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Magnum Pairs With Grand Slam At The Islington Assembly Hall

Some bands aren't strictly metal, but they're beloved by headbangers anyway. AC/DC would be one such example, and there are other bands who always insist that they're just rock, but are often found at metal festivals across Europe. One such band would be Magnum, the Birmingham veterans who got their break opening for Judas Priest back in 1977 and have continued to endear themselves to rock and metal fans ever since. With their anthemic songs and Rodney Matthews artwork, they were always going to have a crossover appeal and five decades on, they continue to do so, as evidenced by the packed Islington Assembly Hall in North London on September 25th.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but the place was swarming with fans who have been following Magnum since their early days and younger rockers. Those who did arrive early, and there were many, were also keen to witness tonight's opening band, Grand Slam. For those unaware, Grand Slam is the band formed by Phil Lynott after the break up of Thin Lizzy. Though they weren't able to record a studio album during the legendary frontman's lifetime, some of the songs would be repackaged as Thin Lizzy tracks on compilations, including the evening's opening song, "Nineteen."

Right away, the uninitiated were bowled over by the talent and presence of vocalist Mike Dyer, who has the unenviable task of filling Lynott's shoes, which he does perfectly by being his own man. Though one can tell very quickly which songs were co-written by Lynott, the ones that aren't still sit very well alongside the old tunes, and the crowd were very warm to them from the first note to the last. "Gone Are The Days" was a particular highlight, as was "Crazy," before the set closed with a big sing along, in the form of the traditional favourite, "Whiskey In The Jar." Their current fan base may be relatively small, but as long as they get exposure like this to both celebrate their founders legacy and forge their own path, it'll expand without any problems.

It must be a headache trying to choose a setlist when you have no less than twenty three full length albums to pick from, but Magnum were up to the task tonight. Led by vocalist Bob Catley, the band's status was in serious doubt not so long ago when founding guitarist Tony Clarkin passed away, but rather than give up on the group, they've continued with Clarkin's guitar tech Brendon Riley playing the riffs. The first to be heard was "Days Of No Trust," one of two selected tracks from the "Wings Of Heaven" record, alongside the excellent "Wild Swan." Catley himself is in tremendous voice, and is clearly very happy to still be performing, even if it was a difficult choice.

The singer's voice continued to shine on such songs as "When We Were Younger" and the staple, "Soldier Of The Line," while it was also cool to hear "Run Into The Shadows," the only track from their latest album, "Here Comes The Rain." The whole band are in great form, and I found myself especially impressed by bass player Dennis Ward, with the former Pink Cream 69 and Unisonic man doing a great job of being the glue that keeps the music together. Ex Paradise Lost drummer Lee Morris also does a fantastic job behind the kit and the rhythm section works seamlessly together to emphasise the power of songs like "Vigilante."

Magnum continued to thrill the packed hall with more favourites such as "Midnight (You Won't Be Sleeping)" and the title track from their debut album, "Kingdom Of Madness," the latter of which being received particularly well. The interval between the aforementioned song and the encore seemed a bit longer than normal, but they were welcomed back on stage to a raucous response to finish with "Sacred Hour" and "When The World Comes Down," after which Bob Catley spent a few minutes thanking everyone for coming out, keeping the band and the spirit alive and praising Brendon Riley in particular for keeping him going. Magnum may not be high on the list of metal fans, but they still have a rabid fan base, and it's easy to see why when witnessing the quintet live, who still know how to put on a great show.