How shameful!

BlitzKrieg

"Doubtless you’ll find this utterly hilarious, but I happen to be a fan of a band called Marillion. This statement will most probably ellicit one of four equally wrong-headed responses:

1. “Hahahahahahaha!”
2. “Are they still going?”
3. “Is Fish still in the band?”
4. “Aren’t they that awful Scottish heavy metal band?”

I would like to respond in the follow ways:

1. I really don’t care that you find this hilarious; you don’t find me laughing at your stupid face. Zzzzzzing!
2. Yes. By the time you read this they’ll have just released their 14th studio album, Somewhere Else. It’s really good, probably.
3. No. He left in 1988, stupid.
4. They are neither Scottish, remotely heavy metal, or awful.

Anyway, with my hackles now slotting back into position, I have a story to relate, and – incredibly – it involves Marillion, and another botched PR stunt from Sony.

Doubtless, this story will have slipped past the games industry gossip hounds, because they all prefer to get their musical fix from tiny young men in striped blazers, skinny-fit jeans, and dishevelled, “Don’t give a ****” hairstyles which took their team of stylists four hours to tease into shape.

It turns out that I’m not the only Marillion fan with ties to the games industry. Back in February, I attended the 2007 Marillion Weekend (shut-UP), in Holland. It was basically three days of gigs, and getting really, really drunk (“Three days of Marillion gigs? You’d probably have to get really drunk!”: A.N. Hilarious Wag).

On one of the afternoons, the band took to the main stage to announce the winners of a couple of raffles, and burn some effigies of Fish, and stuff.

One of the winners very generously gave up his prize of a signed t-shirt, offering instead to auction it in aid of one of Marillion’s favoured charities (‘Victims of Prog Rock’). Suffice to say, he received a warm round of applause (mind you, I’m not sure I’d want to wear a t-shirt that someone had scribbled all over either…). I can’t remember what the t-shirt eventually went for, but it was in the region of 650 euros.

Mid-auction, the band’s keyboard player put an impromptu shout out to one “Phil Harrison”. Turns out that this was the Phil Harrison you and I know as the president of Sony Computer Entertainment’s Worldwide Studios. I’d heard rumours that he’s a friend of the band, and something of a fan of their music, but I hadn’t realised he was at the convention.

Rather than bid, Harrison offered to auction a brand new PS3, paid for from his “own pocket”. The band’s keyboard player duly started the bidding at around 100 euros, getting a couple of incremental increases from interested – but slightly bemused – fans.

However, before you could say “Fake blog fiasco”, Harrison materialised on stage to commandeer both the auction, and the microphone. Realising that this was another solid gold opportunity to promote his floundering device, he blurted out the launch date, probably mumbled something about “a new dawn of interactive entertainment”, and inexplicably re-booted the auction with a fresh starting price of 600 euros.

With this following on from an extremely generous and selfless act by one of the fans, you could clearly see the band and their representatives crying slightly. Indeed, a couple of them shuffled off into the wings, presumably to acquire a large pillow with which to smother him.

What next ensued was the one lowlight of an otherwise well-intentioned, and extremely excellent weekend. For several minutes Harrison attempted to cajole an entirely silent crowd of several thousand people into bidding for his console. Terribly, but somehow inevitably, the bidding never moved beyond Harrison’s starting price. Indeed, he became increasingly desperate as it grew clear that everyone just wanted him to go away, and nobody was going to indulge his tasteless attempt at publicity.

In total, the PS3 received one bid, for the 600 euro starting price (“The price it’ll be in UK shops”, he kindly reminded everyone) – less than the t-shirt. Even then the sole bidder clearly regretted his purchase (which he only made on the promise that the console would be signed), for he spent a minute or so bellowing like a lunatic at his fellow audience members, urging them to pick up the bidding baton, and save him from his regrettable impulse purchase: “Somebody bid! It’s only a hundred quid per autograph! Please?! Why? Why? Why?”.

Harrison eventually shuffled off the stage to the sound of tumbleweeds, most of the band having left already, doubtlessly ruing the decision to let Sony’s corporate agenda taint a decidedly un-corporate weekend.

Frankly, it was one of the most awful things I have ever witnessed. On the one hand, you had a big marquee full of 2,500 Marillion fans squirming in embarrassment (“No surprise there – I’d be squirming with embarrassment if I was a Marillion fan”: A.N. Other Hilarious Wag), while on the other hand we all probably felt like Harrison had brought it upon himself, and deserved everything he got. Which he did.

I’m sure Phil Harrison is a very nice man, and if I were earning a six figure salary, and had a new console to promote, I’d probably go mad, and try and take over a rock concert too.

Nevertheless, is this just further evidence that Sony has lost it grip on both the public relations mule, and zeitgeist ass? You be the judge."

from: http://biffovision.blogspot.com/2007/04/spiked.html

via: http://kotaku.com/gaming/phil-harrison/phil-harrison-crashes-rock-show-awkwardness-ensues-249096.php

Dooom

Dear lord..

Crucifix

Marillion ****ing rule!
Weird story though...very weird

KdjaCL

The dude sounds like a complete gob****e, and Marilion do not rule!


kdjac

Karl Hungus

Marillion are quite good, it has to be said.

monkeyfudge

Biffo has always been a big Marillion fan alright.

jonski

Kayleigh , is it too late to say I'm sorry ?

johnny_ultimate

An extremely entertaining story.
I am not familiar with the work of Marillion, and am not sure if I want to be.

Karl Hungus

johnny_ultimate wrote:

I am not familiar with the work of Marillion, and am not sure if I want to be.

Go here: http://www.myspace.com/marillion

Listen to the song Neverland.

Retr0gamer

Karl Hungus wrote:

Go here: http://www.myspace.com/marillion

Listen to the song Neverland.

Absolute rot.

johnny_ultimate

Karl Hungus wrote:

Go here: http://www.myspace.com/marillion

Listen to the song Neverland.

Inoffensive, but perhaps a little melodramatic for my taste...

steviec

I find it strange that somebody would buy a signed t-shirt for €650 but wouldn't buy a PS3 with the same signatures on it for less than it would cost in the shops for the same charity.

But yea. Shameful behaviour. Donating a free PS3 to raise money for charity like that. Tut tut.

thelordofcheese

I think it was more the hijacking of a charity event to pimp the ps3 thats shameful.

Though cringeworthy would be a better word.

magnumlady

I like Marillion, but have to say I'm not keen on the new album.