Derek William Dick, AKA Fish, released his final studio album, Weltschmerz (see review), in 2020. Shortly after, Fish announced he would end his musical career with one last farewell tour: The Road To The Isles Tour. Tonight, I witnessed the second gig of this tour at the Muziekgieterij in Maastricht.

Fish and Elisabeth Troy Antwi

The venue in Maastricht had been sold out for months, as it seemed everyone wanted to see/hear this last tour of the charismatic Scottish singer/songwriter. Fish promised to create a setlist with his best, favourite solo tracks and a few classic Marillion songs. My expectations were high, though I knew his voice might not be as strong as it once was, which is understandable given his age of sixty-six.

Fish's band for the tour consisted of Mickey Simmonds (keys), Robin Boult (guitar), Steve Vantsis (bass guitar), Gavin Griffiths (drums), and Elisabeth Troy Antwi on vocals. This is an impressive band indeed.

The set opened with the intro of the Marillion live classic album, The Thieving Magpie. After a couple of minutes, Fish walked onto the stage and sang, "Listen to me, just hear me out, If I could have your attention." We were off with Vigil, one of Fish's most beautiful songs from his best solo album, Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors. Right from the start, the audience sang along, and Fish performed Vigil in a more than excellent way, promising a special evening.
The follow-up, Weltschmerz, the title track from his last studio album, was, in my humble opinion, not a true Fish classic to include on this farewell setlist.

Other surprises included Goldfish & Clowns from Sunsets On Empire, Tilted Cross from Raingods With Zippos, and Blind To The Beautiful from A Feast Of Consequences. The well-known Family Business, a 100% Fish classic song from his solo debut album, turned into a fantastic duet with

Robin Boult

Elisabeth Troy. The rather "heavy" Shadowplay from the album Internal Exile was another highlight of the show. Fish's voice was again a treat for the ears. However, I got my first goosebumps during the first classic Marillion song, Incubus, from the formidable Fugazi album. Fish and the band were in top-notch shape.

Then, we were treated to the epic Plague Of Ghosts (parts 1-6) from the Raingods With Zippos album. This track, clocking in over twenty-four minutes, was extremely well-performed by Fish, especially the quieter passages. As the last part, Wake-up Call (Make It Happen) ended, the band slowly left the stage, and Fish was on his own singing Make It Happen together with the crowd, thus ending the regular set.

Of course, there were encores, as everyone present wanted to hear songs from Marillion's iconic album Misplaced Childhood. However, before that, Fish treated us to a beautiful version of Cliché, another awesome track from the Vigil album. Guitarist Robin Boult truly shined here, giving me goosebumps again. Then, it was time for the crowd to sing along to Kayleigh, Lavender, Bitter Suite, and Heart Of Lothian. The gig almost turned into a nostalgic Marillion party. Although Fish's vocals sometimes missed the high notes, nobody seemed to care. Heart Of Lothian brought back great memories for me and the song really touched me emotionally. Boult and Simmonds were outstanding! Finally, the last song was Lucky, another highlight of this very enjoyable evening. Fish seemed genuinely emotional and touched by the warm reception.
An almost magical evening with lots of highlights, and I'm looking forward to the second show in Maastricht (November 10) with a completely different setlist.

Text & pictures by Martien Koolen (edited by Dave Smith)