WotanCCC: We're getting ready to start here folks. Lots of good questions in the queue. So far, Ceasar holds the record for most questions asked. Get those questions in. To send a question to our guests use the following format;
Type /msg ASKMarillion Your question Here.
WotanCCC: Todays Featured Artist conference is with Steve Hogarth
WotanCCC: and Steve Rothery of Marillion.
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: Get your questions in early using the following format;
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: Type /msg ASKMarillion Your question here.
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: The countdown to the Millennium has begun, and music,
WotanCCC: more than ever, is dancing to the tune of the corporations.
WotanCCC: But at a time when the concept of "alternative" is coming
WotanCCC: to mean the very opposite, the spirit of independance is
WotanCCC: alive and well and ispiring some unusual music over
WotanCCC: there in the corner. Marillion have always been
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: Stretching out once again with "marillion.com", an LP that
WotanCCC: forges its own unique identity while incoprporating fresh
WotanCCC: influences from the past (Beach Boys, Doors, Hendrix,
WotanCCC: Peter Green) and the present (Garbage, Massive Attack).
WotanCCC: Venturing for the first time into dub, dicovering the joys
WotanCCC: of the odd sing-along melody and scaling the heights of epic
WotanCCC: collage with "Interior Lulu", Marillion steadfastly
WotanCCC: remain their own men, while saluting the family who
WotanCCC: support them: the fans...now rechristened "The.commies".
WotanCCC: ----------------------------------------------------
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: Join the @MusicUnderground
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: - Keep on top of all @Music events -
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: http://www.talkcity.com/atmusic
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: ----------------------------------------------------
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: We're getting ready to start here folks. Get those qustions
here, and make that last run to the fridge....
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: To send a question to our guests use the following
WotanCCC: format;
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: Type /msg ASKMarillion Your question Here.
WotanCCC: .
SRothery: Good
SRothery: Ok
GaryArtistShop: Well, both Steve's are here and I think we're ready to
get underway whenever you're ready, Wotan.
alegacy: Hi Steve, Whoopee and welcome
WotanCCC: Ok, its about that time then....
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: ******************************
SRothery: Hi All
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: . Welcome to tonight's
WotanCCC: . Artist Shop
WotanCCC: . Featured Artist Conference
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: . Steve Hogarth and Steve Rothery
WotanCCC: . of
WotanCCC: . Marillion
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: . Presented by
WotanCCC: . @Music and TalkCity
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: ******************************
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: Marillion was born in 1979 as an instrumental
WotanCCC: group. Since then the band has gone through
WotanCCC: many personell changes. However Steve
WotanCCC: Rothery was one of the members of the original
WotanCCC: line up.
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: Mark Kelly joined the group in 1981, and Steve
WotanCCC: Hogarth would become the lead vocalist in 1989.
WotanCCC: Replacing Fish, who would then begin a solo career.
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: Marillion here today to talk about thier new CD
WotanCCC: "marillion.Com".
WotanCCC: .
WotanCCC: Gentlemen, we appreciate you taking the
WotanCCC: time out to speak with us today.
WotanCCC: Welcome to @Music and TalkCity!
WotanCCC: .
SRothery: Thanks, good to be here!
alegacy: Pleasure to be here*
GaryArtistShop: I would like to point out that both Steve's are doing their own typing today. And as such, I get a chance to appear in today's chat as myself!!! LOL!
WotanCCC: Been a while Gary. That means I can take it easy... B-{)}
GaryArtistShop: Yes, I won't know what to do with myself!
ASKMarillion: RandomTask says: Where did the name Marillion.com come from?
SRothery: Over to you Steve
alegacy: The band was previously called BayWindowSilMarillion. This was then shortened to Silmarillion which, coincidentally was the title of a book by Tolkein*
WotanCCC: I think they were wondering about the significance of the ".com".
GaryArtistShop: Yes, the album name.
WotanCCC: Any thoughts on that?
SRothery: The internet is very important to the band and we wanted to reflect that in the album title
alegacy: Sorry, I've been drinking. We were trying to define a sense of community that exists within our audience now. This is why there are the passport photographs also. At the same time we wanted to maximise awareness of our website which has become our major organ of information and publicity, along with our fanclubs, globally.*
ASKMarillion: Cesar_ says: WHat is Interior Lulu about? How does it relate to Louise Brooks and how does it relate to Internet?
GaryArtistShop: Apparently BTW, for those who haven't already figured it out, Steve Hogarth is joining us today under the nick, alegacy, which is the opening song of the new album.
WotanCCC: Steve being a legacy band member?
GaryArtistShop: No, 'A Legacy' is the opening track of the new Marillion album.
SRothery: I think this is going to be a long answer*
WotanCCC: Well, legacy in computer terms, as in Legacy Application, is something thats been around a while. Steve's been with Marillion for a while... So therefore...
GaryArtistShop: Yikes, we seem to have lost Steve H.
WotanCCC: <--- notes they all can't be great comments...
GaryArtistShop: Ah, he's back again. Sorry you got disconnected, Steve.
alegacy: No problem. Damn computers!*
ASKMarillion: InfiniteFruitLoops says: Are you guys into computers? Has the internet and technology changed the way you make music?
WotanCCC: This seems a timely question...
GaryArtistShop: LOL
SRothery: It has to certain point, but we don't sequence the keyboards in the studio We do use Pro Tools for editing the drums though*
alegacy: Yes. It drives us all up the wall.. We spend days muttering about RAM, ROM, Dropstuff and JPEG etc etc then we actually play something.*
ASKMarillion: Blusterbox says: Steve Hogarth - In what ways did being a memeber of the Europeans prepare u for singing in Marillion.
GaryArtistShop: Just a note to let you know we've moderated the @MusicArena to cut down on confusion and will unmoderate it again at the end of the chat.
alegacy: I used cubase quite alot at home on my G3 Powerbook when I was working on the arrangement of "House". I used it when writing "A Legacy" also. The "Brian Wilson" vocal section was actually recorded into Cubase down a mic.*
ASKMarillion: mrichich says: With Sanctuary releasing the album in the US in a week, what are they doing for US promotion, and can we help?
alegacy: For Busterbox.. nothing really prepared me for singing with Marillion. Touring with the Euros probably helped with general vocal strength and performance skills (if I have any!)*
SRothery: We haven't much info yet regarding promo for the album in the US, Chip Ruggieri is working the album for us and I think Sanctuary have somebody working radio*
ASKMarillion: whilome says: To steve Rothery: Have you ever thought about putting out a solo guitar cd?
alegacy: I don't know exactly what they have planned. This, of course, will be the start of it.*
SRothery: I thought about it, there's a lot of different things I'd like to do, but there's never enough time*
ASKMarillion: bigtosh says: what do you think of Fishs decision to give up touring? will you be next?
SRothery: We will carry on touring as long as we can afford to!*
alegacy: I would give up touring only at the point of a gun. When a man is tired of touring, he is tired of life.*
ASKMarillion: Drain-0 says: Hi guys.. I _love_ the new album. The production is just miles ahead of Radiation. My question is for Steve Rothery.. Steve, are you influenced at all by Alex Lifeson as a guitarist? The guitar breaks in "A Legacy" remind me of him circa Counterparts era.
alegacy: bigtosh is a good nickname BTW*
SRothery: I really like Rush, but if I had to pint to a Lifeson moment, I would say the run down in the middle of Deserve*
GaryArtistShop: Steve & Steve, I've listened to 'marillion.com' several times now and thought I could feel strong influences from the 60's in the writing and arranging. Is it just me or were you guys actively responding to those influences?
alegacy: Mines a pint too, Steve*
SRothery: Pint? I haven't even been drinking*
alegacy: I think the 60's creeps in all the time.
SRothery: We have so many influences but there are a couple of doors moments for me*
ASKMarillion: Cesar_ says: Hi guys from Venezuela, What is interior lulu about? how does it relate to Louise Brooks and the Internet?
alegacy: But there's also James Brown, Peter Green, The Fabs, Massive Attack, Pearl Jam..*
GaryArtistShop: We had this question before, but Steve's answer didn't come through, so we've put it in again.
alegacy: See previous answer*
GaryArtistShop: Well, actually, we didn't get the previous answer. That's when you got temporarily knocked off.
WotanCCC: I don't think anyone saw your answer Steve. Thats when you got booted.
SRothery: Could you copy and paste it in? He can't like that question*
WotanCCC: Ahhh...
GaryArtistShop: Hmmmm, apparently the answer is so long that it's causing Steve to get booted.
WotanCCC: Well, maybe thats the best answer.
ASKMarillion: jeffnjulie says: have you seen the film "american Beauty" and does it remind you of the appreciation of inner beauty in the lyrics of "beautiful"?
SRothery: There he goes again. I haven't seen American Beauty*
ASKMarillion: mirbolcha says: Now that EMI is making big bucks with the remastered series. Have they approached you guys for a record deal?
SRothery: computers! N0*
ASKMarillion: TheMagpie says: Are you going to release a single from the new album?
alegacy: Apparently, technological limitations forbid me to talk about Lulu
GaryArtistShop: Best to leave it a mystery ;-)
WotanCCC: I'm guessing you guys aren't with the same ISP?
alegacy: No, I don't think we are*
SRothery: We had hoped to but Castle weren't interested*
ASKMarillion: Syninfinite says: For Hogarth: Do you garner meaning from coincidences, and if so, any song which reflects that?
WotanCCC: <--- hoping everyone is still here....
SRothery: I'm here*
alegacy: I find a great many spooky things happen to me. I'm sure strange magic sits below the surface of much of what I say, although I can't remember any specific co-incidence-driven songs. "I will Walk on Water" is probably the most overtly supernatural lyric I have written
GaryArtistShop: Just a note to let everyone know that since no one guessed the nick Steve H would be using today, we will be doing a giveaway of the promo package with a trivia question towards the end of today's chat.
alegacy: Occasionally I'm inspired to write at great speen. This Strange Engine was written as fast as I could physically write it down at about 3am until about 3.15am one night.*
ASKMarillion: whilome says: To Steve R: Is there anyone in particular you would like to work with?
SRothery: Great speen?*
alegacy: Speen? I mean speed!* Small village nestling in the Cotswolds
SRothery: Kate Bush, Neil Finn, Joni Mitchell*
WotanCCC: Kate Bush has always been interesting.
ASKMarillion: mirbolcha says: I wpo;d like to know why the musical differences between "Brave" and all you work after it? I found the new stuff very commercial
SRothery: Hounds of Love is probably my favourite album of hers*
GaryArtistShop: It's definitely mine.
SRothery: Every album has to be different, Brave was a difficult album to listen to for a lot of people*
alegacy: We don't really see music as falling into categories. What is commercial? It is something which sells. Did Brave sell? It sold more copies than marillion.com so it must have been more commercial, wouldn't you say.
WotanCCC: Interesting.
ASKMarillion: bugsbite1 says: Was there any unusual devices to produce music for dot com like you used in R10N?
alegacy: We write by jamming. We choose the happy accidents which occur and marry them together with whichever thought-patterns or lyrics that those musical ideas suggest. The results always surprise us. We wait with baited breath to see how the world then chooses to classify them.*
WotanCCC: LOL
alegacy: I can only think of Steve Wilsons "Telephone" eq. That shows up on Lulu and A Legacy*
ASKMarillion: EasterFan says: Do we need to help fund a 2000 US tour like back in '97?
SRothery: Equipment wise I don't think so, but I did use the new Lexicon guitar effects processor on most of .com*
SRothery: It's too early to say*
ASKMarillion: SuzanneNYC says: In your limited spare time, are there any new artists/bands you've been enjoying listening to?
SRothery: the Unbelievable Truth*
alegacy: Money is always a huge limiting factor for any tour, but it's a real problem for us re the USA. I suppose the simple answer is that if we sold as many albums as Shania Twain we wouldn't need to scrape together to do it. I wouldn't personally feel comfortable repeating the tour fund thing because I think we'd be exploiting the already considerable faith out there. I don't want anyone to feel they're being used.* The New Radicals*
ASKMarillion: Brave75 says: With Fish moving on to other projects, have you ever thought of using Fish's lyrics for a future studio album (giving John Helmer a vacation in Alaska), hence the possibility of a Fish-H-Marillion colloboration?
SRothery: Fish's lyric are so personal to him that I think that could be difficult*
WotanCCC: Now we're going to have a short Marillion trivia contest. Gary is going to send out a trivia question that Steve Hogarth gave us. The first person to answer using the following format;
. . /msg ASKMarillion Your Answer Here
Will win an official Marillion press kit with a promo of the new CD, band bio and band photo. So, flex those fingers....
GaryArtistShop: Everyone ready? Here it comes..... Steve Hogarth and Steve Rothery both played with an American band at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London a couple years back. Name the band.
WotanCCC: WE HAVE A WINNER!. Thanks to all who sent in your answers. The winner of the Marillion Press Kit including a copy of thier new CD marillion.com is; Drain-O! Congradulations!
GaryArtistShop: The answer, btw, was Dream Theater.
WotanCCC: Gary will be contacting you Drain-O. Well done.
alegacy: I sang "Happiness is a Warm Gun"!
ASKMarillion: TheYearTumbler says: Steve R, I'd just like to say that your solo on Go!
is amazing!
alegacy: I agree
SRothery: Thanks*
WotanCCC: Is there anything else you would like to mention before we conclude today?
SRothery: Hope to see some of you on tour soon*
WotanCCC: Looks like our time is up...I'd like to thank everyone for joining us today. Guys, we appreciate your taking the time to come and chat with us today, and hope you'll come back to Talk City again soon!
GaryArtistShop: Steve H must have wanted to say something about Lulu as he got bumped again!
GaryArtistShop: Now he's back
WotanCCC: Please join us in the Music-Progressive room to continue talking about Marillion.
alegacy: I give up! Thanks for coming. Lets do it again!
WotanCCC: LOL Hmm, Steve must still be having problems. I can't seem to op him. There he goes. We're just thanking you guys for joining us today Steve. Hope to see you both again soon. And thanks to everyone in the audience for such great questions. LOL. Later guys.
SRothery: Thansk, bye*
alegacy: Cheers. thanks again. God bless America
WotanCCC: Good day all.
SRothery: No problem* A pleasure* There's a good chance that we will at least play a few acoustic shows early next year* Thanks, bye*
GaryArtistShop: The band has left the building!