Magnum Oxford Academy 10th May 2008

This is the first gig in years that all of us have managed to attend and actually meet up and have a pint together - so for the first time you get 1 gig, 3 reviews.
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First problem is that this venue is sponsored by a well known lager brand, so no bitter on sale. Now that watery slop may be okay for people without taste buds, but I like to be able to taste my drink.

Awake opened the night, not bad, but if I’d bought a CD I would have got it signed because they may be famous one day.

Magnum were in fine form again, this set had surprises, the first being the opener (Back To Earth), a few from Princes Alice including the great When were Younger, and some classics like Vigilante. Then they went into playing the whole of Wings of Heaven. (Wonderful) Encores of All England’s Eyes and Kingdom of Madness completed a very good evening.
NH
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Awake were first on. I'd never heard of this band before but they have a really good combination of heavy/melodic/virtuoso tunes - think Dream Theater and Queensryche.

I was so impressed I bought the album (which is also very good) but I never got it signed because I'm a 43 year old father of four, not a starstruck teenager. What would I have said to those guys "you were great can you sign my cd so I can put it on eBay when you're famous?"

I have to admit that I had to be persuaded to to go to this gig. Why should I shell out 20 quid to see a band that I've seen plenty of times in their heyday, that are now in decline and playing lager sponsored clubs? Don't get me wrong, I am a fan - always have been. Back in 19something or other I remember going to Shades in London with the sole purpose of buying the Back to Earth/Soldier of the Line single that I had heard on the Friday Rock Show. I love that song and, just like 20 years ago when they used it to open the Wings of Heaven tour, they opened with it again tonight.

Frankly they could have stopped there and then and I would have been happy. I knew after that one track that I was wrong and the band are as good as ever. As well as the tracks NH mentioned above, I was very impressed with the acoustic-then-ballsy version of "The Spirit".
(Quick note to Steve who was stood (albeit a little unsteady) next to me for most of the gig - Did you really ask me if I wanted my hedge trimmed midway through Vigilante??)
NR
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All I want to add is how well Harry James (from Thunder) fit into the band and it shows how good they are when they can be this enjoyable without playing anything from their best known album (On a Storytellers Night).
ME

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