The Corona Diaries

This week's chapter is a pretty good example of the straight line getting wiggly in both the TCD sense, and also my life in general. A river quickly becoming a delta. I'll try to explain: Dan S. has a little bit of time on his hands at the same point that he discovers the podcast. He finds his way to the guestbook page of my website, and leaves me a question. As a consequence, Ant finds the questi...

It’s an episode ending with a zero this week, so the sharp ones amongst you could be forgiven for expecting some form of special guest. And as we aim to please, you will be pleased to know that you are right. Enter stage left Steve Rothery, and as it goes it’s a lovely natter and an insight into band life. He gives his take on the ultimate h set list, helps with some outstanding housekeeping issue...

Now that is what I call a week. Literally just popped back from Denmark (where I am supposed to be on holiday) so I could join Trevor Horn on stage at the Cropredy Festival and sing a few songs. Ant came along for a giggle (and a Mr Whippy '99 courtesy of Ms Jordache) and a great time was had by all. The happy upside to this was that we were able to record an on-location special chapter of TCD in...

This week it’s all about purple-participation, so before you listen you need to read through the pre-show notices. The Object of the Game I have been challenged by Ant to make-up my perfect Marillion set list by picking one song from each one of the albums* I have made with the band. And we thought it might be fun if everyone listening played along to see how well you think you can predict my choi...

Not a lot to report this week, if you listened to Chapter 116 then you know what’s about to happen and you don’t need anything from me by way of explanation. However, and whilst I have your attention, both Ant and I are aware that Ronan Keating was never actually part of Westlife. So if you think you hear us say anything to the contrary, you are in fact mistaken. And it is a well known fact that S...

I hour, 17 minutes and 2 seconds. What were we thinking.... To be honest there are three reasons why Chapter 116 of The Corona Diaries is over an hour and a quarter long; We clearly weren't thinking (we were just blathering) I tried to explain what's in my music room... Ant came up with a bonkers concept for conversation, that will probably take us the rest of the year to get through. So I am goin...

If you go all the way back to the beginning, way before it was called The Corona Diaries (or even TCD for that matter) one of the first things that Ant and I talked about was incorporating a reading from my diary into every episode. Not only did we think it would give some structure, but it would provide the opportunity for me to expand on the entries and answer any follow-ups that Ant thought mig...

It's one of the characteristics of this time of day, especially true at this time of year. The sun is dropping toward the horizon, but in a very languid fashion as if it wants to hang around for as long as possible. Rafa is just about to edge the fifth set, but it's been a rollercoaster of a match. The tension has been building, the crowd is getting more and more animated and every point is like a...

There is always a slight sense of apprehension when Ant & I reconvene to record a new episode of TCD and I am overseas. This week I am in Montreal so we were at the mercy of hotel wi-fi and a strong Nor' easter, and as a consequence there are a few bits of mid-atlantic turbulence baked into the conversation - but I think we just about got away with it. It is some testament to the power of Zoom...

I might have started repeating myself a little. I think you may well already know that, but because you are so very sweet you don't tend to mention it. I also think Ant has started to notice, and I don't know whether he is being equally polite or whether he is just humouring me (but, more likely, using it as an opportunity to illustrate my onset of dementia.) For this week's chapter we are talking...

Just for once lets start with the apologies... Ant would like to apologise to the Flaming Lips, and/or possibly the Welsh people, and/or possibly all Americans - depending on your point of view . I would like to apologise to the Czech promoter who did in fact pay us in Prague, but not the other promoters (Czech or otherwise) over the years that didn't (or at least haven't so far). Right now we hav...

Some things are so obviously meant to be that you wonder why it took so long for them to actually happen. White chocolate on a KitKat Chunky, David Tenant setting foot into the Tardis, abandoning the daily grind of wearing pants and getting Lucy Jordache to appear on the podcast. And do you know what, she doesn’t disappoint. In fact there are some lovely little insights into the reality of the day...

Now that was a Marillion weekend. Leicester you did us proud. Three great nights, the crowd were amazing, the vibe was sublime and a group of Purples met up in the park, to talk the talk and to eat Lobster Linda's lemon drizzle cake. And yet, after all that excitement, there is still more on the horizon. Onward to Portugal, and the Aula Magna in Lisbon with the faint outline of the L'Olympia in Mo...

Somehow different this week, but somehow the same. Clearly missing some of the regular stuff like the diary and the crooncast…but also retaining the kind of informed chat we have become famed for. The reason will of course be revealed, so whilst it is technically Chapter 108 (because that’s how the podcast software works…) it’s also a bit of a departure. Think of it as a mid-season special. Actual...

Before we get down to business a big shout out to all of the Purples in general, and a couple of the Purples in particular. Firstly I have to say thank you for all the kind messages wishing me all the best for my birthday, you are very sweet as well as being bloody gorgeous. Secondly to Justin Beaney, and Peter Davies for wading into the whole Somewhere Else discussion with some juicy follow-up co...

Chapter 106 has a real sense of climax, a feeling of crescendo if you prefer, as we build up themes from the Somewhere Else episodes to the pitch of fever. Firstly I take name-dropping to a whole new level, this is out-of-the-park stuff and you will know exactly what I mean when the moment arrives. Secondly, if you thought the Pugwash-inspired oceangoing crooncast was good, then look out... This w...

We have had some rum old episode titles on TCD but I think this one - concocted during our ship-to-shore chat from "Cruise to the Edge" in the Caribbean - might take the cake. Ant and I were remembering a TV show from my youth called Grange Hill and at one point there was a storyline involving heroin addiction. Anyway the character involved ended up fronting a campaign against substance abuse, and...

Where else could you go for in-depth album chat, geo-political analysis, piano resellers & the best of Sid & Babs. We turn our attention to Somewhere Else for 104 and begin a gentle stroll through the grounds of that particular project, before moving onto the Main House (probably via the servants entrance) over the next few episodes. Somewhere Else of course was the one that kicked off the...

Chapter 103 never really stood a chance. The fact that Ant hadn't really got a plan for the episode didn't help, but TBH I don't think it would have made much difference even if he had. Examine the evidence; After dodging it since the beginning, I finally succumbed to the inevitable. And whilst I am feeling pretty much OK it does mess with your head a little. As the red light went on, I was caught...

Greetings from Poland! Which reminds me, before we start, Ant & I were chatting and I was a little loose-lipped about the secret plans for songs & setlists for the three nights. SO if you are going to one of the remaining weekends and you want it be a surprise, then fast forward to about 07:30. Anyway welcome to 102, which I must say I am finding hard to describe, because it turned into 'o...

It never seems to stop this podcasting lark. I was literally just getting over the Centennial episode (and what an episode it was, thanks again Mike H.) and the doorbell is going bonkers heralding the arrival of Chapter 101. And yet again it's another belter... 'But how can you be sure it's a belting episode of TCD' I hear you ask in a quizzical tone. Well, that's easy, because it contains all the...

We had a very special guest join us for Chapter 100. And he dropped Waft into the conversation, and then he went on to define what Waft has come to mean in Marillion circles. Ant was very taken with the concept of Waft, because Waft is at the very heart of what makes TCD the thing that it is. So as we celebrate the fact that we have made it to 100 episodes, (and by the way that was never part of t...

Clearly it's all about the music. How could it be anything other than all about the words, oh hang on it's also all about the words. Yes, that's right, it's all about the music and the words. Saying that though, it's often all about the pictures as well... So for 99 we are going to talk Artwork & Visuals. You won't be surprised to learn that there is a similar amount of beard-stroking in the p...

The second part of a great evening answering questions about the new album. If you listened to Chapter 97, you kind of know what to expect. After all this is just the audio from the second half of that evening. So let's get right down to it and kick off with a question from Richard. Oh, and if you have ever wondered what all this chat about 'purples' & 'roots' is all about then maybe you shoul...

Well that was a jolly good way to spend an evening. A couple of weeks ago, in one of our infamous TCD production meetings, Ant & I were discussing how we could do something a bit different to mark the release of the new album. After a bit of riffing, we came up the idea of asking people to fire in a question or two at the point when then had listened to AHBID for the first time. A kind of 'sho...