Magic: A Kind Of Queen

Magic formed in 1974, just as Queen was riding high in the charts. They immediately incorporated covers of Freddie Mercury and Queen songs into their repertoire from other groups, which included ELO.

In 2008 Magic are certainly not a ‘look-alike’ band; what they promise is a tribute to the music of Queen. My head held an image of Queen, frozen in time, so when the lights came on to reveal a rather more mature band, I was momentarily surprised. There were no flashy light shows, spangly costumes, or embarrassing dance moves, but, most importantly every note was performed live, with no pre-recorded backing tracks.

From the opening medley it was obvious we would have a show to remember. The audience was ready for participation from the off, with Radio Ga Ga the introduction to a medley of favourites, including Don’t stop me now and Bicycle. Trevor Brown quickly warmed into the demanding vocals and the band supported him with superb harmonies, particularly in Keep Yourself Alive and Innuendo. They never lost pace, as one favourite quickly followed another. Each one was excellent, but as they reached the end of the first half with I Want It All - they achieved the true Queen sound.

Magic burst into the second half with One Vision, the Seven Seas of Rhye and an absolutely sensational The Show Must Go On. A lovely gentle medley including Days of Our Lives, which was released just before Freddie died, was a very touching tribute. The mood then lifted as Charlie Sutton took centre stage with a brilliant performance of Brian May’s Driven By You. The band managed to seamlessly incorporate a huge number of hits, often with the audience as enthusiastic backing singers! The finale was a terrific version of Bohemian Rhapsody. How would they top that, I wondered but, for their encore, they cleverly introduced a stunning version of Mr Blue Sky, by ELO, showing a tantalising glimpse of their other persona. The audience shouted for more and were rewarded with Barcelona, Radio Ga Ga and finally the rousing We Are The Champions.

Magic were indeed champions. They fulfilled their promise and gave a superb celebration of the music of the legendary Queen.

Marian Dreier (Unverified), 18/08/08