The great thing about Marillion is that they are rewriting the way a band interacts with their fan base.  They were the first (to the best of my knowledge) to use crowd-sourcing to put out music and fund tours.  This gave them compete control on the recorded material and touring, and quite frankly, they have not disappointed on either front.  In my opinion, Marbles was a return to form after a couple of “unique” releases in Marillion.com and Anoraknophobia.  Both are good, but Marbles is where they got great again.  Since the fans have been instrumental in helping the band along this journey, Marillion have repaid us with Marillion Weekend events that bring the fans together to celebrate not only the band but their music.  This DVD captures one of those events where they performed the entire two-CD version of Marbles in the Netherlands in 2015.  To say the band flawlessly reproduce the material is an understatement, but what really makes this release so special is the visual presentation of the record.  The lighting is moody and at times dark, giving the music additional drama, and the video screen behind the band flashes images that enhance the songs greatly.  I hate to use the word stunning because it builds up expectations so much, but quite frankly, it is quite stunning both musically and visually. Even though the band performed two CDs worth of material, they still dug out “King” and “Sounds That Can’t Be Made” to round off the performance.

In the DVD age, we expect extras to be included in the package and Marbles In The Park is a little light on that front.  We get a little documentary that consists of some interviews with the band.  It’s fun to watch once or twice but hardly necessary viewing.  The main concert is really where all the magic happens, and Marillion deliver and then some.  Unfortunately, I was not able to see this tour in person, but this DVD is the next best thing. 

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2021  Volume 3. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2021.