overlap

I have never in all my years seen such parody,such mind boggilingly bad awfulness masquarading as music as I witnessed in those 3 minutes. The 60 year old singer in leathers and a full blonde poodle mane gesticulating in the most over the top fashion to a salavating audience of mostly bald men was just too 'Tap-esque' to believe. Not my words, for more than one reason. But these are the words of a singer whose work I've been a fan of for a long time, talking about a band I've been a fan of for longer than that. This amuses me no end. There are very few bands still around who I go back further with, and I can pinpoint the day I bought Magnum's single Just Like An Arrow as a notable day in my life. I can also clearly recall going to see Magnum at Hammersmith Odeon sharing a car with someone who I'd been in the Cubs with and who asked me 'what happened, you were always a bit square' - the implication being that by going to see Magnum I no longer was square. The truth is I've always been square, or awkward, or different, and I can't say I've ever lost that much sleep over it. Fast forward twenty-plus years, and I'm watching the 20th anniversary of the Wings Of Heaven album, at a show featuring that album in its entirety. Back To Earth starts us off in the familiarly bombastic fashion, and I'm especially pleased to hear Pray for the Day and Different Worlds, as I don't recall ever seeing them done live before. More than thirty-five years into working together, I don't think Bob Catley and Tony Clarkin have that much left to prove to anyone, and at 60 years of age, give or take a few months, I'm not expecting any radical changes, which is fine as they're great as they are. I'm writing this just before heading out to see the band the guy quoted above sings with. I'm not absolutely sure he'll see the funny side when I turn up in a twenty-two year old Magnum t-shirt - but I know I will! Bob Catley, leather trousers out of shot! Setlist Back To Earth When We Were Younger We All Need to Be Loved You'll Never Sleep Midnight Vigilante < Wings Of Heaven album, start to finish> Days Of No Trust Wild Swan Start Talking Love One Step Away It Must Have Been Love Different Worlds Pray For The Day Don't Wake The Lion < encore > All England's Eyes Kingdom Of Madness

Labels: gigs, Magnum