Editing Marillion (section)

====''Anoraknophobia'' and ''Marbles'' (2000–2006)====
The band decided that they would try a radical experiment by asking their fans if they would help fund the recording of the next album by pre-ordering it before recording even started. The result was 12,674 pre-orders, which raised enough money to record and release ''[[Anoraknophobia]]'' in the beginning of May 2001. As a 'thank-you' gesture to the fans who pre-ordered it, their names were credited in the sleeve notes and the pre-order "Special Edition" came in a deluxe 48-page hard-bound case with an extra enhanced CD.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marillion.com/music/albums/anorak.htm |title=MUSIC – Discography – Anoraknophobia |website=Marillion.com |access-date=19 August 2011}}</ref> The band was able to strike a deal with EMI to also help distribute the album. This allowed Marillion to retain all the rights to their music while enjoying commercial distribution. The band went on tour which started in May 2001. A second leg of the tour (with a setlist largely decided by a poll of the fans) reached places that had never been played before, such as in the Azores at [[Ponta Delgada]] 22 September 2001. A US Tour was still not a possibility.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Collins|first=Jon|title=Separated Out Marillion History 1979-2002|publisher=Helter Skelter|year=2003|pages=189}}</ref> A four-part BBC documentary 'The Future Just Happened' aired in the UK on BBC2 in the Summer 2001. Featured in Episode 3 was Marillion's revolutionary internet pre-order campaign for ''Anoraknophobia''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-14|title=marillion.com|url=https://www.marillion.com/news/newsitem.htm?id=7#!}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-14|title=Programme three : Inside v Outside|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/programmes/2001/future/tv_series_3.stm}}</ref> The band released its fourth live album, entitled ''[[Anorak in the UK]]'', in 2002.

April 2002 marked a new era of Marillion fandom. The band decided to book out a holiday camp and invite their fanbase to enjoy three entire days of Marillion with three concerts, signing sessions, and more. The hallmark of the weekend was the first night which hosts the entire rendition of an album of Marillion's choice. The Marillion weekends began at [[Pontins|Pontin]]'s Holiday Park, Brean Sands in the West Country, to which fans would fly in from all over the world.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-16|title=we-went-to-the-marillion-weekender-and-this-is-what-happened|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/we-went-to-the-marillion-weekender-and-this-is-what-happened}}</ref> In March 2003 they continued and held the Marillion weekend at [[Butlin's Minehead]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-16|title=marillion.com/tour/setlist|url=https://www.marillion.com/tour/setlist.htm?tourid=18&archive=1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-16|title=marillionvod|url=https://marillionvod.uscreen.io/categories/wish-you-were-here}}</ref>

The success of ''Anoraknophobia'' allowed the band to start recording their next album, but they decided to leverage their fanbase once again to help raise money towards marketing and promotion of a new album. The band put up the album for pre-order in mid-production. This time fans responded by pre-ordering 18,000 copies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marillion.com/music/albums/marbles.htm |title=MUSIC – Discography – Marbles |website=Marillion.com |access-date=19 August 2011}}</ref>

''[[Marbles (album)|Marbles]]'' was released at the end of April 2004 with a 2-CD version that was only available at Marillion's website. The pre-order version (known as the Deluxe Campaign Edition) of ''Marbles'' was packaged as a 128-page hard-bound book, packed in a rigid slip case. Those who purchased the Deluxe Campaign Edition by the end of 31 December 2003 were directly helping the Campaign Fund, and as a "Thank You" their name was printed in the album credits (like with the previous album, ''Anoraknophobia'').<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-01|title=marillion.com|url=https://www.marillion.com/news/newsitem.htm?id=38}}</ref>
[[Image:MarillionEmpik2007.jpg|thumb|275px|right| Marillion in 2007, left to right: Steve Rothery, Steve Hogarth, Pete Trewavas (front row), Mark Kelly, Ian Mosley (back row)]] The band's management organised the biggest promotional schedule since they had left EMI and Steve Hogarth secured interviews with prominent broadcasters on [[BBC Radio]], including [[Matthew Wright (television presenter)|Matthew Wright]], [[Bob Harris (radio)|Bob Harris]], [[Stuart Maconie]], [[Simon Mayo]] and [[Mark Lawson]]. ''Marbles'' also became the band's most critically acclaimed album since ''Afraid of Sunlight'', prompting many positive reviews in the press.<ref>Betty Clarke ''The Guardian'', 30 April 2004.</ref><ref>Tim Jones ''Record Collector'', May 2004, Issue 297.</ref><ref name="Jon Hotten 2004">Jon Hotten ''Classic Rock'', May 2004, Issue 66.</ref><ref>Roger Newell ''Guitarist'', June 2004</ref><ref>Simon Gausden ''Powerplay'', June 2004</ref><ref>''Guitar'', June 2004</ref><ref>''The Star'', June 2004</ref> The band released "[[You're Gone (Marillion song)|You're Gone]]" as the lead single from the album. Aware that it was unlikely to gain much mainstream radio airplay, the band released the single in three separate formats and encouraged fans to buy a copy of each to get the single into the UK Top Ten. The single reached No.&nbsp;7, making it the first Marillion song to reach the UK Top 10 since "[[Incommunicado (song)|Incommunicado]]" in 1987 and the band's first Top 40 entry since "Beautiful" in 1995. The second single from the album, "Don't Hurt Yourself", reached No.&nbsp;16. Following this, they released a download-only single, "The Damage (live)", recorded at the band's sell-out gig at the [[London Astoria]]. All of this succeeded in putting the band back in the public consciousness, making the campaign a success. In September 2004, Marillion returned for shows in Mexico, USA and ended in Canada Quebec City on 13 October 2004.

Marillion continued to tour throughout 2005, playing several summer festivals and embarking on acoustic tours of both Europe and the United States, followed up by the "Not Quite Christmas Tour" of Europe throughout the end of 2005.

A new DVD, ''Colours and Sound'', was released in February 2006, documenting the creation, promotion, release, and subsequent European tour in support of the album ''Marbles''.