I became a Marillion fan in 1986, when friends introduced me to 'Childhood', 'Script', 'Market Square Heroes', 'Grendel', Mick Pointer, you name it. So I came kinda late. They'd already followed you around Europe in jester caps, and you'd actually saluted them on 'Real to Reel' ("This is for the Haarlem trainsleepers" in Utrecht, preceding 'Cinderella Search').
Soon though, I knew all material by heart.
When, sometime later, I was on holiday in Italy, met up with my parents and was driven to their campsite in Volterra, I got out of their car atop one side of a horseshoe-shaped deep valley.
From the other side, music wafted over.
I found I could sing along with it all, by heart.
Having just been through a long and most uncomfortable journey from Greece, it was an overwhelmingly pleasant sort of homecoming. I remember standing next to the car for an hour singing along, crying.
It was only when I found I could also murmur along with the song intros in between, that I discovered I was listening to someone playing 'Real to reel' from a window, instead of you guys actually playing live, as was my original impression.
It is a moment I fondly remember as one of the most beautiful in my life.
Then, I got to see you lot, during the 'La Gazza Ladra' tour in Ahoy Rotterdam (it was when I still looked like this:
). Which was great, even though it was already clear you were going to leave the band.
After your departure, I lost interest in Marillion, but continued to follow you.
Now, I'm still that fan of your Marillion-era (favouriting the 'Fugazi' album, but your best song, I feel, is 'Warm Wet Circles', for its beautiful verses).
And now you've come to play my hometown. It's not so much a pleasure as an honour. I stand indebted.
Not in the least because, as a singer in 2 bands (Yoghurt and Zat) much of my work has been strongly influenced by you.
I wrote it on my website when I released my cover of 'Cinderella Search' and it has been there ever since: "Derek William Dick is the man I'll perpetually owe a beer."
So - here's at least 1, for starters. It's got yeast on the bottom, so make sure the bottle's rested before drinking and leave the last fingerthick in it or it may produce a bad hangover.
It's local, brewed in the Belgian city of Gent to an old Haarlem recipe from the time we still had 12+ breweries founded by Belgian Huguenots fled from French persecution. Some local guys thought it nice to revive some of that stuff a few years ago. They're actually currently trying to set up a new 'old' brewery in Haarlem itself.
Slainte.
And thank you, for the lyricism that is such an integral part of the soundtrack to my life.
Yours cordially,
Chielie.