MARILLION WEEKEND MONTREAL, CANADA
8-10 APRIL 2011

Thank you Montreal. The bar was indeed high. You helped us clear it by a metre or so. Amazing!. Love to all who came and gave at the Olympia. I never witnessed a vibe like it, for us, or any other band ever. We're very blessed and indebted to you.

Take good care til we see you again

h Steve Pete Mark Ian

Our second Montreal Weekend was even more action packed than the inaugural one with the fantastic support bands listed below and some outstanding musicians joining us on stage for Swap the band on Sunday afternoon. A thoroughly enjoyable Question and Answer session followed and some of you got the chance to come up and have your photo taken on stage too. Outside of the Olympia, the Brutopia pub was the place to be on Friday afternoon – with sets from Tempus Fugit, and our dear friends Sun Domingo, whom Steve joined for a song. On Saturday afternoon, our special friend John Wesley treated fans to an acoustic show.

SUPPORT BANDS

FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
Pete & Robin	Jason Hart	The Free Press
John Wesley

CHARITY

Thank you to Mary Williams and Annick Gauthier for their tireless efforts all Weekend in asking fans to donate for the charity raffle of which the winning prize was a splendid banner and several smaller replicas kindly donated by Andy Wright of Point and Shoot Imagery.

The Charity raffle raised $1322.17 for Canadian Cancer Society which is national, community-based organization of volunteers, whose mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of the quality of life of people living with cancer. www.cancer.ca

YOUR LETTERS

1. Six nights of Marillion in two weeks is six more nights than I thought I'd EVER to get to hear. So that is still just blowing my mind...

2. Holland and Montreal are different. Yes. Both have their own vibe, their own uniqueness and I couldn't feel luckier than to have been able to attend both. Especially after a challenging year when I thought I'd have to cancel altogether. But if anyone thinks Montreal is a second-rate convention, you couldn't be more wrong. The crowd was INSANE from Night 1. And you knew after Splintering Heart, this was going to be one hell of a weekend, and it was obvious the band did too... But! But! I wouldn't have traded Holland for anything.

3. I kept thinking all weekend about that clip.. the quote from Mr h from the HITR E-Promo: "And then there's the fans...." From my tentative first pre-gig pint in London to the last 3 days, I am humbled and delighted by the amazing friends I've made through this extraordinary band. Stunned. Delighted. What a blast you all are! Truly! You first come to these things for the music, but you smile and laugh all weekend because of the spirit of our fellow fans and the fun and the bouncing around and singing (mostly badly, or maybe that's just me...) and just being delightfully, gleefully,nerds for this great band. That's it. I'm too spent. Emotionally. Physically. My voice is shot. I can't even process everything. I miss my new friends. Those who couldn't make it. And I'm still kicking myself for those I didn't get see... I'm wiped

Merlin Watt Nova Scotia Canada

It was one amazing weekend, definitely an unforgettable one! Can’t even begin to describe how it much it added to our already unforgettable honeymoon :-)

Vanessa Kennedy Holland

Thank you for another AMAZING weekend. I was at both Montreal weekends and this one was even better than the 2009 weekend and I didn't think you could top that one. Keep on doing what you're doing because you are helping us find "a better way of life"! Bruce Harmon Florida USA

Bruce Harmon Florida USA

A special band with special fans. A privilege and a joy to have partaken in a truly magical weekend.

Alex Muir Ontario Canada

Great vibe indeed! hi to the wonderful people I met while in line (from Pittsburgh, South Jersey, San Francisco, Toulouse, the UK and everywhere else!)

Yves Côté Quebec, Canada

It was worth driving 6 hours from Boston for the Saturday. An A to Z of pure enjoyment climaxing in Zepperated Out. Awesome stuff.

Dave Bolton, Boston USA

Amazing experience, Unforgettable weekend. Cant wait for the 2013 convention!!!

Juan Carlos Soto Caracas, Venezuela

Dr.Oz approved! Man...what a weekend...thanks for the pics on stage - what a 40th birthday surprise (yeah, well I wasnt the youngest in the crowd! LOL!) - now if only I could invent a drug as great as an Ocean Cloud to run This Strange Engine!!!

Oswaldo Ramirez Ontario Canada

This unique artwork was painted by Amy Roger. It represents Marillion's 'Tree of Life' with the name of the band in the roots, and the fruits of their labours growing as orbs within the tree. Each orb represents an album and has been painted based on details from the cover or a key theme from each album. The orbs on the lower ground and the ones at the foot of the tree detail their early EMI history while the ones growing within the tree represent their independent success. The smaller orbs growing among the branches are for the future projects and albums yet to be. This was our gift to the band to thank them for allowing us to work beside them and help in our own small way to make the Marillion Montreal 2011 weekend a success.

Annick and Andy

All three were the best shows I have ever seen. We went from Texas for my dad’s 50th and it was amazing. No better bonding for the two of us and no better band to see live.

Matt Groth Texas USA

You were brilliant as always. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for three delightful days!

Victoria Harris Martino NY USA

Best weekend ever!

Jed Levin NY USA

STILL remembering moments of that concert and getting goosebumps! Happened this morning while blow drying my hair! Ha! Gawd it was the BEST!

Kim Parrett Magee WA USA

We rode Amtrak 14 hours to get there and I'd do it again this weekend.... :)

Angela Wood Maryland USA

Thanks for a weekend that will never be forgotten. Brought my son with me and we had an amazing time.From the opening ovation after Splintering Heart to the very last note it was a special time and unlike any concert we've experienced. Sunday nites show had an electricity about it that cannot be duplicated by any other band in the world. You guys are head and shoulders above anything else that’s out there. To quote my son “This was EPIC!”

John Conlon Virginia USA

Thank you for the chance of three out-of-this world evenings - although the "Estonia" selection on Sunday's eve prived us from "Out of this World"... well... next time! Hugs from the two Chileans out there... Lola + Pablo. BTW it was great meeting U personally Pete and Mark on Saturday, and "H" on Monday morning! Thanks guys for keeping alive the best part of our souls! Hugs!

Pablo Negri Edwards Chile

Traveled up alone from D.C....left with some good friends...3 of the best nights of my life....night 3 was one for the ages!!! All of us singing "Happiness is the Road" in unison until Marillion came back on stage was one of the many memories I will never forget. There is no band quite like Marillion and there are no fans quite like Marillion fans! The atmosphere was one of complete unity..almost family....the moment I walked in to the L'Olympia no one seemed a stranger to me. The atmosphere and emotion were so thick this past weekend that the air was actually heavy with it. God bless Marillion.....and I mean it!

Dan Cronin Washington DC USA

Guys... It was... Awesome, Best ever, Cool, Delicious, Emotional, Fabulous, Gorgeous, Happening, Idylic, Joyfully, Knock-out, Lyrical, Much more, Nice, Outstanding, Passionate, Remarkable, Sensational, Terrific, Unbelievable, Very very very, Wanted... Marillion Weekend :) See you soon... again!!!

Yanick Rondeau Montreal

Waited a total of 28 hours outside to see you guys. It was worth it. Thank you for your generosity and the memorys. Having the crowd singing together was amazing, being part of Marillion Nation is awesome and MARILLION ROCKS!!!!!

Martin Squires Montreal

I am a new fan, I was brought to knowledge of the band by my friend and his dad and I was interested and he had an extra ticket so I said, 'hell, I might as well go'!! I was blown away by the new genre of music I was just introduced to and Marillion put the cherry on top. This connection between each fan is the best example of a good band in music. It was a new experience for me, coming to see a formerly-known band play for the how ever many fans were there and I was absolutely amazed by the way fans interact and that drew me more to love the band as I do. I am going to see them at the 2012 tour in America and MOST DEFINATLY coming back in 2013.

Tomi Coza NY USA

Both Marillion and their team deserve a big thank you for the 2011 edition of The Montreal Weekend! Well done, once again, a brilliantly organized event! The Saturday afternoon free concert by John Wesley, and the Sunday Q&A, and Swap the Band were added bonuses. I'm glad I didn't miss anything. It was a wonderful experience. I made a lot of new friends. The band fulfilled every expectation I had of them. I wouldn't ask them to change a thing!!!!!!

Dave Kurysko Toronto

For the band, to have taken the time to rehearse what had to be well over 9 hours of music (what with all the choices we had to make and all), to have had the stamina to perform it all as well, I think we all need to be extremely grateful. I was in Montreal in ’09 and I could not imagine having more fun than I did then. This past weekend was total bliss. To have heard all my favorite songs… plus a 2011 “do-over” of TSE that was in my opinion the single best performance of the weekend I am without words.

Russel Aceto Fairfax Vermont USA

There were many magical moments, just too many to mention them all on here. I'm very grateful I could live them with you all. I'll treasure this weekend forever in my heart! Marillion family - a worldwide thing. Let's take over the planet!!! Lucy, Stephanie & the crew: you're all ACE! PS: ...and thanks to my parents who sorted out that my birthday would be April 10th!

Sabine Schoenl, Germany

This year's show was probably the greatest Marillion show I've ever seen, and I've seen quite a few. I'd like to thank all of you for making it about the music, about the emotion, about the connecting, about the fans (even letting some play with you!) ...

Eric Borchardt Wisconsin US

Thank you all for coming to Montreal! Don't mind the long drive at all. Always worth it. Don't know how you will top Sunday night.. Seeing H wiped out in the floor from exhaustion in front of us is a picture I will carry.

Jon Rosenberg NJ USA

I look back at this weekend and can't help but smile. Words can't describe how we all feel, a bit different, but even more enriched by the whole experience. The band put so much of their time, energy and talents into it for us, how can you not be amazed ! Truly special and so fortunate to be a
part of !!