Kingdom of Madness - Tavistock Review

It was a shame when Magnum and their long-standing keyboard player Mark Stanway parted ways rather suddenly at the end of 2016. Whilst Stanway was not an original member of the band, he had been an integral part of their set-up since joining in 1980 - and his pompous and rhythmic keyboard playing helped to elevate Tony Clarkin's songwriting and forge Magnum's trademark sound, leading to a number of successful releases throughout the 1980s. I doubt we will ever know exactly why the split happened so suddenly part-way through a tour, but regardless of the circumstances it was an unfortunate way for a 35-plus year relationship to come to an end. Magnum have carried on with a new keyboard player, and have been as solid and dependable as ever, with Stanway branching out on his own. At first it looked like he would busy himself with a reformed Grand Slam, the band he was a part of with Phil Lynott and Laurence Archer between 1984 and 1985, but after some initial shows it seemed that Archer was to take Grand Slam forward on his own. Around the same time, though, Stanway launched a new project called Kingdom of Madness, which also originally included Archer, which has been his main vehicle ever since. In forming the band, Stanway managed to coax former Magnum drummer Mickey Barker out of retirement - as well as founding Magnum keyboard player Richard Bailey. The band's aim was to bring the classic music of Magnum to the masses, focusing on the band's original run of releases between 1978 and 1994. There have been quite a few line-up changes within the project over the years, but the formation seems to have stabilised now. Bailey has been absent from the band's recent shows, though, so I assume that he has left, but Stanway and Barker are currently supported by Departed and former Cats in Space frontman Mark Pascall, guitarist Adam Bell, and former Alaska bassist Brian Badhams - alongside Stanway's wife Mo Birch (vocals/percussion) who contributed to a few of Magnum's albums as a backing vocalist during the period quoted. Like every other band's plans, touring for Kingdom of Madness has been tricky over the past couple of years - but last night they rolled into one of the South West's best venues - The Wharf in Tavistock - for a night of old-school Magnum. The show was originally supposed to take place back in May, but was postponed due to illness. It was also the night of Tavistock's annual Dickensian Evening, a Christmas-themed late-night shopping evening whereby the town stays open longer than usual, so the place was packed. It was quite hard to find somewhere to park near The Wharf, but luckily there was a free parking space in the large nearby car park. I did wonder if this would lead to a packed Wharf, too, but sadly it did not. The turnout was decent, but I had expected a few more people to be there given the Magnum connection - but in truth the place was certainly fuller than it was for my last couple of trips to the venue. Those who were there, though, were all really up for the show - and there was a great atmosphere throughout the band's two sets.

There was no support act, so Kingdom of Madness hit the stage at 8:30pm and launched into their first 10-song set with real fire. The set contained a mix of classic tracks and deeper cuts - many of which I had not seen Magnum perform at the handful of their shows which I have attended. Magnum, admirably, tend to focus on their newer material live - so it was nice to hear some old-school favourites performed by the passionate band, who looked like they were having a ball on stage. The punchy pomp of Changes got the set underway, but it was the second number Back to Earth where everything really came together for me. The song is a bit of a lost Magnum classic in my opinion, and it was great to hear it live. Pascall handled the material really well throughout, and he owned Back to Earth. Birch was generally employed as a harmony vocalist, but her powerful, soul-drenched delivery added a lot to the sound - and the chorus of Back to Earth sounded bigger thanks to her contributions. A couple of bona fide classics followed, with the standout being Just Like an Arrow. The upbeat song should have been a huge hit in the 1980s, and Stanway's keyboards drove the track throughout - whilst the crowd helped Pascall out on the anthemic chorus. Bell also got a chance to show off during the closing solo, and his approach to his instrument was busier than Clarkin's - meaning that crowd were treated to a few shredded solos throughout the evening. Another big moment for me was finally getting to hear something from Magnum's forgotten 1983 release The Eleventh Hour live - as the band broke out the hard rocking The Prize. Magnum always seem dead against playing anything from the album, so it was good of Stanway to revive one of the song with Kingdom of Madness. The setlist in general was very much one for the connoisseurs, but there were plenty of such in Tavistock as lots of people around me were singing along to every song. The Prize was one of the evening's overall highlights thanks to its rarity, and there were a few similar such moments still to come. That being said, though, hearing some classics again was still a treat. One such came with the epic Les Morts Dansant, the classic power ballad which has been an ever-present part of Magnum's setlists. This was one of three songs throughout the night sung by Birch, and her voice really suited the piano-driven piece. As the song moved along and built up she sounded particularly potent, with the moving closing section heralding a large cheer. There was time for one more deeper cut in the set's first half, which came in the form of the hypnotic Love's a Stranger, before two big singles took the band up to a 20 minute interval. The smooth pop rock of Start Talking Love came across well, but it was the heavier Rockin' Chair that was perhaps the most fun - and the crowd again helped Pascall out during the big choruses.

Following the short break, the band came back out to big cheers - and if anything the atmosphere throughout the second half of the show was better than the first. The second part of the show generally leant on more well-known songs, but there were still a couple of deeper cuts thrown in, too. A hard rocking classic in Solider of the Line got the second set underway, though, with the voices of Pascall and Birch making the pomp of the chorus really shine. It has always been a great live cut, and it got the crowd fired up again before a couple of slower deeper cuts. The more whimsical The Tall Ships allowed the folkier side of Magnum's sound to be showcased, and it was a great sing-a-long moment, before Stanway's washes of keyboards heralded in the more atmospheric Only in America. The song has always been one of my favourite Magnum cuts from the early 1990s, so it was great to hear it live - with the haunting chorus again benefitting from the big vocal arrangements that Kingdom of Madness are capable of putting together. It ended with a lengthy drum solo from Barker, too, who relished the opportunity to showcase his talents. I was impressed with Barker throughout the set, though, as his drumming was extremely tasteful, yet surprisingly technical. His beats and grooves were often a little different from the norm; and his solo was a powerhouse moment that proved that he could hit the drums hard and fast as well as more subtly. This then led into the more upbeat Midnight (You Won't Be Sleeping), another deeper cut which should have also been a big hit. The song is a real AOR monster, with some huge hooks throughout - and another chorus that was made to be heard live. It is amazing really that so many great songs have been neglected by Magnum in recent years, so hearing them brought to life by Stanway and his current band was a lot of fun. There were just two songs of the main set left by this point, and the spotlight was turned onto Birch again for the hooky On a Storyteller's Night. The song has always been one of Magnum's signature pieces, and hearing Birch belt out was a real treat. It was another that really got the crowd going - before a heavy take on Kingdom of Madness brought the main set to a close, with lots more singing when Pascall held out his microphone to encourage the crowd to do so. There was time for a couple more, though, and a two-song encore followed - with another real deep cut opening it up. Birch sang the ballad The Lights Burned Out beautifully, and it was another real set highlight for me. It has never been a personal favourite Magnum song, but it came across really well live - and it set the tone perfectly for a set-closing rendition of Sacred Hour. Stanway took the opportunity to relish in the song's lengthy keyboard intro, which is still one of the best keyboard intros in rock, before the track really brought the house down with its stomping chorus and dynamic arrangement. The setlist was (N.B. all of the songs below are Magnum songs):

Changes

Back to Earth

Just Like an Arrow

Wild Swan

The Prize

Need a Lot of Love

Les Morts Dansant

Love's a Stranger

Start Talking Love

Rockin' Chair

-

Soldier of the Line
The Tall Ships

Only in America

Drum solo

Midnight (You Won't Be Sleeping)

On a Storyteller's Night

Kingdom of Madness

-

The Lights Burned Out

Sacred Hour

Sometimes bands which are essentially alternative versions of established bands formed by ex-members can fall a bit flat, or come across as soar grapes, but Kingdom of Madness seem to get it right. Their set last night in Tavistock was excellent, and it was great to hear so many older Magnum classics and deep cuts live for the first time. The atmosphere throughout was great, too, and I imagine that there were many in attendance who enjoyed the trip back through Magnum's past. I will definitely make the effort to see the band again should they return to the South West - and I hope that they do come back to The Wharf at some point in the future.