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Magnum - 'Live At KK's Steel Mill'

the appreciative roar and chant of “Tony, Tony, Tony!” when he is introduced at the end of the show testament to the high regard he is, and always will be, held in.

On December 10th 2022, Birmingham legends Magnum played the final night of their European tour in support of their ‘The Monster Roars’ album in front of a packed house at KK’s Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, the closest they got to a hometown show. The show was recorded and filmed, and thank heavens for that because it would turn out to be the final live Magnum show ever, as sadly the band’s founder, guitarist and composer Tony Clarkin passed away unexpectedly just over a year later on January 7th 2024, mere days before the release of their ‘Here Comes The Rain’ album. This show was featured on a bonus DVD accompanying that album, but to mark the first anniversary of Mr. Clarkin’s death is now being made available as a double CD/triple vinyl release.

And what a show it was; as it was the finale of a lengthy tour, I can forgive that “Uncle” Bob Catley’s voice sounds somewhat rough initially as they open up with the classic ‘Days Of No Trust’, but he soon warms to the task and is his usual inimitable self. Following the opener the set stays pretty current, featuring the likes of ‘Lost On The Road To Eternity’, ‘The Archway Of Tears’, ‘Where Are You Eden’, ‘Dance Of The Black Tattoo’ (surely Magnum’s heaviest ever song) and two from ‘The Monster Roars’, namely the title-track and ‘The Day After The Night Before’, while also unearthing a seldom-heard nugget in ‘The Flood’ from 1992’s ‘Sleepwalking’ album.

So if the first part of the set celebrated some of Magnum’s more recent output, then the second part is pure classics; how about ‘Wild Swan’, ‘Les Morts Dansant’, ‘Rockin’ Chair’, ‘All England’s Eyes’, ‘Vigilante’, ‘Kingdom Of Madness’, ‘On A Storyteller’s Night’ and ‘Sacred Hour’ to ram home just how many awesome songs Magnum have in their catalogue, when you consider which classics were not performed on this tour.

The sound quality throughout is amazing with perfect clarity between every single instrument, and also some boisterous crowd backing vocals (particularly during the stirring ‘Vigilante’), certainly bolstered by the fact that the sound is always excellent at the KK’s venue.

A wonderful and poignant souvenir, and a tribute to a much-missed gentleman, one of the finest songwriters, and indeed lyricists, that the music scene has ever produced; the appreciative roar and chant of “Tony, Tony, Tony!” when he is introduced at the end of the show testament to the high regard he is, and always will be, held in. RIP Mr. Tony Clarkin, thank-you for the amazing music.

Reviewer: Ant Heeks

Label: Steamhammer

Genre: Melodic Rock

Issue Reviewed In: 109

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