It's been a while...

Wow, I haven't posted on my blog in 3 years...

There's been a lot going on... 18 months ago I started my own business - ReMusiK - I buy and sell Records, CDs and DVDs... Started just selling on the internet, but now I also have a little shop that is open every other Saturday.

You can check it out here - www.re-musik.se

Or on Facebook here - https://www.facebook.com/remusikse

I'm off to Norway in a few weeks to see Gazpacho, can't wait for that.

Bring it on...........

Some people are already planning for Xmas... Not this guy.... I've made plans today for myself and Mrs L to attend the Web Scandinavia Weekend in Oslo in January 2013. Those fantastic Norwegian trolls that run Scandinavia's Marillion fan club have come up trumps this time.

There will be two days of festivities.. Prog band Also Eden will play their first Scandinavian gig.. I've been itching to see these guys live for almost 2 years now... On top of that, Marillion Tribute band Misplaced Neighbourhood will be playing a set, with a very special guest joining them on guitar...  The one, the only... Steven "God" Rothery... Add to this a Steve Rothery Guitar Clinic the following day and a acoustic set from "Los Cincos Misplacos" and some form of party in the evening with our Norwegian Marillion family (and hopefully some of the Swedish fans too).. All this adds up to a weekend of Marillion magic in the land of kings.....VIKINGS!...

...... Let the countdown begin.....

Marillion, Marillion and more Marillion

It's been a great few months to be a Marillion fan. I wrote a review of the recent gigs in Norway last month, that will soon be printed in the Web Scandinavia Fanzine along with some of my wife's excellent photos of the band taken in Bergen.

Last week I was lucky enough to actually get to interview Steven Rothery over the phone and ask him a selection of questions about the new album "Sounds That Can't Be Made".  This interview will be printed in the Web UK fanzine in the near future along with other fan interviews with Ian Mosley, Pete Trewavas and Mark Kelly.

This week I'm off to see family in the UK and I'm also taking in a Marillion concert in Sheffield this Friday. Friends from far and wide are turning up for a meet and greet before the event. Looking forward to hearing some of the new tracks live for the first time.

The New Marillion Album "Sounds That Can't Be Made" can be ordered directly from the Marillion camp - here

Maze Of Time To Play The Tele2 Awards at Stockholm Globe Arena

Ok - time to break the news - Maze Of Time are honoured to announce that they have been invited to play 20 minutes of music at the Tele2 Awards at.. .... ..... Globen (The Globe Arena), in Stockholm in October - It doesn't get bigger than this - Seating capacity of 16000 :)

You can follow the band at www.mazeoftime.com  or on facebook at - https://www.facebook.com/pages/MAZE-OF-TIME/203646113010356

If you are interested in buying their CD's then please contact me at mazeoftime@telia.com

Marillion Live in Oslo and Bergen 2012

When Marillion have played in Norway recently, things have always gone wrong, mostly equipment issues that make it hard for the band to perform at their best. This time we heard that H had lost his voice two days earlier at the concert in Stockholm. So I was concerned as to how H would perform. I need not have worried. The opening song in Oslo was The Invisible man, H’s voice might not have been in top form, but he made up for it with an amazing amount of energy in his performance. He was so intense, like a 5 year old that had just drunk 2 cans of Red Bull and been given a puppy… Completely hyperactive!

On top of that we were given possibly one of the best setlists ever! After The Invisible Man came Cover My Eyes, Slange, Fantastic Place, King and then the show stopper… Ocean Cloud.. During this track I was arm with some of my Norwegian friends soaking it in; I had never heard it live before. When it finished and the applause had died down, I was so wrapped in the whole event of the last 18 minutes and simply shouted “We Love You Marillion”.  Which Steve Rothery acknowledged with a smile and a nod in my direction. Power followed, offering promises that Sounds that Can’t Be Made could well be the best album they have released in many a year.

I was delighted that some tracks from the first four albums had been played too. Sugar Mice,(which I think H has made his own in some way, he performs it so well) and Kayleigh. At the end of a fantastic gig H asked the crowd to choose a song (No shouts of Grendel please). The result was “Between You and Me”, so we ended the evening jumping up and down. After the gig we joined up with friends for a drink or two before heading off to bed, we had a long drive to Bergen in front of us the following morning.

After almost 8 hours driving on narrow lanes through some of the most beautiful landscapes of mountains, lakes and waterfalls I’d ever seen, we arrived in Bergen. Surrounded by 7 mountains, Bergen is one of the most dramatic places I’ve ever been to.  This was the first time that Marillion had played there. Two friends of mine wrote a letter to Lucy some time ago stating reasons why Marillion should come to Bergen. On the day of the gig, Bergen’s newspaper did a full page feature about it entitled “With Marillion in the family.” We had a meet and greet in an Irish pub around the corner from Rick’s where a fair few fans attended. During our discussions we raised our glasses when we discovered that Marillion’s first gig in Bergen had sold out, a fantastic result.

We were once again standing up front, this time slightly left of center between H and Pete. Rother’s and Pete have switched sides on the stage and Mark now faces the crowd, it’s better for Mark with regard to his recent hearing problem. H kindly played up directly into my wife’s camera, she got some amazing pictures that evening.  The setlist was only slightly different from the one in Oslo, Between You and Me added mid set; Easter as an Encore and surprise closer for the evening was This Strange Engine. H was clearly annoyed at his sore throat; not being able to give 100% was irritating him, but once again he was filled with energy.

Afterwards In the pub, the discussions of “which gig was best” went on until the early hours of the morning. I think the Oslo gig had the edge for me, getting to finally see Airbag live was an amazing bonus. The fun didn’t end there, several of us stayed on in Bergen for a couple of days. We had a get together at a friend’s place, playing “Popular Music” DVD, chatting and discussing all things Marillion. Four great days in the company of our Norwegian Marillion family and the band came to play our favourite music to us…It dosen’t get better than that, does it? Thank you Marillion and thank you Norway!

Meeting with Maze Of Time at OTH Studio.

Today I met up with Maze Of Time at the Over The Hill studio in Stockholm. I got to hear a couple of tracks from the new album that are mixed and ready. The Tracks were Masquerade Show and Eurphoria.

I'm giving nothing away... All I have to say is that MoT have taken the next step in their evolution, The Title track Masquerade Show......... WOW!

We are meeting again in May to "Brainstorm" a plan of action in the run up to the release of Masquerade Show this autumn. It's going to be worth the wait!

To keep up to date with goings on, Like their Facebook page

Time for an update!

Spring is on the way to Sweden (at last). the snow is finally melting! Happy days!

Well, what's going on?

It's fun to be a Marillion fan at the moment - the countdown to conventions has begun. Can't wait to book our tickets for the Dutch convention.

Details at www.marillionweekend.com

Also, Discs 2 and 3 of last years convention are available to order from www.marillion.com

What else? Maze of Time are busy mixing their 3rd CD at present. I'm hoping to meet up with the guys in the band soon for a few beers...

www.mazeoftime.com

RPWL have a new album out at present - it's called Beyond Man and Time and I think it's excellent - www.rpwl.de

Gazpacho have a new album out too. It's call "March of Ghosts" Check out their homepage

On a sad note, the Reasoning's guitarist Owain Roberts went missing on Saturday morning - no one has seen or heard from him since - If you see him anywhere contact the police - Here are the details.