Magnum Deliver a Stunning Tribute to the Late Great Tony Clarkin to a Thrilled Audience on the ‘A Passage Through Time Tour!

Magnum Deliver a Stunning Tribute to the Late Great Tony Clarkin to a Thrilled Audience on the ‘A Passage Through Time Tour!

When the much-loved Magnum legend Tony Clarkin passed away suddenly on the 7^th January last year, there was a huge outpouring of grief amongst the Magnum family. When singer Bob Catley gave an emotional tribute to his best friend and bandmate sharing that he couldn’t bring himself to continue performing without Clarkin, Magnum fans feared that their beloved band were no more, so it was with great jubilation that fans filled the packed Kentish Town Forum tonight!  The atmosphere was simply buzzing with excited anticipation, for their favourite storytellers were back in full force for a blistering tribute that showed that Catley and his band were better than ever!

 

In the manner that their fans have come to expect, the band made a dramatic entrance as a foreboding hooded figure with a mask covered in shards of mirrored glass stood in the centre of the stage, his mask illuminated by lasers casting a stunning kaleidoscope of light all around him! Visually stunning and only made better by the opening track, the absolutely spectacular ‘How Far Jerusalem’. Catley’s voice was crystal clear and pitch perfect from the very first note and the audience were spellbound! Magnum were back!!

Before beginning the next track, the superb 2018 track ‘Lost on the Road to Eternity’ from the album of the same name, Catley visibly full emotion spoke to the audience, welcoming them to the show. He told them that this wasn’t a time for sadness before introducing their new guitarist, Brendan Riley to great cheers. Riley was Clarkin’s guitar tech for many years and was an obvious choice. The affection and warmth that Catley felt for him was clear and it was clearly mutual. To fill the shoes of someone of such pedigree as Clarkin was always going to a tall order, but Riley embraced the challenge and looked every inch part of the band.

And like a carefully choreographed dance, Catley seamlessly transitioned to the beautiful, ‘Wild Swan’. As Catley made flamboyant hand gestures and struck poses, still every inch the iconic rockstar, the audience were mesmerised! Riley’s effortless fretwork making this intricate track look like childsplay! But whilst Catley commanded the stage, it’s impossible not to mention the rest of the Magnum family! With Dennis Ward on bass, Rick Benton on keyboard and Lee Morris on Drums, the dynamic between the band could only be described as pure magic!

Their fans were treated to two magnificent sets of much loved Magnum classics! Whilst there were too many highlights to mention, without a doubt ‘On a Storyteller’s Night’ and ‘Vigilante’ were the two crowd favourites! Seamlessly executed, they were pure perfection on every level!

Considering the poignant nature of the night, this was a show filled with joy, a celebration of life, a celebration of music and timeless storytelling where the music did the talking! This was never more clear than in the exquisite encore where the band played, ‘The Spirit’ and ‘When the World Comes Down’. Catley dedicated ‘The Spirit’ to Tony Clarkin and despite being clearly overwhelmed with emotion, ever the true showman, he never missed a note!

But whilst the musical mastery of this incredible band was absolutely out of this world, what elevates Magnum to a whole new level is of course Clarkin’s incredible songwriting and his ability to tell a story that takes you on a journey into another realm, and tonight in his memory they did just that in a spectacular fashion!

Words and Photos by Louise Phillips

All photos are owned by Louise Phillips Music Photography and cannot be shared without consent.

 

Setlist:

Set 1:

How Far Jerusalem
Lost on the Road to Eternity
Wild Swan
When We Were Younger
The Tall Ships
The Flood (Red Cloud’s War)
Les morts dansant
Don’t Wake the Lion (Too Old to Die Young)

Set 2
Soldier of the Line
Just Like an Arrow
Need a Lot of Love
On a Storyteller’s Night
All England’s Eyes
Vigilante
Kingdom of Madness

Encore:

The Spirit
When the World Comes Down