With a gentle breeze, and fair seas we head off in the direction of more How We Live chat. This week its an in-depth look at the lyrical inspiration behind the first four tracks on the album, which conjures up lots of memories that may have otherwise have been forgotten. Cue, tales of Joe Cocker, flaming arrows, military grade smoke grenades and the first of many attempts to have a hit with Dry Land.And this is only the start of it, we have six more to get through next time.Love'n'November SantashP.S Ant wanted to say thanks again to Pep Canals for pointing out the Catalan faux-pasTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

We nearly got underway on Wednesday, but in the end problems with mi plug-ins just kept coming in Waves and we had to reconvene on Thursday. At times there's no Logic, and you have to take a deep breath and re-group.Although we started a little late on Thursday it looked more promising, only to stall before we got out of second gear.But then, when all seemed lost, a miracle of sorts. The stars aligned, the wi-fi signal stabilised and somebody in Cafe Viena decided to clear the tables.This was possibly the closest we have been to ‘epic fail’ and we have to apologise because at times you can hear we were trying to push the tech uphill in a handcart.But it definitely has a vibe, though not quite as impressive as the selection I stumbled upon in the ladies loos in Middlesborough. Love’n’Blockheadsh

This week's chapter is a pretty good example of the straight line getting wiggly in both the TCD sense, and also my life in general. A river quickly becoming a delta.I'll try to explain: Dan S. has a little bit of time on his hands at the same point that he discovers the podcast.He finds his way to the guestbook page of my website, and leaves me a question.As a consequence, Ant finds the question and thinks it will provide the perfect foundation for an episode or two.And so, with a clear-cut brief, in no time at all we're recalling Mick MacNeil's Accordian, Raine Shine, Jim the Canadian busker, George Jackson Jr, Ant's old work-colleague, Andy Gillespie, (Mick and Andy both of Simple Minds fame), John Martin, Tears for Fears, The Portastudio and Jan, the manager at the Moles Club, Bath, letting me in for free.So you see my life is all about the pebble, and then the ripples.But sometimes the thud ...as a threesome of flesh slaps to a climax against my hotel wall. Yee ha!! :o/There was a mouse in the cat food y'know...h

It’s an episode ending with a zero this week, so the sharp ones amongst you could be forgiven for expecting some form of special guest. And as we aim to please, you will be pleased to know that you are right.Enter stage left Steve Rothery, and as it goes it’s a lovely natter and an insight into band life. He gives his take on the ultimate h set list, helps with some outstanding housekeeping issues and ruminates on how to survive in a band for as long as we have.Of course both the change in location for me, and the addition of a new space with Steve means there are a few unavoidable audio accompaniments. I hope you enjoy the chimes. Looks like Rothers has a weakness for 'em as well as me. (Unless it’s the sound of our minds thinking…)Love’n’trickleshTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Now that is what I call a week.Literally just popped back from Denmark (where I am supposed to be on holiday) so I could join Trevor Horn on stage at the Cropredy Festival and sing a few songs. Ant came along for a giggle (and a Mr Whippy '99 courtesy of Ms Jordache) and a great time was had by all.The happy upside to this was that we were able to record an on-location special chapter of TCD in my back garden (as you will hear). So settle in for a not-quite-normal episode, with expansed auralness.Apologies for the lack of diary and crooncast this week (I had a plane to catch) and sorry this is a bit late. On the plus side, I am including an excellent awful Mexican busker I ran into in Guadalajara. Love, lavender and distortionForrest Gump

This week it’s all about purple-participation, so before you listen you need to read through the pre-show notices.The Object of the GameI have been challenged by Ant to make-up my perfect Marillion set list by picking one song from each one of the albums* I have made with the band.And we thought it might be fun if everyone listening played along to see how well you think you can predict my choices.How to PlayYou are going to need a pencil and some paper, (or an iPad or a blackboard, or a cave-wall and some woad). All sorted? Smashing.So now you need to list numbers 1 - 14 and then select a song from each one of the albums from Seasons through to AHBID* in chronological order.Just ONE song per album, and it should be the song you think I am going to choose.Once you have picked one for each album you should have your own take on what my ultimate set-list will be. Have one last check over it to be sure you are happy, and then you are done.Scoring and the Winner(s)Listen to Chapter 118 and mark your answers against my choices with one point for each one that is correct.Post your total out of 14 (no cheating) in the comments section on Patreon and let’s see who I am most cosmically aligned with. If you win, you should probably worry...Love’n’it's not the winning - it’s the taking parth*for the purposes of this game Less is More and With Friends from the Orchestra aren’t included.TCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Not a lot to report this week, if you listened to Chapter 116 then you know what’s about to happen and you don’t need anything from me by way of explanation.However, and whilst I have your attention, both Ant and I are aware that Ronan Keating was never actually part of Westlife. So if you think you hear us say anything to the contrary, you are in fact mistaken.And it is a well known fact that Seagulls are very proud of their regional accents, and celebrate them most wholeheartedly.Love ‘n’laundromatsh

I hour, 17 minutes and 2 seconds. What were we thinking....To be honest there are three reasons why Chapter 116 of The Corona Diaries is over an hour and a quarter long;We clearly weren't thinking (we were just blathering)I tried to explain what's in my music room...Ant came up with a bonkers concept for conversation, that will probably take us the rest of the year to get through.So I am going to stop typing - so you can start listening - because you haven't got a moment to waste.Love, ghost trumpets, and ukulele-hangershTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

If you go all the way back to the beginning, way before it was called The Corona Diaries (or even TCD for that matter) one of the first things that Ant and I talked about was incorporating a reading from my diary into every episode.Not only did we think it would give some structure, but it would provide the opportunity for me to expand on the entries and answer any follow-ups that Ant thought might be interesting for you, dear listener.Clearly we have evolved since then, as the tap-room banter and general ill-preparedness has been raised to somewhat of an art-form, but the diary segment has remained true to that original intent.I say this because every once in a while the diary entry takes centre stage, and this week is one of those occasions, as you are about to hear.Buckle up, and don't argue with the cabin-crew...h

It's one of the characteristics of this time of day, especially true at this time of year. The sun is dropping toward the horizon, but in a very languid fashion as if it wants to hang around for as long as possible.Rafa is just about to edge the fifth set, but it's been a rollercoaster of a match. The tension has been building, the crowd is getting more and more animated and every point is like an entire match, wrapped up in time. The very essence of tennis.The man from the ministry has been and gone in a vehicle unknown. He seemed nice, maybe a little older than me, but very affable and he left happy with me and my boiler. Only yesterday I was boarding a plane, half the world away, but now I am back, watching the corn flies in the early evening haze and contemplating the diminishing level of my gin glass.Nothing to do. Nowhere to be. Bliss.And then the familiar ping of a WhatsApp notification.Oh bugger, I should be recording this weeks TCD - now where is my microphone?Love'n'line-callshTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

There is always a slight sense of apprehension when Ant & I reconvene to record a new episode of TCD and I am overseas.This week I am in Montreal so we were at the mercy of hotel wi-fi and a strong Nor' easter, and as a consequence there are a few bits of mid-atlantic turbulence baked into the conversation - but I think we just about got away with it.It is some testament to the power of Zoom that we even manage to cobble TCD together at all in these moments, especially when you consider that the original plan was for Ant & I to get together once a month and batch-record. How things have changed.Anyway, here it is and Happy Canada Day!Love'n'skiving offh

I might have started repeating myself a little. I think you may well already know that, but because you are so very sweet you don't tend to mention it. I also think Ant has started to notice, and I don't know whether he is being equally polite or whether he is just humouring me (but, more likely, using it as an opportunity to illustrate my onset of dementia.)For this week's chapter we are talking about Happiness is the Road, and as part of the conversation I may well have enthusiastically said a few things that I have previously (and equally enthusiastically) said. If so please bear with.Saying that I am pretty confident I haven't mentioned the Queen of the Sandwich, the crowd at Montpellier or my crunchy Maracas before. I also don't think I have likened our songs to Sinatra up until now. So maybe it isn't such a problem after all.Love'n'jamming without tensionhTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Just for once lets start with the apologies...Ant would like to apologise to the Flaming Lips, and/or possibly the Welsh people, and/or possibly all Americans - depending on your point of view.I would like to apologise to the Czech promoter who did in fact pay us in Prague, but not the other promoters (Czech or otherwise) over the years that didn't (or at least haven't so far).Right now we have got that out of the way, this weeks chapter is one of our infrequent Q&A episodes. Whilst these are a regular for those that support The Corona Diaries on Patreon, we only occasionally incorporate them into the general release - but we have had so many good (and brave) questions of late, it would have been rude not to share a few.Love'n'Linda McCartneyhx

Some things are so obviously meant to be that you wonder why it took so long for them to actually happen. White chocolate on a KitKat Chunky, David Tenant setting foot into the Tardis, abandoning the daily grind of wearing pants and getting Lucy Jordache to appear on the podcast.And do you know what, she doesn’t disappoint. In fact there are some lovely little insights into the reality of the day-to-day within Marillion and how she manages to stay sane.Love’n’binbagshTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Now that was a Marillion weekend.Leicester you did us proud. Three great nights, the crowd were amazing, the vibe was sublime and a group of Purples met up in the park, to talk the talk and to eat Lobster Linda's lemon drizzle cake.And yet, after all that excitement, there is still more on the horizon. Onward to Portugal, and the Aula Magna in Lisbon with the faint outline of the L'Olympia in Montreal shimmering in the distance. So much to look forward to, and only the simple job of knocking together this weeks episode of TCD standing in-between. Please leave a message after the beep.Love'n'rejoice in being connectedhTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Somehow different this week, but somehow the same. Clearly missing some of the regular stuff like the diary and the crooncast…but also retaining the kind of informed chat we have become famed for.The reason will of course be revealed, so whilst it is technically Chapter 108 (because that’s how the podcast software works…) it’s also a bit of a departure.Think of it as a mid-season special.Actually don’t think of it like that because that would infer we are only half way through and the thought of 200 plus chapters is still a little daunting. And on that note I am off back to bed.Love’n’Lester (arriving at speed with the whip..)h

Before we get down to business a big shout out to all of the Purples in general, and a couple of the Purples in particular.Firstly I have to say thank you for all the kind messages wishing me all the best for my birthday, you are very sweet as well as being bloody gorgeous.Secondly to Justin Beaney, and Peter Davies for wading into the whole Somewhere Else discussion with some juicy follow-up comments & observations. Ant & I had quite a rare ol' time riffing away on your questions - the weekend question is worth the cost of entry on its own.And whilst I am name dropping, thanks to Andy R for the Berlin memories and the inspiration for the Crooncast.Next stop Sweden...!hP.S And now I know what a side-chain really does.TCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Chapter 106 has a real sense of climax, a feeling of crescendo if you prefer, as we build up themes from the Somewhere Else episodes to the pitch of fever.Firstly I take name-dropping to a whole new level, this is out-of-the-park stuff and you will know exactly what I mean when the moment arrives.Secondly, if you thought the Pugwash-inspired oceangoing crooncast was good, then look out... This week's, mention of Amazonian poison-dart frogs may well have inspired my Magnum Opus.And finally, this may be the best example of the post-diary chat being clearly undertaken by two blokes who hadn't actually read the diary entries in question, as we go on to repeat everything I had read out loud a moment earlier.Love'n'buffalo (they're bison really), and keep on croakin'hTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

We have had some rum old episode titles on TCD but I think this one - concocted during our ship-to-shore chat from "Cruise to the Edge" in the Caribbean - might take the cake.Ant and I were remembering a TV show from my youth called Grange Hill and at one point there was a storyline involving heroin addiction.Anyway the character involved ended up fronting a campaign against substance abuse, and the catchphrase was ‘just say no’ (in fact I think it ended up being a single??). So when I dropped that into conversation Ant immediately picked up on the fact that the character in Grange Hill was called Zammo and we were off…TBH I don’t understand how these things tend to happen on TCD, but I think we should just embrace the fact that we both seem to be dwellers of the left field (even when there isn't a field for hundreds of miles...).Love from the high seas... (they're low actually)h xP.S Aah Haaargh!TCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Where else could you go for in-depth album chat, geo-political analysis, piano resellers & the best of Sid & Babs.We turn our attention to Somewhere Else for 104 and begin a gentle stroll through the grounds of that particular project, before moving onto the Main House (probably via the servants entrance) over the next few episodes.Somewhere Else of course was the one that kicked off the arrangement that brought Mike into the Production Chair, and so this is the beginning of the story arc that brings us all to the present day.Lovely.hThe Carry On FilmsTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Chapter 103 never really stood a chance. The fact that Ant hadn't really got a plan for the episode didn't help, but TBH I don't think it would have made much difference even if he had.Examine the evidence;After dodging it since the beginning, I finally succumbed to the inevitable. And whilst I am feeling pretty much OK it does mess with your head a little.As the red light went on, I was caught somewhere between a pot of emulsion and another bout of furniture erection.I don't need asking more than once to talk about one of my favourite ever purchases, and it's probably not what you think.I had spent the previous evening conversing with a drummer about his newly discovered love of Norse-Metal.I will try and do better next time. But I won't try hard.Love'n'those-two-unnerving-red-lines... (from a singer half-way home in Oberhausen.)hTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Greetings from Poland!Which reminds me, before we start, Ant & I were chatting and I was a little loose-lipped about the secret plans for songs & setlists for the three nights. SO if you are going to one of the remaining weekends and you want it be a surprise, then fast forward to about 07:30.Anyway welcome to 102, which I must say I am finding hard to describe, because it turned into 'one of those episodes' where we kind of just let it happen. So it's a mix of set-spoilers, guitar porn, beer on my back and sleep-deprived drummers.There's a dollop of diary and for the first time ever I have a crack at re-imagining one of the crooncasts (trust me it will be make sense).Happy Easter,h

It never seems to stop this podcasting lark.I was literally just getting over the Centennial episode (and what an episode it was, thanks again Mike H.) and the doorbell is going bonkers heralding the arrival of Chapter 101. And yet again it's another belter...'But how can you be sure it's a belting episode of TCD' I hear you ask in a quizzical tone.Well, that's easy, because it contains all the essential ingredients that make up the Victoria sponge of delight that is The Corona Diaries;A good value guest that fits right into the purple family One of those very special diary daysA crooncast totally out of left fieldThis one's for you Don.h

We had a very special guest join us for Chapter 100. And he dropped Waft into the conversation, and then he went on to define what Waft has come to mean in Marillion circles.Ant was very taken with the concept of Waft, because Waft is at the very heart of what makes TCD the thing that it is.So as we celebrate the fact that we have made it to 100 episodes, (and by the way that was never part of the plan), I must doff a cap to the brilliance of Michael Hunter, and to all the things that have made this journey possible;The band, the guests, the sisters, Zoom, Lucy, the livestreams, the purples & the roots, our families, Sontronics microphones, everybody who has listened, Mossad, the GRU and my long-suffering and undeniably witty interrogator, Ant Short.A wise man once said "This is the 1st Century. It's flash to crash and burn..."hP.S A hundred thanks to those who signed up at episode 1 and VERY special thanks to Alan K for being first through the door xTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Clearly it's all about the music. How could it be anything other than all about the words, oh hang on it's also all about the words. Yes, that's right, it's all about the music and the words. Saying that though, it's often all about the pictures as well...So for 99 we are going to talk Artwork & Visuals. You won't be surprised to learn that there is a similar amount of beard-stroking in the process of agreeing on the look of Marillion as the sound, so who better to help us understand the process than Simon Ward of Identity Media.Simon has been pitching in for about a decade, so he knows what he is talking about, which puts TCD in uncharted territory.Sorry Vince, sorry Alison.hIdentity MediaTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

The second part of a great evening answering questions about the new album.If you listened to Chapter 97, you kind of know what to expect. After all this is just the audio from the second half of that evening. So let's get right down to it and kick off with a question from Richard.Oh, and if you have ever wondered what all this chat about 'purples' & 'roots' is all about then maybe you should check out the Patron page for The Corona DiariesBecoming a patron is a not only of supporting the podcast, it is also the route in to a whole load of extra content from Ant & myself and the chance to get involved in the purple conversation.Right, enough of that and on with the questions...Love'n'large glasses of gin,h

Well that was a jolly good way to spend an evening.A couple of weeks ago, in one of our infamous TCD production meetings, Ant & I were discussing how we could do something a bit different to mark the release of the new album.After a bit of riffing, we came up the idea of asking people to fire in a question or two at the point when then had listened to AHBID for the first time. A kind of 'shoot from the hip', 'gut reaction' kind of a question.So we put out a plea to the podcast patrons and asked if they would be up for helping out, and we gave them a really narrow window of 48 hours to get in touch. And they didn't disappoint. We got a whole stash of great questions and went about picking a few for the episode.And I then decided it would be a bit of a laugh if we did it all (kind of) live and got selected questioners to drop by and put them to me in person. All we needed to do now was work out how the hell to make it work it practice, over to Ant for that bit.The result was a very informal Friday night Zoom hook-up, where we laughed a lot and also shed the odd tear. It turned into quite a night, as you are about to hear.So strap in, get ready and push the button,hTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

This week is probably not the TCD you were expecting. Then again every week is not the TCD I was expecting, so no reason why it should be any different for Chapter 96.Other than it's a special week. Because its album release week.So you would (and could) be forgiven for thinking it would be an AHBID special. And indeed there is AHBID news for those of you who are Patrons of the podcast - so listen out for that - but instead we had to focus on space because of a very special diary entry, about a very special meeting.And the moral of the story, is that when you decide to focus on a very special diary entry, about a very special meeting, other very special things seem to happen.Love'n'brand new bikes,hRick - BandcampTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Listening back to Chapter 95 and it dawned on me(and not for the first time) how eclectic this podcast has become. Of course if you have got this far, you have probably become immune to it - and I thought I would try and illustrate this by simply summarising this episode in bullet-point form.So in no particular order, the top ten facts about Chapter 95;To be committed to languid you have to go for the full quarter toneKutting Krew was not spelled with a K and neither is DanelektroThe milkshake moment remains very specialI am convinced the Cellist was in the buildingAlways have a tidy-up before you stand in front of the benchOne of us had to catch it as some pointRoll out the bed, the weather is lovelyMore a pressure valve than a fountainI am a cereal killer, armed only with a bananaCan't hear it on-stage, can't hear it out-frontSee what I mean?Mincing'n'skulking'n'sleighbellrattling n'tambourineashakingAll in a day's work...hJet d'Eau - GenevaTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Bit of a hotch-potch of a chapter this one. A Lancashire Hotch-Potch* if you will.As you may know by now, I had to rush off to sign a lot of pre-order copies of An Hour Before It's Dark so they can be prepped & ready in time for the despatch date in early March.In honour of that (and after the initial 10 minutes of ramble) we chatted a bit about the new album, namely in the context of playing it live, the early reviews and the release of Murder Machines and the story behind the accompanying video.And, in an effort to be better informed, we are going to discuss this weeks diary reading in Chapter 95. So I will have no excuse because, as you will hear, I have in fact read it.Love'n'throwing shapes in a cupboard.h* Lancashire Hot-Pot RecipeTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

It’s difficult to escape Wordle at the moment, and as with most of these things the genius is in the simplicity of it.So this weeks show notes are short ‘n’ sweet and brought to you in Wordle form…SHELFORGANGENIEFUMESFUGUEOh and even though I say it myself, this weeks crooncast may never be eclipsed. Oh, I do like to be beside the organ...Love’n’widdly gothic masterpieceshFunny Shop Names Twitter ThreadTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Are you sitting comfortably, then I will begin.A long, long time ago there was a far away land. A magical place of clocks, and cheese and really useful little pocket knives. It was a warm and pleasant land and whilst its people tried to keep themselves neutral in all matters also still insisted on their confectionary being triangular. And as a result quite difficult to wrap if given as a gift.One fine day a man of music arrived from across the water. He wasn't really sure why he had been called to this strange land, but he travelled at the behest of a friend. And what nobler cause could there be than that.It soon became clear that a special performance was to take place, our traveller was to sing and a group of local minstrels, who had been summoned for the purpose, would provide the accompaniment. There would be words and music and unexpected shifts in key and time signature and it would be a night to remember.And then, as the hour approached something unusual and unexpected happened and a silence fell upon that place. Another man of music appeared at the side of the stage in a plume of smoke from a little machine. A mountain of a man from an earlier time, he had the whiff of tartan and he was clutching a flagon of mead. And for a second all was still, and if a pin had dropped you would have surely heard it.But not for long, because these two men of music shared a common bond, and soon fell into the deepest of conversation. And they drank, and they laughed and they sang. And although few people bore witness, you must believe me that all of this did truly happen. Just once. In that far off land. The End.TCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

The second half of the Marbles chat with Dave Meegan this week. As usual he doesn’t disappoint.After the general discussion of last week, we target (laser-like) in on Ocean Cloud, Fantastic Place & Neverland for a more detailed memory prod. Of course that means reliving those four Neverland verse chords, and a progression so close to perfection that we nearly played them forever.And before I forget DM wanted me to give a shout-out to Mike H and recognise all that he contributed to the Marbles story (particularly at the end when it all got a bit unnecessary).The diary takes me to Aziz Ibrahim's place in Manchester, for knocked-through terraces, home made curries, tabla machines and guitars that think they are synthesisers. And then Ant & I make ourselves look like a right pair of Johnsons by having no idea what had been in the diary reading - well what do you expect by now?Love, chordal perfection, ocean-rowing, and may your marbles remain in your possession.h

Friend of the Podcast (FOTP) and all-round fine fellow Dave Meegan joined us for the recording of Chapter 90, and as you would expect, it was as lovely as ever. What it also means is that there is some solid intel about the recording of Marbles, from the early writing sessions in Bath, through the updating of facilities at the Racket Club and what that meant to songs like Ocean Cloud & Invisible Man.It quickly became clear that we weren't going to cover it all, but Ant made the executive decision to spread it over a couple of episodes so expect to hear more from Dave M in 91.The diary takes me back to Padstow, and a bit of a last minute decision to immerse myself in some West Country paganism. That’s not something that happens every day. More’s the pity…What an 'Osser.hTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

There is no point trying to be modest, or indeed beating about the bush, because Chapter 89 is a whopper.In the past (it is fair to say) that we have produced some reasonably entertaining chapters, and also some relatively in-depth episodes. But 89 may well be the first time we have come close to marrying the two together (and there will be more on that later).So, and in no particular order you are about to enjoy;1. A couple of band-on-the-road-trips, one in Sweden and one in Germany.2. The balance of the questions received from Patrons for use in the Oxford Livestream broadcast (including a belter from Sarah Golding-Keane about my footwear).3. A small update about my smalls.4. A call to action with regard to The Release5. The definitive guide to Tupperware.You see what I mean. Whopper.Love’n’McCartney,hWho Are You (Promo Video) TCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

And we're back...It seems like an age since we were chatting festive b*llocks with Chris Neil, and yet TCD has only actually been away for a week. Did you have a nice break?We are looking back a little this week as we focus on the Oxford Show from the 18th December. If you watched the livestream (or indeed were there in person) you will know that Ant took to the stage for a bit of TCD bants just after the interval. He had organised some questions from the Purples especially for the event and because we didn't get through them all we thought we would cover them today (and for chapter 89 as it happens). Hopefully you will find it enlightening...Which brings us to the new year, and what better way to start than with a new volume of the diary. Back to the heady days of 1998 and the joys of an old-school fan club convention gig in Barcelona, all sticky keys & sewage. A big shout-out to Ivan and my brother-from-another-mother Gabriel.Love'n'bradshawshTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

OK, lets gets the bad news out of the way first, this is the last Corona Diaries chapter of 2021. Ant & I have decided to have a week off over the festive period, but we will be back ready to pick up the baton in the new year.And so to the good news: As promised we bring you a full-on Christmas Special to close out the year. The legend that is Chris Neil (d.o.b Dec24) joins us for an extended edition of absolute (Christmas) bollocks.No spoilers, no trails, no clues...just immerse yourself in over 75 minutes of absolute meandering and meaningless (but proud) twaddle.And it goes without saying we both wish you a safe & peaceful Christmas and a hope-filled new year.Love'n'noisetteshP.S Did you get my text message Miles?TCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Tuesday 7th December, Chez Hogarth (cont'd).Half way through recording what would eventually become Chapter 85, Ant had the idea that we should keep riffing on the subject of .Com and see if it would offer enough 'gold' to stretch over two episodes.So we did.And at the end of the session we felt confident that we had easily achieved that in terms of quantity, working on the assumption that the ship has already sailed with regard to quality.Of course once we began to piece it together, and remove the various interruptions, sustained bouts of laughter and extended moose cameos we realised it might have to be a bit of a cut'n'paste job.The question is, how many of the joins can you spot? Answers on a postcard, the winner gets a yo-yo, a satsuma and two walnuts in crocheted cardigans...Next week.... CHRISTMAS BOLLOCKS with Chris Neil!Love'n'last-minute rehearsing. Maybe we'll see you in church...hTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Tuesday 7th December, Chez Hogarth.Ant happened to be in the vicinity and so we hatched a plan to record Chapter 85 with both of us in the same room. Face to face, either side of the kitchen table.What could possibly go wrong...The answers (for there are a few) in no particular order are Cardboard, Roof Bars, Muted Trumpeteers and a Christmas Moose. But we are dogged in our determination to bring you inaccurate, oft-repeated and post-watershed banter - so we powered on and managed to cobble together some thoughts on the creative journey that became marillion.comThere are a few chair scrapes, quite a lot of delivery people, the odd bit of Mrs h and a French bulldog in there which should provide the requisite ambience.Oh and the crooncast is the second part of your prescribed treatment, Scott Forte.Love'n'twinkly lightshTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

This one's for you Jackie Blear from Leigh, Lancashire. You have probably forgotten, but you posted a question on the guest book page at stevehogarth.com and Ant was quite taken with it. Consequently we took it, ran with it and mangled it into a whole TCD sized chat.I won't say any more because it will give the game away, but congrats Jackie on bringing about a fair amount of head-scratching, beard-stroking and whispered muttering. The diary section is all about my late-night tour of the White House. The Oval Office, the press room, literally the whole nine yards. Almost caught a whiff of Monica Lewinski's perfume drifting up from the thick pile carpet. It's amazing where knowing a man with a big gun can get you. Love from h, the US secret service, Mossad, Eagle, Evergreen, Energy and Marilynhps Thank you to the Baroness for my Cardiff encore cardigan. XTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

The plan for TCD 83 was that we were going to chat about mixtapes, because Ant had the idea that back in the day I would probably have put together a new mix for a two week road-trip.And to be fair he is quite right. Back in the day it would probably have been a TDK C90, purchased in a three pack from Woolworths, and it would have been one of the Chrome ones. I went with the better quality ones as I still felt bad about the number of keyrings I had purloined from the same store.We settled on a 'pre-show' side and a 'post-show' side, to allow for a couple of different vibes, and I scoured my iTunes library for inspiration. It turned out to be quite a good mix as it goes - let me know what you think?And (if I say so myself) the diary this week is pretty epic. I must remember to post a rug-based-montage onto insta at some point when I get home.Love'n'crocheted testicleshTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Greetings from the road!Well we just about managed it. From a hotel room in Cardiff, via a bit of piano onstage and a fair amount of knob tweaking in my tour bunk comes this weeks instalment of The Corona Diaries (sadly this work-flow took it's toll on the audio quality a bit as we were fighting with unhelpful recording spaces so please bear with us).Of course, to complicate matters further, we only went and threw in an extra special guest as well. I managed to track down the one and only Chris Neil, (legendary producer, actor and impressive name-dropper) and he popped up on the Zoom call with a twinkle in his eye and a urinal in his backdrop.Needless to say we had a good ol' natter about his time with the band working on HiE, his impressive discography and his slightly risqué history.Oh and in the wrap (emboldened by Mr N. who was press-ganged into it) we truly live up to our #pornographers moniker. Go no further than the diary if you are easily offended by laddish smut. What am I saying?!Love from the stage,(Cracking tour so far....)hDennis Waterman - I Could Be So Good For YouTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Chapter 81 is a bit of an exercise in tying up the loose ends. There has been a fair bit of information coming your way over the last couple of episodes and Ant wanted to follow up on a few bits. So (and in no particular order) we had a crack at...;A little bit about John Helmer's band The Piranhas and their claim to fame.A bit of an update from Thomas Olsson regarding Isildurs BaneSome trivia about one of the lines from Three Minute Boy that got lost in the edit for 78The time I phoned John Helmer from an airport lounge to check it was OK to use some lyrics in a song we had already recordedA rummage around some of the flotsam & jetsam in my man-caveThe diary entry is also a bit of a belter, and allows me to indulge in some first class name dropping. What a shallow bastard!..Love'n'salad SaturdayshThe Piranhas - Tom HarkTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

You are of course aware that we try and pull out the stops a bit when we get to a chapter with a nought in it, and for this landmark episode I think we have totally nailed it.I know Ant was a little nervous, and I have to admit a few flutters myself as we tried to keep up with our guest John Helmer, lyricist, musician, author, podcaster and all round impressive human being.Of course we needn't have worried, John was an absolute sweetheart and we reminisced with affection and warmth about our first meetings, and the way we slipped into a very easy working relationship that would, of course, prove very fruitful.John even arrived with a surprise up his sleeve, which closed the chapter out an absolute treat. Thanks John.Let's purple down the years,hThe Learning Hack PodcastThe Piranhas - BoxsetTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

It's a proper go at edu-tainment this week, by which I mean that this weeks chapter of TCD aims to inform as it entertains, or even entertains whilst trying to inform. To be honest I am not sure which way around it should be, the point is we were shooting for both.So how does it inform I hear you cry.Well.How many times can you work a reasonable gag, before you have to let it go. And if you can't stand to give up on it, how much longer before it stands a reasonable chance of becoming a catchphrase. These are the issues that TCD is not afraid to tackle head-on.Oh, and we also witter on about my collab with Swedish prog royalty Isildurs Bane and the project that became Colours Not Found in Nature.And that folks is what TCD does best, although I don't know what it is.Love'n'bees'n'spies.hTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

After numerous false starts we finally got back on message for chapter 78, and picked up the threads of the Radiation story. To help with this Ant thought it might be useful to have some cerebral stimulation, so we used the Wikipedia page for the album as a starting point for our chat.This actually proved to be moderately successful and we were able to pretty much confirm the contents of the page to be mostly on the money with regard to the recording and production of the record.The diary is the first section of the TSE tour from Brazil, and (if I say so myself) is evocative of multiple aspects of this amazing country - none of which are anything like Timpsons.Love'n'hamstershTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

Almost a tale of two tours this week, if you don't mind the ol' nod in the direction of Charlie D.After the opening salvo of infected teens, and DIY insurance we moved on to talking about the current state I find myself in, namely taking the week to do some pre-reheasal prep. Now you might be thinking that the phrase pre-rehearsal seems like an oxymoron, but in my world it means listening to MP3 files and trying to work out how the new songs go.So why a tale of two tours I hear you cry, well the diary this week covers some similar ground as the Band hit Cambridge for the first night of the TSE tour back in 1997.Love'n'aperitifshGin HassGin Hass is a danish creation and was first made when a danish bartender named Kim Hass mixed mango syrup, lemon soda and gin together.4 cl. Dry Gin10 cl. Schweppes Lemon (San Pellegrino is better)Mango syrup1 LimeLots of ice!Fill the glass with ice, and squeeze the juice of half a lime over it. Add 4 cl of Dry Gin and top up with of 10 cl Lemon Soda. Stir the drink and carefully add a bit of mango syrup. Garnish with fresh mint.TCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite

It's all about the diary this week, because that also makes it all about the h Band. February 1997 saw the first incarnation of the h Band take to stages around Europe for a short but near-legendary tour. We touched on it a little bit last week, but it seemed only right that it got a bit more attention - bearing in mind it would be such a fleeting reference.But we packed a lot into those few days, as London, Paris, Amsterdam & Cologne all came into view, to offer up something unique before fading into the mist.And the intellectual heft? Well lets just say 'elephant-dung-infused' and leave it at that.Love'n'ElsanhTCD Merch StoreBecome Purple and support the showThe Invisible Man Volume 1: 1991-1997The Invisible Man Volume2: 1998-2014FacebookInstagramWebsite