You don’t hear of many rock icons called Kevin or Sandra, do you? In rock and roll, names matter. The biggest stars knew this – Elvis, Madonna, Prince, er… Cheryl. That’s why Derek Dick from Dalkeith wisely rebranded himself as Fish, a moniker that stemmed from his habit of spending long periods soaking in the bath during his early days in music. (Talk about method branding.)
The name stuck, and it helped him make his mark as the towering, theatrical frontman of Marillion, leading the band through their defining years of 80s prog rock.
Now, he is taking his final bow on his Road to the Isles farewell tour, and last night, a packed Music Hall saw the penultimate live outing of one of Scotland’s most distinctive musical storytellers.
From the eerie opening, it was clear that this was a farewell full of nostalgia, wit, and theatrical flair.
Fish got right to it at Music Hall show
Fish wasted no time in working the room, his deep, storytelling voice filling the boomy venue with warmth and wry humour.
The two and a half hour set pulled material from across his solo career, with highlights including the reflective Shadowplay and the sprawling Plague of Ghosts, proving that prog rock can indeed pack an emotional punch. Who says you can’t get misty-eyed over an 11-minute epic?
Fish’s voice doesn’t have quite the range of his youth, but what it lacked in elasticity, it made up for in gravitas and sheer passion.
And what a band – Robin Boult’s guitar delivered sonic textures, Mickey Simmonds’ keyboards provided a sweeping, cinematic quality and backing singer Elisabeth Troy (Clean Bandit) added her wonderfully soulful tone to the material.
Fish fans who had been there from the start
Of course there had to be a nod to Marillion, and when the unmistakable intro to Kayleigh rang out, the room was a sea of smiles. Fish, however, was having none of the sentimentality, gleefully pointing out that his view from the stage was of countless ageing bald heads – many of whom had clearly been with him since the start.
Still, there was no escaping the emotional weight of Lavender and the soaring Heart of Lothian, before The Company closed the night in rousing fashion.
This wasn’t a gig, it was a masterclass in musical storytelling, a celebration of four decades of poetic songwriting. It was also a reminder of music’s ability to linger long after the final note.
For the Aberdeen fans, it was the end of an era. For Fish, it was one last swim in familiar waters before finally heading for shore. He’ll be missed.
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