Get a taste of Fish

At the height of his fame, Fish was playing Wembley with his mega successful band Marillion. Their entourage included four 18-wheel lorries, 45 roadies, an office full of managers, accountants, accountants' assistants . . . well, you get the picture.

Twenty years on, Fish is looking forward to a gig in Telford. This time, there'll be him, a van and a few mates. And any extras? He may buy a cheese roll from the nearby cafe, but only if he gets really hungry.

"It's totally, totally different to the way things used to be," he says. "But I wouldn't have it any other way. I never had that X Factor desire to be famous or a millionaire, which is what seems to drive the new kids on the block these days.

"All I ever wanted to do was keep a roof over my head, pay the mortgage and have fun. I'm quite pleased that I'm able to do that. By the time Marillion got to Wembley, we had four trucks and 45 crew. We had accountants and accountants' assistants. It all got very unwieldy.

"When the machine gets that big you have to keep on fuelling it with another album and another tour. But the whole process can be very dehumanising. People don't come into the equation, it gets to be about numbers."

Fish, who was christened Derek William Dick, came to the public's attention in 1981 with the progressive rock group Marillion. The band had some chart success in the UK, achieving top-ten hits in 1985 with Kayleigh and Lavender and again in 1987 with Incommunicado.

Fish departed amid acrimonious circumstances in 1988 to pursue his solo career. Time, however, has healed old wounds.

"People still think there's a lot of animosity between us, but that disappeared a long time ago. There was sometimes unhealthy competition, certainly for the first few years, and it obviously had to end. But that's dispersed over the years.

"The friendships were strong enough to endure. We did incredible things and none of us have got to those heights since. But we're back in touch. I'm seeing them in Glasgow in the next week-and-a-half. It's nice that we're friends again, though a reunion is out of the question."

Fish's gig at The Place, at Oakengates Theatre, on November 25 will be in support of his solo record 13th Star. He's been on the road for a year, playing 120 shows.

He says: "These will be last ones for a bit. After this, we're taking about a year off. In the past year, we've played for four weeks, then gone home and recharged our batteries before coming back out.

"But when you're out for a long time you get a little bit jaded. So, after this, I'm taking a year off to write a novel. I'll also be doing more acting. There won't be a new record until 2010.

"I think as an artist nowadays you have to be multi-stringed in your approach. It's a different music business to 1981. There's lots more opportunities in other parts of the media and it's fun to pursue them."

A new box set celebrating Fish's glory years with Marillion, a live DVD and a live album are among projects that the multi-faceted entertainer is completing. But when he arrives in Telford, he'll just be glad to be playing - without being weighed down by four trucks of kit and 45 roadies.

For more details about Fish, go to www.the-company.com

By Andy Richardson