Gig Review: MAGNUM at the Holmfirth Picturedome 22nd April 2011

The early warm spell made it a pleasant journey to Holmfirth with some good friends. My brother volunteered to do the driving and it was a nice trip in the C4 Picasso (nice car… soon to be changed though). The venue is a cinema as well as a concert hall and so has a slightly sloping floor which is a great help to those of us that are vertically challenged. We have ventured there a few times in recent years and always had a good view, so it goes down as one of our more favoured venues.

On with the show:

Providing support was GWYN ASHTON, Aussie blues guitarist with Brit drummer, 'Killer' Kev Hickman. They did their best to get the crowd going, but never really had enough power in their performance to win over a dedicated Magnum crowd. Personally I liked the work of the drummer, Hickman, but I felt that Ashton’s guitar work was a little sloppy… He comes over better on his recordings (yes, I did a little research on these guys).

The main event:

For those that don’t already know, MAGNUM are: Bob Catley (Vocals) – Tony Clarkin (Guitar & Vocals) – Al Barrow (Bass & Vocals) – Harry James (Drums & Percussion) - Mark Stanway (Keyboards)

Tony Clarkin still writes some great songs and it’s hard to think that they won’t around forever. As my good friend Simon says, you have to go and see Magnum because you never know if they’ll be back again. I have followed the band since I first saw them at the Reading Festival back in 1983 (damn I feel old!). That was supposed to be their farewell gig, but nearly 30 years later, they’re still alive and kicking!

Tonight they did a show that was a mix of old and new. It’s nice to hear the new stuff, but most of the fans are now old enough to remember (and love) the classics, and this is just what we got. As usual they put on a magnificent show and, as ever, we left the venue very satisfied with what we saw. Classics like ‘On a Storyteller’s Night’, ‘Les Mort Dansant’, ‘All England’s Eyes, ‘Vigilante’, the show-stopping ‘How Far Jerusalem’ and the magnificent closer, ‘Kingdom of Madness’ all put in an appearance (amongst others). It was a most enjoyable show and as long as the guys still have the energy we will be going to their shows whenever we can.

Gig Review: MAGNUM at the Holmfirth Picturedome 30th October 2009

MAGNUM ARE: Bob Catley (Vocals) – Tony Clarkin (Guitar & Vocals) – Al Barrow (Bass & Vocals) – Harry James (Drums & Percussion) - Mark Stanway (Keyboards)

I have been following Magnum on & off for over 25 years, ever since I first saw them at the Reading Festival in 1983 (Wow, that makes me feel old!). Even through the ‘Hard Rain’ incarnation, and Bob Catley’s solo career. So no surprise, when my best buddy Simon asks if I’m up for seeing them, that I’m the first one to say “You bet!”

After a pretty long and dark journey, we finally arrive in Holmfirth, a pretty little town just outside Huddersfield. It’s better known as the location for the BBC comedy “The Last of the Summer Wine”, but I hear it also has a growing reputation as a concert venue. The Picturedome is a pretty compact venue and, as you can probably guess from the name; it doubles as the local cinema. It does have the advantage, though, that the floor gently slopes towards the stage, making it much easier to see the action.

With the support act Decadenze done and dusted, we eagerly awaited the arrival of Magnum on stage. The finally arrive to a tremendous applause from the crowd and start the show with a couple of more recent numbers. In fact, quite a lot of the show consisted of more recent material. When I say more recent, I mean from since the band reformed in 2000. The tour was to promote the new album “Into the Valley of the Moonking” and, as you might expect, a few tracks from this album put in an appearance. Sounded pretty good too! Towards the end of the show some of the classics got an airing. It was great to hear the likes of “Les Mort Dansant”, “All England’s Eyes” and “Vigilante”, but they save the best 'til last, the all time classic “Kingdom of Madness” closed the show.

All in all a most satisfying show, Bob and Tony really on top form and they were ably backed by Al and Harry. A special mention for Mark Stanway, I must have seen Magnum about twenty or more times and last night was the first time I’ve seen Mark really engage with the crowd. I know he’s had his problems and it was really nice to see him coming out of his shell a little. I will be buying the new album and you can guarantee I’ll be seeing Magnum again, assuming they don’t do something daft!

My score: 9/10

LINKS:
Official site: http://www.magnumonline.co.uk/index.html