The DVD/CD recordings from Magazine’s reformation tour are now available. For £10 extra, under an unusual definition of the word free, you can also get a free tour T-shirt. The T-shirt’s designed by Malcolm Garrett, a man with a wonderful grasp of the possibilities inherent in the Pantone palette.
The DVD consists of the entire 17 February Manchester gig, with A Song From Under The Floorboards from the London gig, and a rehearsal of the ska arrangement of Feed The Enemy. There are also a set of stills from the rehearsals and the tour; probably even some from the Glasgow gig. I must get myself a bigger television.
The CD has eleven tracks from the London gig. There wasn’t much to choose between the gigs, although the Glasgow one seemed to have a noiser audience than the ones here. And the others didn’t get devil horns from Barry Adamson either. This not the definitive Magazine live recording – there isn’t one, yet – but it’s not far off it. Twenty Years Ago has never sounded better, or more brutal, and songs like The Light Pours Out Of Me reveal that, all along, they have been a great dance band. This Poison is a reggae song. Who would have guessed? Old Trafford even plays with The Who in Shot By Both Sides. Everybody has fun.
If you’re someone who doesn’t believe in the reformation then you’ll probably prefer to wait for the 2CD expanded reissue of Play at the end of this month but - believe me - there is room for both sets in your rack at home.
Best news of all is that they’re working on new material. Let us hope they are talking about songs and not Howard’s trousers.
