Marillion’s Mark Kelly Breaks Ribs in Traffic Accident
Marillion keyboardist Mark Kelly revealed he’d broken four ribs and suffered a wrist injury after he collided with a truck while jogging in Germany.
But he said he’d miss only a single show of the band’s current tour – last night’s appearance at the Colosseum Theater in Essen – and that he’d be back onstage tonight at the same venue.
“I had a little bit of an accident when I was out jogging,” Kelly explained in a Facebook video, in which a head wound can be seen. “I had a collision with a truck and broke four ribs and there’s slight damage to my wrist. I had to spend a bit of time in hospital. So I won’t be there tonight. Have a great evening, and don’t forget to wish [guitarist] Steve Rothery a happy birthday. … I’ll be back tomorrow, for tomorrow night’s show, so see you then.”
The band added its own statement, saying Kelly had been “hit by a truck” and “taken to hospital where they discovered he had four broken ribs.” "Tthe hospital wanted to keep him in overnight for observation," the group noted. "We collectively took the decision that 'the show must go on' and put together a half acoustic/half electric show with our friend Riccardo [Romano] on keys for the last few songs. Canceling was never an option for us and we hope that those of you who were there enjoyed the show. Rest assured that Mark will be back onstage for the next show and for the rest of the tour. Thanks to everyone for their understanding and Mark thanks everyone for their best wishes.”
Marillion’s current tour ends on Dec. 8. Frontman Steve Hogarth recently confirmed new material was under production. “We are now hunkered down in the studio working through some new ideas with our faithful and brilliant producer engineer Michael Hunter," he said. "It’s going well and we’re all getting along swimmingly.”