Prog & Progeny

Mark joins Tallulah from backstage in Bonn as Marillion's German tour begins with the live debut of "Ribbons and Lace." The book's final chapter covers the story behind "Gaza," the Frankfurt cement mixer accident, sudden hearing loss, marathon mishaps, a famous F1 fan, and a Nick Cave encounter.

A little pre-tour update...

Mark and Tallulah are joined by David Stopps, the promoter behind Friars Aylesbury, which he founded in 1969 and has run for 56 years. David recalls the club's earliest nights — including King Crimson and Genesis — managing Marillion for 5 short weeks, managing Howard Jones, and the Kickstarter behind Aylesbury's David Bowie "Earthly Messenger" statue. Plus Marillion's hometown return on 21 Septem...

Mark and Tallulah are joined by Guy Vickers — barrister by day, musician and lyricist by night — the man behind the lyrics on Mark Kelly's Marathon and the legal brain behind Marillion's battle with EMI. 00:25 — Introducing Guy: weekend warrior, full-time barrister 03:13 — How Pete's dinner introduction kicked off the EMI streaming dispute 06:03 — The dissolved companies crisis: six months to save...

This week we dive into Mark's years on the FAC and PPL boards, fighting for artists' rights while Marillion were being short-changed by their old EMI deal. The lawsuit that followed and the after-the-event insurance gambit, the sleepless night when EMI claimed Marillion had no legal standing because Marillion Limited had been dissolved! Plus the Portugal writing session that ended in a tactless ro...

This week Mark calls in from Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios — with a quick video tour and the story of meeting Peter Gabriel for the first time. Then into deputising for Adam Wakeman in Travis (with "drink beer" written across half the setlist) and a candid post-mortem on Somewhere Else — the dropped pre-order, the EP that never was, Mike Hunter's confidence taking a hit, and which songs hold...

This week we answer your questions. If you have a question for inclusion on a future episode ask it on our Patreon "Questions questions" chat.

This week we speak with manager Lucy Jordache about her 30-plus-year journey, from a teenage Marillion fan to EMI catalogue manager, band manager, and Ian Mosley’s wife. Along the way, she discusses taking a pay cut to get into the music industry, a rocky first meeting with Fish, and how she and Ian got together. Plus, a frank conversation about what the future might hold for Marillion

This time we discuss how Marillion took a leap nobody else had dared, and accidentally changed the music industry. Lucy Jordache’s evolving role, and why the band chose not to capitalise on their invention. How sharing everything brought Marillion closer together. Mixing stress and why risk has always been Mark’s default setting. Also: Noel Gallagher delivers a deadpan insult, Mark bets on tripe,...

This week we chat with Erik Nielsen. He was a 22-year-old help desk worker in Cleveland, Ohio when a woman he was seeing dragged him to a Marillion gig and changed his life. He ended up as Marillion's keyboard tech, moved into Mark's spare room, got deported, and — almost by accident — helped invent a model of direct-to-fan music commerce that the whole industry now takes for granted. Hear the ins...

This week we cover Marillion's short stint with Rod Smallwood (Iron Maiden's manager) and the Sanctuary empire, how Mark met Tallulah's mum and the origin of the song Rich. Also, the birth of music crowdfunding: how a single post on the Freaks mailing list led to fans raising $60,000 to fund a US tour. Also featuring: Neil Armstrong at a soundcheck, a phone call from the International Space Statio...

This week, Mark and Tallulah answer some listener questions. Covering everything from the choices they might have made differently in life to a fight that almost broke up the band.

This week Mark and Tallulah talk through a difficult chapter in the band’s past: being dropped by EMI, ongoing money problems, Mark nearly ending up homeless, and the lack of support from their manager who suggested day jobs for the band might be the way forward. The conversation stays surprisingly light, including stories from Mark’s tumultuous love life.

In this episode Mark and Tallulah sit down with producer Dave Meegan to explore the making of Brave . Dave takes us inside the long nights, impossible standards, and creative tension that shaped one of Marillion’s most ambitious albums — from a French château to Liverpool over more than 7 months. We talk about why Brave took so long, the danger of rushing creativity, and the fragile moments where...

In this episode Mark and Tallulah dive deep into the making of Brave — Marillion’s most ambitious and uncompromising album. They discuss creative freedom, financial uncertainty, and the quiet decisions that laid the groundwork for the band’s independence.

In this episode Mark & Tallulah chat with Smick, Ian's drum tech from the mid 1980s and later the crew boss. Smick recounts how he started working in music and his first meeting with Marillion - and the cool reception from Ian. He also describes the chaotic management style of John Arnison, including when he buried the band's takings in bin bags and forgot where he buried it. 

This week Mark and Tallulah dive into the writing and recording of Holidays in Eden. They get into how much a producer can steer an album, as Marillion discovered with pop-tastic Chris Neil. They talk through Marillion’s move to Hit & Run Management and the promises that never materialised. They also get into the origins of the Racket Club. Tune in for plenty of laughs and a few exciting annou...

Enter H and Sea-son's End (see what I did there?) In this week’s episode Mark and Tallulah look at Chapter 13 - A Man for All Seasons . They explore one of the most pivotal points in Marillion’s history—when Steve Hogarth stepped in to replace Fish. Mark recalls the race to finish Season’s End before Fish released his solo album and Fish’s attempt to throw a spanner in the works with an injunction...

In this week’s episode, Mark and Tallulah chat with Marillion’s lead singer Steve Hogarth. They talk about his career before joining the band and what it was like stepping in to replace Fish. After initially not being keen to join - having decided to give up music altogether and become a milkman - H explains what eventually changed his mind. Mark and H look back on recording their first album toge...

Here's where we answer the questions you sent us.

This week, Mark and Tallulah catch up with Producer/Engineer Nick Davis to chat about his time working with Marillion. Full of hilarious stories, Nick talks about how he blagged his way into the music industry, his first time meeting and working with Marillion, and what came after — producing albums and singles for the likes of Genesis and XTC. It’s a funny one, with chats about everything from th...

This is the audio version which includes Mark reading Chapter 11 of his autobiography. In this week’s episode, Mark and Tallulah work through a turbulent chapter as the band edges toward breaking point. Steve is driving most of the ideas for the next album while Mark struggles with writer’s block. Behind the scenes, the crew is kept on payroll without work, John pushes EMI for more money, and drug...

In this week’s episode, Mark and Tallulah work through a turbulent chapter as the band edges toward breaking point. Steve is driving most of the ideas for the next album while Mark struggles with writer’s block. Behind the scenes, the crew is kept on payroll without work, John pushes EMI for more money, and drugs and late nights creep back into the picture. They discuss the growing divide as Fish...

In this episode, Mark and Tallulah talk about the chaos of oversold venues in the manager's pursuit of profit, and surreal tour moments - from playing in Japan to the crew starting fires on planes.  They delve into Marillion’s time playing with both Rush and Queen, including a bizarre party at Kensington Roof Gardens. Beyond the fun and surreal moments, Mark reflects on the harder realities: finan...

In this episode, Mark and Tallulah talk about the chaos of oversold venues in the manager's pursuit of profit, and surreal tour moments - from playing in Japan to the crew starting fires on planes.  They delve into Marillion’s time playing with both Rush and Queen, including a bizarre party at Kensington Roof Gardens. Beyond the fun and surreal moments, Mark reflects on the harder realities: finan...