Gig review: MAGNUM Album Launch, Robin 2, Bilston, 25 March 2014

Interview with Tony Clarkin of Magnum, first broadcast on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, 2 March 2014 (3:23)

There is a longer extract of this interview together with the album review here

250+ eager fans awaited the launch and their first full listening of the new album from Midlands-based melodic rockers Magnum. ‘Escape From The Shadow Garden’ is the band’s 17th studio album and again features the artwork of sci-fi/fantasy artist Rodney Matthews who was also present tonight.

There is a great atmosphere in the venue and plenty of souvenir cards around to get signed, although looking at the number of album shaped plastic bags around fans have bought their own swag to get signed as well. The band aren’t actually playing tonight which in a way is better as it leaves plenty of time for everyone to meet them.

With the album played out, a marathon one-and-a-half hour signing session ensued and Rodney Matthews  was swamped as much as the band for photos and autographs.

A welcome part of the evening was the free raffle where one lucky fan got a fully framed and signed copy of the original album artwork, this along with over 30 other prizes all went down well especially with the winners.

‘Escape…’ is a classic Magnum album; it has the riffs, sweeping keyboards, incredible vocals and shows Tony Clarkin is still writing some amazing music with a nice modern rockier feel to please the current fans and open up to new ones. Great comments flying round the room and the usual discussions about fave tracks and comparisons between earlier works all make for a fun time.

For those more inquisitive, looking round the crowd there were some notable faces that had turned up to take part in the event. Reuben Archer (Stampede) was there doing a few interviews for his radio show, the legendary Krusher Joule (artist, DJ and just about everything else rock related) and Al Atkins (founder and original singer with Judas Priest) and Paul May (Guitarist/Writer/Producer) who – as the Atkins May project – and are due to release their latest work imminently.

All in all an extremely enjoyable evening for the fans and the band and everyone else involved.

Review and photos by Simon Dunkerley

Album review

MAGNUM Tour Dates 2014

EU TOUR
07.04. FI-Helsinki – Tavastia
09.04. DK-Copenhagen – Amager Bio-with NeonFly
10.04. SE-Gotheburg – Sticky Fingers-with NeonFly
11.04. SE-Borlange – Liljan-with NeonFly
12.04. SE-Sandviken – Backstage Rockclun-with NeonFly

UK TOUR
19.04. UK-Southampton – The Brook -with NeonFly
20.04. UK-Buckley – Tivoli-with NeonFly
22.04. UK-Oxford – O2-with NeonFly
23.04. UK-Bristol – O2 -with NeonFly
24.04. UK-Norwich – Waterfront-with NeonFly
25.04. UK-Leamington Spa – Assembly Halls-with NeonFly
26.04. UK-Manchester – The Ritz-with NeonFly
28.04. UK-Nottingham – Rock City-with NeonFly
29.04. UK-Glasgow – Garage-with NeonFly
30.04. UK-Newcastle – O2-with NeonFly
02.05. UK-Holmfirth – Picturedome-with NeonFly
03.05. UK-Wolverhampton – Wulfrun Hall-with NeonFly
04.05. UK-London – Islington Town Hall-with NeonFly

06.05. NL-Uden – De Pul
07.05. B-Vosselaar – Biebob

MAGNUM & SAGA
GERMANY & SWISS DOUBLE HEADLINER TOUR*
08.05. D-Dortmund – FZW*
09.05. D-Cologne – E-Werk*
10.05. D-Emden – Nordseehalle*
12.05. D-Hamburg – Docks*
13.05. D-Berlin – Huxley`s Neue Welt*
15.05. D-Saarbrücken – Garage*
16.05. D-Filderstadt – FILharmonie*
17.05. D-Offenbach – Capitol*
19.05. D-Regensburg – Airport Obertraubling*
20.05. D-Nürnberg – Rockfabrik*
22.05. D-Munich – Circus Krone*
23.05. CH-Pratteln – Z7*
24.05. D-Ravensburg – Club-Oberschwabenhalle*

26.05. AT-Kufstien – Kulturfabrik
27.05. AT-Dornbirn – Conrad Sohm

MAGNUM live 2014 (Festival)
04.-07.06. SE-Sölvesborg – Sweden Rock Festival

Power Plays w/c 13 May (Mon-Fri)

WARM RAIN Here Comes The Rain Again (Rain Recordings)
DARWIN Cosmic Rays (indie)
MICHAEL THOMPSON BAND Love & Beyond (Frontiers)
MARQUIS DRIVE Shine On (indie)
YOUR LIFE & MINE Remind To Remember (indie)
EMERALD SUN What becomes Of You (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 13 May (Mon-Fri)

09:00-12:00 JIM PETERIK WORLD STAGE Winds Of Change (Frontiers)
12:00-13:00 WHITESNAKE Flesh & Blood (Frontiers)
14:00-16:00 BUFORD POPE The Waiting Game (Unchained Records)

Albums That Time Forgot (Mon-Fri)

NEVER THE BRIDE Surprise (2005)