Official Channel of UK band Marillion. Find a Better Way of Life at www.marillion.com

About Me: Marillion are one of the UK music scenes best kept secrets; purveyors of soulful, powerful, and often deeply-moving music, whose blistering live shows leave their audiences breathless.
When Fish, Marillions original lead singer, left the band in 1988 after four albums he was replaced by the charismatic Steve Hogarth. A former member of The Europeans and some-time collaborator with The The and Julian Cope, Hogarth brought a new heart and energy to the band.
Predictions of doom were swiftly dispelled, as across a further NINE albums, Hogarth along with existing members Steve Rothery (guitar), Mark Kelly (keyboards), Pete Trewavas (bass), and Ian Mosley (drums) reinvigorated and constantly redefined Marillions sound. They forged into new musical territories with a succession of inventive, emotional albums, displaying little regard to the vagaries of The Musical Fashion Police, or the bandwagoneering of radio playlists.
After the release of 1999s marillion.com the band banished the spectre of record company pressure once and for all by launching their own record label (the aptly-named Intact imprint) and freeing themselves up to produce some of the finest music of their career.
Thanks to their pioneering embrace of the Internet, Marillion have developed a unique and intimate relationship with their fans. From sponsoring entire tours of the USA to funding the recording of recent albums, Marillions global fan-base is unique in its affection and dedication. As a result, such passionate, wholesale support has allowed Marillion to step outside of the conventional music industry and find their own path.
In 2001 Anoraknophobia saw Marillion take the groundbreaking step of asking fans to pre-order an album 12 months before release. An amazing 12,000 people signed up, helping to finance the recording. The band once again took pre-orders for the 2004 masterpiece Marbles, but this time the money was channelled into a campaign fund to promote its launch.
When singles Dont Hurt Yourself and Youre Gone breached the UK top 20 the latter making it all the way to number 7 jaws dropped right across the music world.
Not bad going for a band without major label backing.
But it was merely the latest twist in a 23-year-long history of a group who have held on to the conviction that what theyre doing MEANS something real.
In the face of ignorance and apathy, Marillion continue to defy preconceptions and labelling. The band has evolved into a vibrant musical force to those who already love Marillion, theyre something special; to everyone else theyre a love affair waiting to happen.
Their 2007 album Somewhere Else reached number 24 in the UK album chart with their last single 'Thankyou Whoever You Are' hitting the UK singles chart at number 15. Their new album 'Happiness is the Road' is a 110-minute 2CD double album; the first album, entitled Essence, is an adventurous musical trip exploring lifes biggest question Whats it all about?! The album is released exclusively via www.marillion.com on October 20th 2008.