Fish - Bristol Review

I seem to be going to a lot of farewell tours at the moment. Given that many of the bands I like started life in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, this is perhaps unsurprising, but we are certainly at something of a musical turning point. It will not be long before none of the legendary rock bands from the past still exist, at least in any meaningful form, and those from the newer generations will have to really step up. It was only last week that I saw Uriah Heep on their farewell tour - and on Wednesday I headed back to Bristol, and back to the tarted-up Beacon, to catch Fish on his farewell tour, dubbed the Road to the Isles tour as, following its conclusion, he will be moving to a small Scottish island and properly retiring. Farewell tours have almost become a bit of a running joke in the music industry given how many bands return after a few years away - but, I think, with Fish I believe him. Since leaving Marillion in 1988, he has maintained a successful solo career - but I think it is fair to say that there have been peaks and troughs throughout, and keeping his head above water has often come at a quite significant cost (both literally and figuratively). Given that he has essentially done everything himself since a few years into his solo career, it is impressive that he has managed to maintain such a high profile. He has always managed to punch above his weight in many ways, then, despite some wilderness years and slight identity crises in terms of musical direction, and he has often managed to conduct himself with great dignity despite the many rocks in the road which came from trying to have champagne presentations on lemonade resources and staffing. He should be applauded, then, and since seeing him live for the first time in Tavistock back in 2008 I have been a big fan. Including Wednesday night in Bristol, I managed to see him live 12 times - counting the two nights of the Leamington Spa convention in 2012 as two separate gigs. This included the aforementioned convention, which was an excellent weekend, acoustic evenings in strange venues, loud nights in small clubs, and Marillion-centric shows in larger clubs. All the shows have been memorable, with the convention in particular standing out, but Wednesday in Bristol may end up, in time, being seen as the best of the bunch. Following a lengthy European trek last year, this current UK leg of the tour mark Fish's last ever shows - and he is playing some of the biggest venues he has played for quite a while. The Beacon is a grand venue, so is fitting for Fish and his farewell tour - so it was great to see it largely full despite quite a few shows being included on the tour. Not every seat in the top tier where I sat was full, but it was busy - and the atmosphere throughout was excellent, with Fish in good spirits and the crowd ready to sing and engage in some typical Fishy banter.

Wish no support act and the doors opening at 7pm, there was a bit of a wait before the music started at 8pm. The place slowly filled up, though, so when the lights went down and strains of Rossini's La Gazza Ladra started to fill the venue there was a real buzz in the room - and Fish's band slowly took to the stage as the classical intro gave way to the opening keyboard drone of Vigil. For the next approximately two hours and 20 minutes, the Bristol crowd was treated to a powerful tour of Fish's career - focusing on his best-known solo albums and fan-favourite deep cuts, alongside a smattering of Marillion. Fish's live band has changed a lot over the years, but many of the same few faces have come and gone throughout - and the band for this final tour was almost a who's who of Fish collaborators throughout the years. Three of his main songwriting partners from throughout his career: Robin Boult (guitar), Steve Vantsis (bass guitar/vocals), and Mickey Simmonds (keyboards/vocals); made up the core of the band, which was rounded out by long-time drummer Gavin Griffiths and semi-regular collaborator Elisabeth Troy Antwi on backing vocals. It was a relatively all-star affair, then, and the comradery between the six was clear throughout - wish Fish and Simmonds in particular engaging in plenty of banter between themselves and with the crowd. Vigil ensured a measured start, though, and Fish walked on stage to huge cheers as Simmonds' keyboards swirled around - with the lengthy epic kicking things off nicely. Fish's voice has certainly deteriorated over the years, but a few relatively quiet years has certainly helped it. I last saw him live in 2021, and he sounded the best that he had for years then - and this past Wednesday was no different. He cannot hit the high notes anymore, but his delivery and charisma remains unique - and he oozed the lyrics to both Vigil and the following snappy groove of Credo with all of his years of experience. The setlist has been changing slightly throughout this farewell tour, but the core of it has remained intact. It very much has a flow to it, then, and it ticks off a lot of big-hitters from throughout Fish's career. The harder rock of early single Big Wedge saw the band kicking things to the next level following the relatively slow-burn of the opening two numbers, with Boult laying into his guitar, whilst the rawer folk rock stomp of A Feast of Consequences showcased some of his more recent work. Nothing from his most recent album was played, but that material was showcased back in 2021 and the last tour before the pandemic which focused on Marillion's Clutching at Straws, and this was a night for some different vibes.

Bristol was treated to snarling version of the muscular Long Cold Day, which stood out given the lush arrangements seen elsewhere, whilst a personal favourite in Shadowplay has been a fixture of the tour - and it was a treat to finally get to hear it live. I have always felt the song to be a hark back to Marillion in some ways - with Simmonds' upbeat piano melodies and a tight groove elsewhere. Fish took plenty of opportunities to talk to the crowd - and his banter and jokes are as much a part of the show as the music. A humorous story about unexpectedly receiving his pension added a lot to the vibe of the evening (i.e. getting older), but generally Fish was just his usual self - with a few hecklers down at the front getting involved in the banter to keep him amused. Another standout moment of the set was Just Good Friends (Close), which Fish sang as a duet with Antwi. I thought that Antwi added a lot to the set, her vocals helping Fish out on many occasions - and the duet was her moment to shine, her bluesy voice contrasting well with Fish's well-worn delivery. The next two songs then really allowed Boult to shine. Fish's solo work is not always that packed with solo opportunities for his band members - but Cliché has always been one for the guitarists. Boult nailed the soaring leads throughout the emotional ballad - and he also delivered during a punchy version of Incubus, the only Marillion number in the main set. This was preceded by Fish starting to introduce another song, before being reminded what was next, which was another humorous moment - but following a powerful Incubus the crowd were treated to the song he was trying to introduce: the lengthy, six-part epic Plague of Ghosts. This was another song I had not seen him do live before, at least in full, and it was great hearing the complex piece. It has never been a personal favourite, but it is one of those legendary deeper cuts in his catalogue that many really love - and it showcased all sides of his songwriting, from groovy hard rock, to folky ballads, and even some spoken word. It acted as the main set's closing number - and the crowd kept singing the final vocal refrain long after the band had left the stage. A five-song encore followed, though, in two parts, with Fish and Simmonds returning alone for the delicate piano ballad A Gentleman's Excuse Me, which hit the spot as it always does, before the rest of the band returned for a suite of songs from Marillion's Misplaced Childhood - including the big singles Kayleigh and Lavender. As expected, there was plenty of singing during these Marillion numbers - but perhaps the biggest sing-a-long was left to the final encore. After another brief step to the side of the stage, the band were back and Fish led everyone through a rousing rendition of his signature anthem The Company - which was a perfect way to cap off an excellent evening. The setlist was:

Vigil

Credo

Big Wedge

Long Cold Day

Shadowplay

A Feast of Consequences

Just Good Friends (Close)

Cliché

Incubus [Marillion material]

Plague of Ghosts - Part I: Old Haunts

Plague of Ghosts - Part II: Digging Deep

Plague of Ghosts - Part III: Chocolate Frogs

Plague of Ghosts - Part IV: Waving at Stars

Plague of Ghosts - Part V: Raingods Dancing

Plague of Ghosts - Part VI: Wake-Up Call (Make It Happen)

-

A Gentleman's Excuse Me

Kayleigh [Marillion material]

Lavender [Marillion material]

Heart of Lothian [Marillion material]

-

The Company

In a way it is hard to imagine that it is nearly all over. As Fish stated on stage, he is Fish for another two weeks - and then it all really will be over. I have been lucky to have had the chance to see him live quite a few times over the years - and all of the shows I managed to get to were memorable for the right reasons, even if there were some bumps in the road along the way. Wednesday night in Bristol was up there with the best, too, and Fish will bow out on a high with this excellent tour - and he deserves this last curtain call before walking off into the sunset.