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Even with the early start time, the sold out Glasgow Garage was beginning to fill by the time Welsh rockers Decadenze hit the stage. They weren't a band that had registered on my radar before, however after their tight, well rehearsed set they made an impact that won't be forgotten in a hurry. Using some massive heavy, yet supremely melodic riffs to great effect they had tremendous energy on stage that illustrated that the five piece have obviously put in a lot of stage time.
"Throw It Away" is packed with energy and is a great way to start a night, before "Broken Glass" upped the pace further. Guitarists Phil Haycock and Adam Dive showed some great skills and gelled faultlessly with flamboyant drummer Rich Newsome and bassist Steve Edge who's playing is stunning, he has an intricate and involved style that adds a touch of brutal class to the cutting guitars. Steve's brother Chris fronts the band and it's great to see a singer who works the audience really well. Too many young bands struggle to command the stage, however between the classy songs and the hard earned stage craft, that's not a problem Decadenze suffer from.
Whether it was "Take It Or Leave It", "Our Final Day" or "No Second Chance" there was no let up in quality and the longer their show went on the more obvious it became that Glasgow had warmed to the band. Chris has an unusually melodic voice considering the heaviness of the music and it's great to hear a band with a front man that can genuinely sing rather than scream or growl his way through the songs.
Leaving their best for last "Shoot Me High" and "Draggin' Me Down" brought Decadenze's stint to an end and in truth a couple more songs would have been welcome. Although the band's music wasn't the most obvious choice to support the more stylish sound of Magnum, they got a tremendous ovation at the conclusion of their show. Their brand of heavy, yet accessibly melodic metal evokes everyone from Motley Crue to The Wildhearts or even Monster Magnet without relying on any one band for their sound.
It's great to hear a talented young UK act who can really cut it live and they enticed quite a few punters, myself included, to part with their cash for their debut album. Most of songs played on the night though are from the band's forthcoming EP and if their album and tonight's show is anything to go on it will be an essential purchase.
With Magnum's current album Into The Valley Of The Moonking having been hailed as their strongest release since the bands return in 2002, this tour has been a great opportunity for the them to dispense with the greatest hits set list and focus on a whole lot of newer music. Ten songs in tonight's show were taken from Magnum's last three albums and from ...The Moonking album alone there were six. If the reaction from the packed in crowd was anything to go by, this was an extremely popular move and one which also seemed to invigorate the band as well. So much so that guitarist and songwriter Tony Clarkin very nearly cracked a smile at one point!
Opening with "Cry To Yourself" and "Take Me To The Edge" from that newest album, the band were immediately in their stride, however it does have to be said that singer Bob Catley, who always looks like he's "enjoyed himself" before a show was a little unsteady to start with and his voice was a little shaky. There seemed to be some sideways glances between Tony and keyboard player Mark Stanway until Bob settled down and when he did it was top notch business as usual.
"Brand New Morning" from the album of the same name was the first song aired not to come from the new album and considering that it is only five years old itself the reception it got was that of an old friend. Talking of old friends, Harry James is behind the kit again and it would seem with the demise of Thunder that he is once more a permanent member of the band. Meaning no disrespect to Jim Copley, his on/off replacement, Harry just seems like such a natural fit in this line up. He's a charismatic figure and his energetic style is a welcome focal point in a band that can be a little static on stage.
Clarkin was on absolute top form, ripping out his instantly recognisable riffs and flurries with relaxed ease, and the title track "The Moonking" was no exception, with him, Al Barrow on bass and Stanway linking perfectly to produce a wonderful melodic yet urgent charge. Barrow has been a great addition to the Magnum ranks, his joyous enthusiasm is infectious and it's impossible to watch him play without a big smile spreading across your face. The Princess Alice And The Broken Arrow pair of "When We Were Younger" and "Dragons Are Real" sandwiched "No One Knows His Name" before we got renditions of "A Face In The Crowd" from ...Moonking and "We All Run" from Brand New Morning. It was a brave decision to play nine consecutive songs from their last three albums, however it shows that Magnum have strong belief in their current output and it gave the set and performance a freshness and vibrancy that spread through the crowd. Instead of getting restless as the new tracks kept coming the crowd got louder and louder.
The stunning, atmospheric "Les Morts Dansant" was the first classic played, it's always been one of Magnum's best songs and tonight was no exception. "All My Bridges" rounded off the new tracks aired before a closing salvo of "All England's Eyes" and "Vigilante" ended the main set.
The well earned encore was worth the short wait with "Don't Wake The Lion" being the strongest track of the night. It's a simply wonderful song that gives Stanway the opportunity to slowly build the atmosphere to a crescendo before Clarkin peels off his best solo of the performance and Catley rolls out the amateur dramatics to act out the poignant lyrics. Brilliant!
The only real oldie of the night closed the show and what better track to bring the house down than "Kingdom Of Madness" which always guarantees a huge audience sing along. Magnum seldom disappoint on the live stage and despite the surprisingly unsure start, tonight was no exception. The freshening of the set was a triumph and hopefully this is a policy that will continue for future tours.
The King is dead. Long live the Moonking!
Magnum Set List
Cry To Yourself
Take Me To The Edge
Brand New Morning
The Moonking
When We Were Younger
No One Knows His Name
Dragons Are Real
A Face In The Crowd
We All Run
Les Morts Dansant
All My Bridges
All England's Eyes
Vigilante
Encore:
Don't Wake The Lion
Kingdom Of Madness
Decadenze Set List
Throw it away
Broken Glass
Take it or leave it
Our final day
No second chance
Shoot Me High
Draggin Me Down
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