Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
When we were younger…a mere step or the beat of a chord from where Magnum used to practise in the fabled Rum Runner Club and within the shadow of memories of being arguably the finest of bands to have the Birmingham stamp placed upon its history and resume, the Symphony Hall played host to the band, and in a reversal of fortunes of weather, no longer put off by the snow and devastation of postponed music, instead it was the heat and sheer intensity of the homecoming gig to which the end of the tour will always be remembered.
Time is ever moving, time is a wandering minstrel in search of the stories to laud and retell and in Magnum those stories, the players that have come through the ranks and the songs that have thrilled so many, this is the memory of time when the not so hefty stone’s throw from the prestigious venue and setting for the final gig of the tour that has to, and will, stay with those who came from near and far to make this vigil.
If it could be said, the Beast from the East that disrupted the initial show earlier in the year may have done the crowd a huge favour, for in this setting, in this performance, Magnum truly displayed all the aptitude, generosity of spirit that you would expect from one of arguably the true greats of the genre.
The players have changed across the years, the vibe though remains, Bob Catley and Tony Clarkin may provide the longevity, the truth of the music that has inspired so many and loved by millions, but in the great Al Barrow providing the smiling bass, Rick Benton, Lee Morris and the passion of guest star Tobias Sammet, songs such as Sacred Blood Divine Lies, Crazy Old Mothers, Peaches and Cream, How Far Jerusalem, the phenomenal Les Morts Dansant, All England’s Eyes and Don’t Wake The Lion (Too Old To Die Young) took over the acoustically beautiful Symphony Hall with absolute charm and authority.
When we were younger, such dreams of Magnum headlining anything like the Symphony Hall would have been arguably considered preposterous, a flight of fancy in which the fans would have been subjects of the Kingdom of Madness, but those early days in the Rum Runner, those strained ears being elated by the possibilities to come; a symphony of Midland’s rock, a cacophony of brilliance, this is Magnum in all their pomp as they confront their road to eternity.
Ian D. Hall