Chapter 265. All roads lead to Pompeii (it's just they are a little bit windy, a little bit scary, and full of nutters...)

Lord, it seems like an age since we recorded this and tbh I am not quite sure what we talked about.I can tell you it was the balance of the post-Pompeii chat (and that it happened on #plumday) but life has moved on since then, and recall is rarely linear for me these days. It tends to wash over me in waves.In other news the ICG reissues have finally arrived, and they look bloody lovely. Today, can certainly be classed as one of my 3650 good days.Love’n’first-time-on-vinylhTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Plum Day comes but once a year, and as it turned out this year it was on Tuesday 4th."But what is Plum Day" I hear you cry, well that is the day that Ant and I settle ourselves in the garden at Hogarth Towers, pick the ripened plums off the tree, and generally talk bollocks.It started a couple of years ago, post a Cropredy performance with Trevor, and has now become a bit of a thing. And this year's crop are juicy, and sweet, but we had to get in quick because they have also peaked a little early. Premature you might say.Anyway it gave us a chance to pick over the bones of Pompeii (assuming that isn't too inappropriate as a phrase) and record a couple of episodes of TCD in person.First up is Soundcheck, the Choir and Andy G...h xTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

It's been a bit of a week...We weren't even sure if TCD was going to be a thing this week, what with me being on my holibobs and Ant out and about with his proper job.But we managed to find a bit of time late on Wednesday evening, which meant I was able to elaborate on the quirks and wrinkles that have come my way since I arrived in Italy, what with the car parking, the back streets and the fact I have misplaced my trousers.And to those of you venturing to these parts for the shows, I am looking forward to seeing you and I hope we all have a smashing time. It really should be something special.Love'n'vesselshTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Cast your mind back a couple of weeks to the last chapter of TCD (...sorry Lucy). You know the one I am talking about, where I was set the challenge of coming up with a single CD of material that spoke to my musical output across all the various projects I have been involved.So by the end of #263 I managed to put together a sort of working list, narrowing it down to thirty-odd tracks I thought were representative of me and my career.But of course that didn't really answer the question that Robert Brooke had offered up; so today Ant pushed me hard to get it down to the eighty minutes or so that would fit on a single CD.As it turned out I got fairly close...Love'n'soft landingshTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

It might seem like there is a somewhat cavalier approach to TCD (...sorry Lucy) this week, what with the big reveals, and the joining-of-the-dots with the last piece of purple bonus content.So if you are feeling a little confused, here are the three things we are juggling:The announcement, which I haven't been able to talk about for nearly three months, can now be made public...and it marks a big first for me.We referenced back to the last Q&A and a cracking question from newbie Kevin Bremner about the best three tracks to close an album.And then we stole a question destined for a future Q&A from Robert Brooke, just because Ant thought it was a bit of a belter. And do you know what, I agree with him.And if you want to listen to the said Q&A it is available to purchase, just click here Right, that should be enough to get yiu started.Love'n'fayedunawayhTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

So, here’s how it went down this week…1.⁠ ⁠Our normal in-depth production schedule exchange took place over WhatsApp on Monday2.⁠ ⁠Recording commenced bang on 10:37am on Tuesday morning, conditions were normal with a gentle pace and favourable headwinds.3.⁠ ⁠Approximately 20 minutes a largely throwaway comment, somewhat metaphysical in nature, threw Ant off course.4.⁠ ⁠We took that concept on a hell of a ramble, with canine in tow, and plenty of mint-cake (courtesy of my birthplace).Ant suggested we went old-school for the spelling, he thinks the double-g seems to work better for some reason, I can’t say I am convinced but if I am going to put my name to something then it might as well be accurate.Then again as none of you actually exist it probably doesn’t matter that much.hTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

The first question that most people ask when I reveal I have recorded nearly 500 episodes of this podcast is "surely you must have run out of things to talk about by now?" Well this week's TCD (...sorry Lucy) is a perfect example of how we have got to 261 chapters and a similar number of bonus episodes.Firstly we can get half a podcast out of literally anything, the example for today is me making a decision to nip out for some lunch.Secondly because we can't actually deliver what we plan for any episode whatsoever within the allowed time slot, we are invariably finishing off the thing that we didn't finish last time. So again, using today as the example, we have a crack at the few questions that we didn't get to in the last Purple Q&A episode, because last time out we were too busy banging on about something else - not that I can remember what that was.Anyway thanks to Kenton, Mike and Wendy for putting forward your questions.Love'n'crabshTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Now you might be wondering why this chapter of TCD (...sorry Lucy) has turned up a little bit early, because let's be honest we don't have a reputation for being this on the ball.It kind of revolves around my birthday (today), the fact it is a significant one (three score and ten) and the upcoming special edition releases of Ice Cream Genius.And that is all I am going to say at this point in proceedings, to find out the rest you are just going to have to listen to the episode.Right, I am off to kick-start with a special-day-sized Muff Liquor Gin...Love'n'lasheshTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

In a change to the normal way of working it is Ant here, providing you with the episode notes for the latest chapter of TCD (...sorry Lucy).What that does mean is I can take this opportunity to put the podcast title into some form of context, and offer up a grovelling apology to my co-host.Through the course of the pod you are going to get an explanation as to the specifics, but the fact is I was more than a little dubious of the explanation I was provided with, at the point that it was uttered. Now, in my defence Mr h. does have previous in terms of the accuracy of some of his assertions, indeed it's a theme that we pick up on in this very chat. But in the case of the Eggy explanation he was absolutely bang-on, and credit where credit is due, I am happy to attest to the error of my ways.Anyway, that's it from me, I hope you enjoy the next fifty minutes or so.TCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

You don't have to have been following TCD (...sorry Lucy) that intently to know that the beat combo is in the middle of writing and recording a new album.Now I have been around this world for a very long time, and I am here to tell you that I don't think it really matters who the artist or band is, there isn't a particular definition of normal for this process. That said, the Marillion way is probably still a good distance from anything you could class a norm.So what we have tried to do this week, is give you a bit of a flavour of what is currently going on in Marillion Towers as the machinery starts to creak into life. And to do that we needed some extra intelligence, and as a happy coincidence that is what we got.Love'n'dodgy salmonh