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Magic Gang

Colin Campbell
by Colin Campbell on 14/10/18 18:00
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Last Saturday, Alison and I went to Rock City to see the Magic Gang.

Since arriving in Nottingham in 1995 I have had some extraordinary experiences at Rock City and some unforgettable nights in, what many consider to be, one of the best venues in the United Kingdom for music.

Alison and I saw Snow Patrol when they were at the peak of their powers, as they agreed to do a last minute, secret charity gig for a local cancer charity. We got the last two tickets. It was an unbelievable night.

Mike and I also saw Frank Turner’s 2000th show at Rock City and I think it’s unlikely I will ever go to a gig like that one again.

I wrote a blog about Bloodstream when we saw Rudimental.

The Magic Gang was altogether different though.

I didn’t even know a single song but Alison had heard them on the radio and was quite keen to go. Let me give you a bit of a heads up here though – if it’s an over-14s gig at Rock City it means it’s full of people who are 15 who have managed to get someone to buy them beer when they’re let out for the night. Alison and I were about the oldest people there (I think most of the 15- year olds probably thought we were St John’s Ambulance!!)

We stood towards the side of the stage because neither of our knees would entertain the mosh pit, even if we had any inclination of heading towards it.

But here is the thing. It was an absolutely brilliant show. The Magic Gang don’t even have enough material to play an hour but every single person (apart from Alison and I) in that place knew every single word to every single song.

Most of them were drunk and many of them were on each other’s shoulders but they shouted back the words with so much passion and so much energy and love it was a sight to behold. It was a tribe of people and you weren’t allowed in unless you knew the secret code. The secret code was the words to the songs.

All life is there, all life is in a place like that.

I have now transcended the generations. I was the guy at Strathclyde University Union who got told to “f**k up” by Tim Booth (the lead singer of James) for interrupting him during a song.

I was the guy at the front of the stage, at the front of the pit leathered shouting back at the band. I’m now the guy with the bad knee at the side of the stage that doesn’t know the words. But there’s no less joy in that, just observation and consideration and education and entertainment.

Magic Gang are good, you should check them out!

Intellectual guitar music.

 

Blog Post Number: 1794

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Colin Campbell
Written by Colin Campbell
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