MARILLION – Live @ Roskilde Festival 1983

For many years, Marillion fans had to make do with the ‘Recital of The Script’ and ‘Grendel/Web’ VHS tapes for their fix of early Marillion live footage.  Thanks to the internet, further footage promoting ‘Script For A Jester’s Tear’ later surfaced, including a brief clip from The Marquee, but this footage from the Danish Roskilde Festival might just be the most exciting yet.

It captures Camel drummer Andy Ward’s brief time occupying the drum stool, making this a vital historical document.  Ward automatically gives the performance(s) a little more energy than Mick Pointer was able (though still not quite enough if Steve Rothery’s expressions are anything to go by on occasion), but anything lacking musically is more than made up for by a ridiculously boisterous audience being tackled by Fish in a fearless mood.

The full set on the day included ‘He Knows, You Know’, ‘Garden Party’, ‘Script For A Jester’s Tear’, ‘Charting The Single’, ‘Assassing’ (an early pre-‘Fugazi’ performance), ‘Market Square Heroes’, ‘Forgotten Sons’ and ‘Margaret’.

Unfortunately, only the Danish TV broadcast of the last two songs is in circulation. Whether the rest of the set was even filmed is up for debate, but these twenty minutes could well be the best footage of the earliest Marillion you’ll ever see…

Watch Marillion live at Chippenham Goldiggers in 1984 here.