There are good bands, there are great bands and there are bands that just blow you away with their staying power, their studio recordings and their live shows. Magnum most certainly fit into the last category.

Riding high on the back of the critically acclaimed album Into the Valley of the Moonking, Magnum arrived in Liverpool with their usual pomp, good humour and the desire to prove once again that they’re amongst the best rock bands ever.

The band opened up the night’s entertainment with Cry to Yourself and Take me to the Edge from the aforesaid new album before taking the devoted audience back slightly in time with Brand New Morning and the storming When We Were Younger.

Drummer extraordinaire and “New boy” Harry James, fresh from his summer tour with Thunder, seemed so in time and tune with the band it is almost as if he has been with them from the early days of the Seventies. This must also be said of genial bassist Al Barrow who adds another dimension to Mark Stanway’s excellent keyboards and Tony Clarkin powerful and soaring guitar work.

One of the biggest cheers of the night deservedly went out to the thought provoking and still sadly relevant Les Morte Dansant, this track, especially at this time of year is worth reflecting on and it was made the more disturbing as Al Barrow stood perfectly still at the start of the song with bass almost at firing position and Vocalist Bob Catley acting out being hit by a firing squad bullet at the end.

Other tracks played on the night covered the remains of the new album including the wonderful Face in the Crowd and No One Knows His Name before once more taking the crowd to some of the band’s earlier work with All England’s Eyes and Vigilante.

The band ended the set in fine style with the encores which included the hard hitting Don’t Wake the Lion and a very bouncy Kingdom of Madness which had the already ecstatic crowd leaving the O2 Academy venue on an even bigger high.