even Mr h came up on stage and gave them a clap in front of us all. And they got a well deserved standing ovation. Don’t think words do them justice. And now maybe you can understand why this Weekend was a bit more special for me.

Now going back to the essence of the trip: the Marillion concert, second night. The setlist followed the same structure of the previous Weekends, with a journey through more albums. This time I was really caught up by The Great Escape, but the glacial anticipation of the song’s climax from Paris was replaced with cheers in Padova. And the tune itself paved the way to the encores. And the first stop in this part of the concert was The New Kings, a personal favorite track from a personal favorite album (F.E.A.R.). A bittersweet recollection of my first Marillion concert as well. But after The New Kings, the curtains of the theatre fell, a not very subtle hint that something was cooking, and that’s when I knew that my gut feeling was right and we were going to see the Flowing Chords choir again. What my gut feeling couldn’t predict was how much we’d be spoiled by the second encore: we got 6!!! more songs. With The Crow and the Nightingale as a first stop, to Go!, Beyond You, Easter (I was so caught up in the event that I hadn’t realised they haven’t played it yet to that moment of the concert), to Man of a Thousand Faces that I had hoped to hear live again with Flowing Chords after hearing it during the Naturally Peculiar Evening last year in Rome, and ending with Care IV (Angels on Earth). One thing that was so obvious was the joy of those present on stage. Though the choir was focused on following the lead of their conductor, they were charming and encouraged us to sing and clap. At certain moments Pete and Mark seemed just as excited of what was happening and of how the music sounded as we were. Mr h seemed so proud. The blend of harmonies between the choir and the group was mesmerising. And I don’t think any of us would have liked the evening to end. But it did, and Get Back from The Beatles led us all out the venue doors and into the night, back to our hotels and homes.

And with the risk of turning this into a very long post, I need to take a moment and write about how well the concert was organised. Padova is a great location, for some of the reasons that I stated above but also because it is so close to so many cool places in Italy. The hall is big enough to host us all (and still sell out), the theatre is also quite accessible by foot, and for those who don’t want to walk, the organisers even put together shuttle services. We were also lucky to have sunshine and warmth, and that helped. At the venue one could find everything: from food and drinks at reasonable prices for an event, to a very well organised merch-stand line. People were friendly and the access was smooth. Prior to the event, all possible questions were answered by The Web Italy staff, so no confusion arose whatsoever. And I do have to say that it is fun to come down to breakfast and see that we’re (almost) all at that hotel for the same reason. 

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Marillion Weekend @ Casino de Paris

Posted on April 13, 2025 by Diana

I headed off to the airport excitedly while still in a work call that I started on my computer and closed on my phone. After a busy day, and many busy weeks, or even months, it was time to head off to another Marillion Weekend. It is somehow unavoidable to pull out of this once you get into it, and the Weekends (Conventions), seem unavoidable events. And I don’t see any reason why one would want to avoid them anyway.

I’ve eagerly followed the announcement for host cities last Autumn, registered in the social media groups so I could better keep up with updates, and started planning ways to buy tickets, as usually Weekends sell out quite fast. So the day to head off to Paris arrived. With two such events behind them already for this year, Marillion were now heading off to the third. And I was going to be there. It’s the second time when most weekends are scaled down to only tow gigs per event. Compared to the previous times when the band was playing Friday-Sunday, starting 2023, the only event that lasts more is the one in Port Zélande. So we all have to settle for only two evenings in a row, which never seems enough. On the other hand, probably a three day event wouldn’t feel enough either.

Friday evening had Conal Kelly as opening act. I wish I could say that I paid attention to their gig, but I was so excited to be there that I just listened to them on fast-forward. When the time came, which was 20:15, the Marillion gig begun. And in the cheers of the audience gathered at Casino de Paris, The Invisible Man started. For the first time live for some of us, though I am sure not many, as Marillion fans have the habit of following the band around, we saw Mr. h in front of us without his trademark raven hair, but with natural grizzled hair. That was a nice change. But soon after he sung the first verses it was like there was no change at all. The first evening was the “album” evening, and we knew we were going to listen to Marbles. One after the other, the songs took life in front of us, and for our ears. Together with a show of lights and h’s theatricals. Marbles came out in 2004, and one of the singles on it, You’re Gone, was played on the radio even in Romania. Having heard it & recognising h’s voice in a supermarket in Bucharest, the song stuck as one of my favourites. The album itself has quite a few gems on it, with my favourites being Fantastic Place and Neverland, but Ocean Cloud as well. For You’re Gone, the members of The Web France gave us all glow sticks at the venue entrance, and asked us to flutter them high at a certain verse of the song. Which we all did. Sorry, no pics of the moments, I was busy singing and dancing and going along with the moment.

The encore of the first evening was made out of Sugar Mice, which was sung almost entirely by the audience, and King. And that’s how the first show of the Weekend ended, a bit too soon and a bit too fast than what we would have liked and expected, sometimes around 10 pm. But it was ok, we remained hopeful and excited for the second evening.

Saturday came. After a day of going around the city in the warm April Sun, it was time to head over to see the opening act, appreciated French group Lazuli. The French audience was super excited to see them. Not my cup of tea, but nevertheless an act that won the crowd’s cheers. But it was time to see Marillion again, for something that we all knew was going to be an awesome second evening. They took us on a ride through their older songs, from the opening Slàinte Mhath, from the 1987 album Clutching at Straws, continuing with Season’s End Uninvited Guest and all the way to newer songs like The Crow and The Nightingale from 2022’s AHBID. It was the first time for me to hear Script for A Jester’s Tear sung live by h, and he did an unbelievably amazing job with it. Got a bit blown away but how good it sounded. But that was just the tip of the iceberg, because just a few songs later we were delighted by The Space, which got some of us to cheer and stand and cheer some more. And good things just kept coming. One after the other we found ourselves listening to The Great Escape. Wearing my Brave t-shirt, I was waiting and hoping that they would play this song. And while it’s one of the songs that ends up in standing ovations, I was overwhelmed by the silence in which we were all waiting for the song’s last part (Falling from the Moon) to begin. For those few seconds when the song calms down, getting lost in a soft piano part, the audience was so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop. But we were quiet only enough to erupt as soon as the song was over and cheer frantically.

On the second evening we were spoiled with a longer setlist and three encores. The first one hit hard with The New Kings. Released on F.E.A.R. in 2016, the song is so real and so current that it’s scary. I often find myself listening to it. It saves you from watching the news. Man of a Thousand Faces was a highlight, but nothing could prepare me for the final part of the show. H was joined on stage by accordionist Charles Kieny, and after having played La Marseillaise, with vocals from the audience, the band joined them and they ended the show with Made Again, the ending track of Brave (the album, not the movie).

There is probably something I’d like to say about each song, from both evenings, but that would turn this post into an endless praise. The show was flawless! The band was amazing. As a group but also each individual member, they were all there, doing the same thing that we all pay to see them doing: playing music, singing stories. Somehow they always manage to get our money and of course, our full attention. Is there anything left to say? Well, I’d say: careful when purchasing tickets at Casino de Paris, some seats, even though advertised as regular category, have quite restricted view, making the stage visible only in photos taken while half standing and leaning forward. Uncomfortable for the viewer and disturbing back row neighbours. If you are lucky enough, you can find empty seats to move to, or stand in a spot by the stairs from where the stage is visible in its entirety. Harder for sold out shows like this one, but some of us got lucky to find these spots. The audience was mostly made of cool people and a few who saw the show through their phones or forgot that they were at a rock concert and thought they were at the opera. There was no Phantom there so no, no opera, just an amazing band with cool people in front of them, breathing in every sound. And that’s what matters, so I am going to stick to this really, really close for a while. I am sure I am not the only one.

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Happy 2025!

Posted on January 1, 2025 by Diana

While never a fan of the New Year celebrations, which now I find are perfect to be spent in pyjamas watching movies with cats sleeping in your lap, I do remember a time when I enjoyed the fuss around a good family dinner and a decent TV programme. Or a fun night out with friends. Or seeing fireworks with the eyes of a younger version of myself. I do, however, like to look back at the year that’s been and hope for the best for the one to come.

2024 has been, as many years before it, intense. It feels like only yesterday I was in Rome, though that was last February. Seeing London again was amazing, as well as meeting friends in Copenhagen or enjoying the Mediterranean sun in Barcelona. And like always, the concerts that I’ve attended hold a dear spot in my 2024 memories. And so do all the moments I spent at home with family and friends. The end of the year has been truly exhausting and I was seriously looking forward to a longer time off. In fact it’s been so draining that it kept me from stopping by here to write about a series of concerts that I attended, like finally seeing In Flames live, or, after almost 20 years, another Cradle of Filth live gig. If there is one thing that 2024 taught me, that is the fact that I need to take it easy. But overall, I do have a smile on my face when I think back at seeing Mr. h play with RanestRane on the stage of Auditorium Parco della Musica, or at the SRB gigs at Razzmatazz in Barcelona. Attending a sold out Ville Valo gig in Stockholm was another highlight, given that I’ve been a huge fan of his music, with HIM and as a solo artist, ever since I was a kid.

As for 2025, the year so far seems to be shadowed by turmoil on so many sides. What we can all try to do, me included, is to make the best out of it. Until then, I will skip the resolutions, as they don’t add any value to the new year, and simply wish us all peace, love, health and happiness. Happy New Year!

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Lines on a (too) Short Trip to Barcelona

Posted on October 7, 2024 by Diana
Parc de la Ciutadella

Sitting here at my desk, listening to Heroes del Silencio – Senderos De Traiciòn, an album I’ve been stuck on since my return from Barcelona, I cannot help but recall every single moment of that trip. From flying above the clouds and the landing over the sea, parallel to the Spanish coast line, the endless blue beyond the mountains, to the beach. But the strongest memory of all, is that crossing on Carrer de la Marina where you see Sagrada Familia in the distance when looking right. Just before you stop for a morning coffee at Couleur Café, on your way to Parc de la Ciutadella. Where once seated on a bench, you end up being asked by an elderly local if he can sit next to you. Even though you tell him in broken Spanish that you are not a Spanish speaker, he just smiles and says that it doesn’t matter, we can understand each-other anyway. He sits, reads his newspaper while you drink your coffee and eat your muffin, and when he’s done, he gets up, turns towards you and says goodbye, smiling. You get up, you start walking, and you turn Senderos De Traiciòn into the soundtrack of the journey.

My first stop after checking-in was Barceloneta: walking in the evening on the sea front, people watching, talking to strangers. I ended up wandering up and down in the area quite a lot during my stay there. I even booked the hotel close to it, on purpose. The warmth and the salty air made it feel like Autumn was far away, like it was still the middle of Summer. Street musicians were displaying their talents on the sidewalks, bands were preparing for filling the evening with music at the restaurants close to the seafront, and people danced. The esplanade was getting ready to welcome its nightlife guests.

Catedral de Barcelona

I filled my second day with a stop at Museu Picasso de Barcelona, getting to see his less popular works and learning about his transition to Cubism, his life and his contribution to the city. I visited Barri Gòtic (Barrio Gótico) and allowed myself to get lost on its narrow streets. Some of them were deserted. I would have loved visiting the neighbourhood during my goth years, when I was fascinated by everything about this subculture, from its music, history to especially its architecture. A delicious meal in Mercat de la Boqueria was all I needed after more than half a day of walking around. The market is very animated: so many dishes to chose from, so many flavours and scents. Too many tourists. And as always, I ended up walking around the streets, sometimes in circles, sometimes getting a bit lost, up to the point where my feet gave up on me and my stomach made it clear that it needs proper food. It was already evening by then, so I ended up having dinner in Restaurante Sancho, a bit on the outside of the super-touristic areas, surrounded by what seemed to be only locals enjoying their dinner and drinks. The lady at the bar was amused when I asked for a very cold drink. She was very nice. By the time I finished my dinner and started walking back to the hotel it was already dark.

Playa de la Barceloneta

As I said a few rows above, I did a lot of walking around Barceloneta. While aware of the fact that I was in a fascinating city, with so many things to see, I spent almost a whole day recharging my batteries on the beach, in the sun: barefoot, trying the water, washing off sand by the beach showers, and doing more people watching. And trying to take in enough sunshine to last me for the long and dark Swedish Winter.

Sagrada Familia

Of course, the main event of the trip was the SRB concert that I already wrote about here. But between queueing for the concert and riding the adrenaline rush of the event, more walking around happened. Visiting Gaudi’s houses, strolling down the big avenues, taking a break in Plaça de Sant Felip Neri, shopping for paella spices and saffron, and ending up eating a whole pack of jamón while walking down towards Sagrada Familia. Which is beautiful from every side. And in general trying to avoid very crowded places. But the more popular the attraction, the bigger the crowds. Yet, for such a popular destination, there were streets and squares that were not suffocated by tourists, enough hidden sides where you could catch a glimpse of the local life and blend in.

But after the last note of the concert was heard and the clapping and cheers vanished into the silence of the night, after bags were packed and the alarm was set for an early morning departure, it was time to head over to the airport and leave behind the lively city, the friendly people, the beach, the sunshine and the sea. Yet not before making a promise that one day you would return so you can see those places all over again, and discover others that you haven’t had time to see this time around. And maybe attend another concert.

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