SHOT IN THE DARK

For fans only??

It could be, but maybe i am being a bit hard just because i am not a real H-Era follower. I am a person who like to review albums (studio) more than everything else, and i use to do it after at least 5 listens, unless the album was "very easy" to review, some Live albums or compillations just need 2 or 3 listens before reviewing them, and DVDs probably only 2 because i either just like it or not and want or not to watch it again, i am saying this because i hardly review something after only one experience with the album/dvd etc, but this time i am doing so since i find this dvd not enjoyable to me and despite a friend offered to give me a copy of it, i told him that i would be grateful but i would hardly watch it again.

This dvd was recorded in 1999 if im not wrong at the marillion.com tour, i am not an expert of this band, i know more about Fish era than this so i will only give an opinion of this dvd is nice if we note that it contains besides the concert, some extra and interesting features which are extra songs and interviews, if you are a fan of the band then you will be totally pleased with it, if not, you may feel bored after 5 minutes of those extras, the concert itself has 14 songs, some of them are acoustic and differents from the original ones i believe, at the middle of the concert we can see those acoustic songs which did not work for me , i particularly found that moment boring, the first songs are a nice introduction to this dvd, there are very good moments on them, but i repeat, i am not a follower of the band, i watched it because a friend borrowed it to me, but if not, probably i would have never cared to see it, i believe the performance is pretty good, if i were a fan i am sure i would be happy while watching it, but it is not the case.

So probably i have nothing more to say about it, just that i am sure it is a nice concert and actually i did enjoy a couple of songs, but most of the time i was bored despite the interviews (which are a nice feature),but well now i remember one thread where people said that how can people say an album is good if their final grade is 2 stars, well, now i will give it 2 stars because i consider it is only for Marillion fans, or Hogarth era fans, not for everybody, however i believe it is a nice concert.

Enjoy it! (or not)

The concert filmed at this DVD was filmed from four concerts dedicated for fans club on July 24 - 27, 1999 at the Zodiac Club in Oxford. The members of the band were by that time still busy making the "marillion.com" album and some of the tracks were also delivered in the concert. Throughout the film of the concert there are snapshots of interviews and visuals. As we all know that Marillion had been very good in managing their fans, so the live vibes were generated from people who had known closely about the band.

The opening shot "Rich" is basically comprising spots of rehearsing (sound-check) and working in the studio, plus some interviews with fans waiting for the show at the outside, queueing. As usual, as Fish-minded Marillion fans, actually I still feel sad knowing the band music had derailed from its original great music. But it's OK, I always imagine that this is NOT Marillion whenever I watch or enjoy H-era Marillion music. So when "Goodbye To All That" is presented in split-screen, with footage from the concerts, I kind like imagine that this was Fish-era show not dragging music like H-era Marillion.

This DVD has lots of bonus features: a couple of left-overs from the Zodiac concerts: "The Bell In The Sea" , included also in "Marillion.com" bonus and The Great Escape. The other footage is from Germany's shot. Other bonus tracks are filmed at an acoustic Christmas show in Aachen, and at an in-store performance in Hamburg.

Overall, it's a good DVD and it serves good also for the fans, I believe. The setlist is not something that I really like but it's OK for most people, I think. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW