A legendary rock band who risked losing £500,000 because insurers wouldn’t cover their tour due to Covid have turned to their fans to make sure they stay on the road.
Marillion will play in St David’s Hall in Cardiff on November 17th – but only because their fans have put up the cash to cover most of their costs if Covid strikes and they’re forced to cancel the tour.
Lead singer Steve Hogarth told Keep Cardiff Live that the band could have been left destitute if they’d toured without insurance.
He said: “If any of us in the band test positive for covid during the tour then we’re done - you’re not allowed in the next building. We’d have to cancel the tour, as Genesis have just done.
“If we have to cancel this tour it will cost us about half-a-million quid. There’s not an insurance company that will touch artists at the moment, thanks to Covid.
“It hadn’t even occurred to the band how much money we’d lose if one of us tested positive, so we’d already put the tickets on sale before that was pointed out to us.
“So we had a crisis meeting and our genius manager, Lucy Jordache, said ‘Why don’t we crowdfund the insurance?’”
Marillion all-but invented crowdfunding, with fans pre-funding tours and albums in 1997 - well before Kickstarter or Indiegogo were a cheeky glint in the internet’s eye. The first time they did it they revolutionised the music business – now they’re looking to do it again with their Lightsavers campaign, literally saving the Light at the End of the Tunnel tour.
Fans can pledge money which gets put into an escrow account – a kind of ‘holding’ account. If the tour plays out as planned, they all get their money back and if they don’t, it gets used to cover the costs. But every fan who pledges gets a ‘money-can’t-buy’ item in return, whatever happens.
Steve said: “So far we’ve raised around £150,000. That’ll pay for the bus, the trucks and most of the sound and lights if we have to cancel. Of course we don’t want to cancel so we’ve got to be super careful to get through this tour and give everyone their money back.
“We’ll be effectively in quarantine. Even on the days off we can’t go into a shop or café. It’s going to be well weird because we love coming to Cardiff and enjoying what it has to offer.
“The band will be in a total bubble. We’re not even going to be able to mingle with the crew. No friends and family backstage. Nothing.”
Marillion last played Cardiff two years ago and their unique blend of Pink Floydian prog, Zeppelinesque riffs, soaring melodies and poetic lyrics means their loyal army of fans will be desperate to see them return.
Steve added: “It will be incredibly exciting being back in front of that crowd and walking onstage and listening to the response of the fans because they’re like a family and it will feel like a homecoming.
“Audiences in Wales tend to listen more. They tend to be much quieter in the show and then erupt at the end. I learned that the first couple of times we played St David’s Hall. I thought we were dying until the end when everyone went nuts.”
Preview by Craig Hooper
Marillion’s ‘Light at the End of the Tunnel’ tour arrives at St David’s Hall on November 17th and you can find out more about the Lightsavers campaign at www.marillion.com
