MUSIC

The Tunnels, Bristol (Sun 13 Nov)

It's not hard to detect a bit of the old Pink Floyd/Roger Waters syndrome in Fish's relationship with The Former Band. After the divorce with Marillion, they got custody of most of the audience while he was left with a small-ish if wildly enthusiastic rump. And you can't help but feel that if Fish wants to kick his career up a notch rather than taking the easy route of trading on past glories, he needs an equally powerful and bull-headed musical collaborator to bounce ideas off and keep his more verbose lyrical flights of fancy in check. Just like Waters. But what the 53-year-old who's single-handedly responsible for thousands of twentysomething women being landed with the name Kayleigh has in abundance is that rarest of qualities in modern music: charisma.

That makes this gig at a comfortably full Tunnels feel like a gathering of old chums – and the odd crazed Pole (for Fish remains mysteriously huge in Poland) – rather than a traditional performance, as he banters with punters ("Are you going to be in the next Lord of the Rings movie?" a voluble hairy/beardy fella is asked) and almost breaks the Roy Harper world record for Digressing at Inordinate Length. Indeed, he could probably have played an entire concept album in the time soaked up by undeniably entertaining rants and ruminations on Fidel Castro, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Beyoncé at Glastonbury, his grandfather’s grisly experiences in WWI, the Michael Jackson trial, The X-Factor, 'Contagion', Facebook, and, er, playing rugby on magic mushrooms. But when he remembers he's supposed to be playing a gig, the selected stripped-down versions of solo and Marillion material work surprisingly well. Now rocking the Peter Gabriel greybeard look (ironic given that he once auditioned for Genesis) and flanked by veteran band members Foster Patterson (keyboards and vile shirt) – who performed similar duties for the late John Martyn and must therefore be due some kind of industry award for services to the lairy – and Frank Usher (acoustic guitar), he opens with 'Somebody Special', concludes with a spine-tingling 'The Pilgrim's Address' and encores with the traditional rousing mass singalong of heart-on-sleeve anthem 'The Company'. In between, he goes walkabout among the faithful during 'Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors' and, as befits a chap whose most recent marriage might have lasted as long as 30 minutes, attempts hilariously to dissuade a betrothed couple down the front from tying the knot. Indeed, it's hard to suppress a snigger when he playfully dedicates 'Punch and Judy' and 'Family Business' (songs about a broken marriage and domestic violence respectively, fact fans) to them. (Robin Askew)

Copyright Robin Askew 2011