MARILLION, Tin Spirits @Birmingham Institute 13/12/11

Tonight is one of those nights where you might feel like an outsider.

In fact, I should imagine that this is what it feels like to be at an Iron Maiden gig if you aren’t totally besotted with the band.

This you see, is a Marillion show. And more than that, its RTM’s first ever Marillion show and if that’s not enough, whisper it quietly, we aren’t totally familiar with every nuance of every song in the back catalogue.

Marillion, are one of those bands, like Maiden that people don’t just enjoy, but they live. This is something that Tin Spirits  are well acquainted with. The Spirits were the opening act at this years Marillion weekender, so they know what they are up against.

The group might have former XTC man Dave Gregory amongst their ranks, but that doesn’t cut any ice around here. It helps then, that actually their brand of Prog rock is actually very good. As well as their own material (“this one goes on for 13 minutes, so its gotta be good, right?” Says frontman Daniel Steinhardt) they play a smattering of covers, with a particularly impressive “Tom Sawyer” and a nod to the XTC back catalogue with “Senses Working Overtime.”

But what everyone is waiting for is Marillion. Probably the biggest underground band in Britain, their days at the top are way behind them. Now they run things like a cottage industry. They release their own records, do what they like – tonight is even promoted by Marillion, - they have an army of loyal followers and, as such is all but sold out.

They kick things off with a haunting and slow building “Splintering Heart,” singer Steve Hogarth starting solo before being joined by the rest of the band, that sets the tone for the set. Superbly played and rapturously received, here is an evening that is not going to disappoint.

Hogarth is an entertaining and engaging frontman, taking the mishap when his piano isn’t connected to an amp in his stride, and the band behind him is in fine form. Steve Rothery’s guitar work is stunning and is ably backed up by Mark Kelly on the keys.

Highlights are difficult to pick out but a magnificent “Man of a Thousand Faces” is close to being the standout, as is set closer “Neverland.”

There’s a costume change for the first encore “The Invisible Man” before a second which sees Hogarth say to the crowd “shut up while we play the hit single” and the unmistakable opening bars of “Kayleigh” transform the place into a giant party, which “Three Minute Boy” does nothing to diminish.

At this point you realise over two hours has flown by as the masters of Brit Prog rock have given a masterclass. I might be an outsider, but when something is this good you can’t fail to enjoy it.