Fish, Glasgow review: 'the final hurrah'

Fish, Academy, Glasgow ★★★

One of Scotland's most beloved and idiosyncratic artists is swapping music for crofting on Berneray but not before his Road to the Isles tour concludes with two dates in Glasgow. The first night at the Academy was insanely rammed with acolytes who took the business of enjoying Fish’s music very seriously.

Fish himself was pictured on the backdrop looking like a clan chief and there was the atmosphere of a tribal gathering to proceedings - one where artist and audience could josh and heckle like family. Fish was clear this was no long road to retirement, this was the final hurrah and he was pleasing himself with a setlist which represented his 35-year solo career and his formative years fronting prog rockers Marillion. He even kicked off by appropriating their old intro music, Rossini’s overture to The Thieving Magpie.

Fish | Marcel Krijgsman

Lyrically, he was questioning man’s inhumanity from the outset, opening with Vigil, which featured foreboding Floydian rhythm guitar from Robin Boult, martial drumming from Gavin Griffiths and bagpipe synth effects from seasoned sessioneer Mikey Simmonds. Weltschmerz sustained the brooding mood, adding a touch of Celtic mysticism to the running theme of the set – the trauma of conflict.

On Waverley Steps (End of the Line), he imagined a whole back story for a real-life homeless ex-serviceman in Edinburgh but the anchor of the set was The High Wood, a war requiem with weighty-verging-on-apocalyptic intimations, grinding guitars and accompanying animated visuals which he dedicated “for Ukraine”.

After this lengthy suite, the crowd were more than ready to punch the air to Slainte Mhath, the first Marillion sighting in the set, and to stomp along to rootsy rocker Raw Meat, inspired by Fish’s magician ancestors.

He encored with overwrought Marillion anthem Fugazi and their debut single, outright prog rocker Market Square Heroes, before taking proceedings right up to curfew with The Company from his solo debut Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors.

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