Michael Pointer (born 22 July 1956) is an English drummer. He is known for his work in the neo-progressive rock bands Marillion and Arena. Away from music, he has also worked as a kitchen designer.
Pointer was the original drummer and a founding member of Marillion. He appeared on the band's debut EP Market Square Heroes (1982) and debut LP Script for a Jester's Tear (1983). He and the band parted ways following the album's UK tour in March 1983 and was ultimately replaced by Ian Mosley.
Mick was shocked by the sacking from what was effectively his own band, but after his hiatus he decided to come back to the music business and prove his critics wrong, this he did, like a phoenix from the flames Mick has built a long and successful career working with the cream of British musicians in what is effectively a supergroup in the Progressive genre. Arena have lived up to their promise and delivered numerous critically acclaimed albums with a much heavier sound. Mick continues to record and tour extensively with Arena and are regulars at top festivals around Europe.
In an interview with Marko's Marillion Museum in July 2019, Mick Pointer gave one of his longest and most detailed conversations on his complete career, including many anecdotes from the pre history of Marillion. Pointer's passion for music grew after hearing his brothers copy of Deep Purple's Machine Head, he set his heart on playing live music, and after playing in a local band Pointer joined Electric Gypsy. The band consisted of Alan King (vocals) Doug Irvine (Bass) Andy Glass (Guitar) and Pointer himself on drums. They were mostly a covers band, but Pointer had bigger ideas and wanted to play a more Progessive style of music, so Electric Gypsy were short lived, but Pointer and Doug Irvine had similar tastes and they decided to form their own band. That band was SilMarillion, the name was Pointer's suggestion after seeing Irvine's copy of the J. R. R. Tolkien book at their home in Long Marston. SilMarillion soon added Brian Jelliman on keyboards and Steve Rothery on guitar. They soon dropped the "Sil" and became just Marillion. This line up wrote unpublished songs like "Alice" and "Lady Fantasy" that still resonate with older fans of the band even today.
After his unscheduled departure from Marillion, Pointer did not perform music for another ten years and instead started a kitchen designer business, something he had served an apprenticeship in as a teenager.but after this hiatus he decided to come back to the music business refreshed and ready to prove his critics wrong. Like a phoenix from the flames Pointer has built a long and successful career working with Arena, in which he has played with a number of top British musicians. Pointer continues to record and tour extensively with Arena, who have a string of critically acclaimed albums and they are regulars at top festivals around Europe.
Pointer later gathered a band for "Mick Pointer's Script for a Jester's Tear tour", comprising Brian Cummings (Carpet Crawlers) on vocals, Nick Barrett (Pendragon) on lead guitar, Mike Varty (Credo) on keyboards and Ian Salmon (Arena) on bass guitar, to perform Marillion's debut album for its 25th anniversary. Pointer had originally intended to call it "Mick Pointer, ex-Marillion" but the remaining members of the band objected to him using the name and threatened him with legal action.