Morning:
9°c
John Aizlewood's rating
, Magazine give almost impeccable show
By
John Aizlewood
2 Sep 2009
Always the most mischievous post punks, Magazine bid a quiet farewell in 1981, frustrated by poor sales but proud of alienating the punk taliban with their extensive use of keyboards. In the subsequent vacuum, leader Howard Devoto’s Luxuria and a brief solo career came and went. He was rumoured to be working as a postman and as a photograph archivist.
That invisibility waxed Magazine’s reputation: Morrissey, Coldplay, Radiohead, The Klaxons are Devoto devotees and February’s inevitable reunion went so well the classic line-up (with Luxuria’s Noko replacing guitarist John McGeoch who died in 1994) reconvened last night.
Now 57, Devoto has barely aged since his heyday, not least because he always looked like a fiftysomething, but he was returning to reclaim his hitherto ill-tended legacy and, my, how we’ve missed him. With his black trousers, bright shirts (scarlet before the interval; mustard after it), bald pate and the terpsichorean skills of a malevolent faun, he was part Austin Powers’s nemesis Dr Evil, part waiter in a Midlands trattoria. And between songs he namedropped everything from Erik Satie to Parade magazine, via the cult Sixties film Targets.
With Barry Adamson’s bass set to floorquaking and Dave Formula’s keyboards more sweeping than ever, they spent the first half heroically hurtling through their classic The Correct Use Of Soap album in running order and Devoto added to the magnificent A Song From Under The Floorboards’s allure by announcing it details “what happens when you don’t manage your coping mechanisms properly”.
After the break, the crowd accepted Devoto’s invitation to dance and Magazine dipped into their catalogue with an unsettling Permafrost (“I will drug you and f*** you on the permafrost,” indeed) and a magical The Light Pours Out Of Me, but, scandalously, no Shot By Both Sides or About The Weather. Otherwise, impeccable.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Reader views (5)
I don't make it a habit to be critical about other people's writing, but as this is my favourite band, I just had to impose my opinions. Er...can't say I agree much. I mean 'Shot by Both Sides' is a bit of a superficial expectation to have. I suppose if you had missed out on the reform tour and festivals (I didn't) it is permissible, but this would have been largely out of sync with the musical focus of the entire night. After the rather bleak 'Secondhand Daylight', something more upbeat and fun was needed. 'The Correct Use of Soap' has a thicker, richer texture and further rhythmic interpretation as noticed in Formula's synthesiser. And your choice to highlight 'Permafrost' as "unsettling" is a tad unappreciative and misunderstood. Thanks for highlighting the obvious lyrics. Not sure you are wholly tuned in with this one, or perhaps you are sacrificing this for comedic effect? If I sound like John Lydon, it's just because someone had to say it.
- An Anonymous Music Journalist/Writer, London, 03/09/2009 14:58
Report abuse
Having missed the original performances of Magazine as I was too young to attend their gigs, I finally caught up with the avant-garde, post-punk heroes of my youth for the first time with this Southbank Centre show. I was surprised to find the band as tight as ever, and Devoto's vocals as good as any studio recording from yesteryear.
Running through the defining moment of the career with a complete staging of "The Correct Use of Soap" LP, complete with witty quotes culled from an old book detailing tips of collecting and storing records as intoduction pieces, Devoto looked cool and confident as ever as did the rest of the band, belting out classics such as Permafrost, Model Worker, The Light Pours Out of Me, Stuck, Philadelphia, Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin), You never Knew Me, and my personal favourite, A Song From Under the Floorboards.
The second half of the show had Devoto claim that "You don't have to sit down" which had the majority of the audience respond enthusiastically by stprming to the front of the hall, and the remainder dancing in front of their seats, a sight unprecedented at the venue.
I was waiting for the encores to include "Shot by Both Sides" but it never materialised, a shame that. But overall a fabulous gig, which will no doubt give rise to a few repeat shows as Magazine have proved they've lost none of their magic.
- Carl Ford, Twickenham, 02/09/2009 17:35
Report abuse
Last night was a fabulous event, as was the one I saw at the Forum back in February. I think the best thing to do is highlight the songs superbly presented and performed, not bemoan the songs not played - The format of the gig was well publicised which meant some fireside favourites would have to be excluded. Parade and Permafrost were impeccably played. I fully enjoyed the Soap set especially Upside Down which was not included on the previous mini tour. Adamson's bass thundered through the auditorium like a steam engine in full flight, Noko's guitar work with the gadgets was a sound to behold. Dave Formula played his mountain of keyboards with the enthusiasm of a man half his age and gliding between the boards to produce the sounds note perfect. The engine room of John Doyle again had a polished drive to the proceedings, while the diminutive Devoto pranced across the stage conducting the orchestra, accompanied by brilliant saxophony and backing vocals, through 2 hours of excellence. I remember seeing them in Plymouth back in the late 70's, if you had said then that I would seeing them at the RFH 30 years on I would have dismissed it as a joke. This was a seriously great night. Hopefully they tour again. It was great to see proud dads and their kids having such a good time - everything they played is still relevant and has not aged a day.By the way, the best method to keep your record collection in great condition - don't lend them to your friends.
- Neil Turtell, Bromley, 02/09/2009 15:49
Report abuse
High on the list seminal bands that I missed first time around, I was delighted to hear that Magazine playing again, albeit without the talented and sorely missed John McKeogh. Equally, I had some concerns as to what shape the band would be in after a gap of 20 plus years. Such worries evaporated after the first number Because Your Frightened'. Magazine were as dynamic, powerful, committed and simply thrilling as I remembered!
What surprised me most was how fresh and relevant all the songs sounded on the night. A band that were always before their time, firmly post-punk at the height of punk, they did not sound dated in any way, which reflects number the current bands have been influenced by Magazine, as already mentioned.
Their peformance demonstrated the democracy of talent in the band. Yes, of course there is Devoto. His vocal style more narrative than singing, exploring the words and sentiments of his lyrics on stage, intriguing the audience to listen. It is the assured playing of Adamson, Doyle, Formula and Noko, that really ignite the songs. Highlights for me were Adamson's harmonic bass lines on `Permafrost'; Formula's elegaic grand piano on `Parade'; Doyle's thunderous drum attack on the opener; and Noko, who played McKeogh's signature guitar melodies, phrases and riffs with with creditable power and finesse.
Add no Feed the Enemy to the evenings scandal - deduct half a star!
- Con Mcgrath, Muswell Hill, London N10, 02/09/2009 12:30
Report abuse
It was good to see and hear Magazine last night at the magnificent Southbank Centre. I was too young to see them the first time round, but heard John Peel (R.I.P.) play some of their singles on his show at the end of the seventies. The sound last night was amazing. And Devoto's humour
is still very much off the wall. I also agree that it would have been an even greater gig if they had played Shot By Both Sides.
- David N, London, 02/09/2009 12:26
Report abuse
