Marion are to reform, singer Jaime Harding announced on their website last week. The bulk of the original line-up including former members Phil Cunningham, Anthony Grantham and Julian Phillips are back along with new member and former Haven drummer Jack Mitchell.
Marion have revealed they will play various gigs in the coming months, the first of which has been announced. Marion play Manchester’s Club Academy, Oxford Road on Saturday 17th December 2011 with special guests Lowline.The gig is to be recorded for an exclusive Marion live CD album entitled ‘Alive In Manchester’, which will be an exclusive limited edition, numbered release signed by all members of the band and due out February 2012. Everyone who pre-orders the live album will receive their name on the artwork booklet.
Both the album and tickets for the show are available from the brand new Marion official store. Order the ticket and the CD at the same time and you will receive both at a special discounted price. As if that wasn’t a sweet enough deal already, on ordering the album, you’ll receive a brand new Marion acoustic track ‘The Vines’ as a free download alongside your name on the album artwork!
This is the first time virtually the full line-up have come together since they split in the late 1990s. Harding and guitarist Cunningham did briefly reform under the band’s name in 2006 with a series of musicians from Bath but it came to an end when Harding had to undergo open heart surgery.
He told the band’s official website www.Marionuk.co.uk:
“I was in hospital for most of 2007 and I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be able to sing again, which would have been beyond my comprehension.”
He added: “I did gradually recover and in 2008 I moved to London. Now Marion are starting the next chapter and we are ready to reclaim the most exciting live group title for good. This original line-up is sounding seriously clever, and Anthony and Jules have filled the gap that was missing in 2006 stunningly making the whole sound complete.”
The band released two albums ‘This World And Body’ and ‘The Program’ in the ’90s and scored two top 40 hits – ‘Let’s All Go Together’ and ‘Time’.
“If you (like me) need that Marion fix of style, glamour and violently beautiful songs, then we should meet soon on a dark night and i will tell you my story,” Harding added. “You can tell all the doubters who listen to todays bland and passionless music I TOLD YOU SO!!!! Marion are tops!!!”
Marion play Manchester’s Club Academy, Oxford Road on Saturday 17th December 2011 with special guests Lowline.
