To say Gibraltar is a hotbed of musical talent is a bit of an understatement. The tiny British overseas territory with a population of just over 38,000 has already disproportionally given the rock and Metal world a long list of bands. We can now add Magik, who recently played the MAG Club, to that illustrious list.
Magik
MAG Club, Gibraltar – 27 June 2025
Words: Dave Bonney
Photography: David J Diaz
The list includes Breed 77, The Five Hundred and The Heretic Order, along with favourite sons Glen Diani of Nu-Metal legends One Minute Silence and Jeremy Gomez, who leads Red Method, one of the biggest up-and-coming Metal bands in the UK at the moment.
And who could forget the wonderfully named The Return Of The Punk Zombies, who I remember bringing total chaos to the Scala in London, way back in 2010.
Magik was originally a collaboration between vocalist Giles Ramirez, formerly of Ghost (no, not that one!) and Reach, and Manolo Arias of Baron Rojo, amongst many others, who are widely renowned as the greatest rock band to emerge from Spain. Baron Rojo are a band I had seen in the UK, way back in ’82, supporting Hawkwind and at the Reading Rock Festival.
During the pandemic, the Magik guys did what a lot of musos were doing at the time, remaining creative under difficult circumstances. They got together to offer the long-suffering fans something to cling to, some much-needed hope in uncertain times.
They offered classics from the ’60s and ’70s, which were recorded with their own personal style and direction, adapting them to their own musical criteria, unified under the banner of Covers In Isolation.
Collaborating with an array of rock heavyweight vocalists, including Danny Vaughn of Tyketto, Paul Shortino of Quiet Riot and King Kobra and Baol Bulsara of TNT, plus guitarists Manuel Seoane of Spanish giants Mago De Oz and Tony Hernando from Lords Of Black, Covers In Isolation paved the way for the second album, this time with all original compositions, the greatly received Last Call.
Which brings us to tonight at the wonderfully compact sold-out MAG Club in Gibraltar, to celebrate the new album launch amongst family, friends and fans.
There was an air of great anticipation about, not least to hear the new songs the band have to offer but also to witness a guest appearance from Danny Vaughn, renowned not only for his work with Tyketto, but also the Pete Way/Tonka Chapman-led Waysted as well as his own band, Vaughn. 
Completing the band tonight are Julio Gutierrez on bass and former Breed 77 drummer Pete Chichon, and they wasted no time launching into the fast-paced opener Burn It Down, which whetted my appetite instantly, along with another original song in Born Supernatural.
The impressive Running Out Of Time was next up, which is a song written with Billy Sheehan, no less. After hearing the studio version, I was keen to hear it in all its glory in a live setting, and it did not disappoint.
The guys chose not to play the new album in its entirety, deciding to mix it up quite a bit with some classic rock covers and some, shall we say, inspired eclectic choices. The first of these was the funky disco standard, Blame It On The Boogie, which got quite a few tail feathers shaking around the joint.
If you are going to play a few rock covers, then what better way to start with than the mighty Free and Wishing Well? Now, emulating Paul Rogers’ tone is no walk in the park, but Giles Ramirez certainly has the pipes to pull it off.
I first saw Giles in his previous band Reach and was instantly drawn to his wonderful phrasing, range and power, which he projects effortlessly in a live situation.
Album opener Set Me Free initially had me musing Journey melodies, but it soon became apparent that what I was hearing was actually more in keeping with Revolution Saints, the common denominator, obviously, being Deen Castronova.
Drummer/vocalist for both bands, Castronova’s voice is staggeringly good and on this number, especially live. Ramirez sounds uncannily like him, a testament to the frontman’s quality and coupled with Manolo’s scintillating fret work and Chichon and Gutierrez’s driving rhythm, this song was a highlight of the set.
Delving back into ‘outside of the box’ stuff, Bring A Little Loving by Los Bravos (yes, they of Black Is Black fame) brought more than a touch of fun to proceedings.
The recent single from the album, Black Mary Suicide, gets us back on the rock ‘n’ roll track, which, to be honest, is what this band is all about. A great track with an earworm of a chorus, delivered with a Free/Bad Company vibe, which the audience laps up.
The tempo is brought back down with Winds Of Heaven, a song which Giles describes as an emotional tribute to those who have passed on to the other side. It is a hauntingly beautiful ballad delivered as an acoustic duet with Manolo, which proves to be another highlight of the evening.
Open Arms, the Journey classic, is a tough nut to crack for any singer, and many would not try. But Giles reaches the highest Steve Perry notes with ease, highlighting his vocal dexterity.
Tonight’s guest, Danny Vaughn, joins the stage to rapturous applause, and I guess Desperado was a no-brainer given the singer’s past history with Illegal Eagles. The acoustic duo with Manolo did not disappoint with a beautiful rendition of this timeless song.
Staying where he belongs, up on stage, Vaughn and Ramirez shared vocal duties on Show Me The Way, the Peter Frampton classic, which was riffed up by Manolo in spectacular fashion, giving new life to one of the songs from the Covid lockdown sessions.
Maybe Tomorrow and Sticks & Stones are two more from the album, oozing the quality one expects from the four musicians on stage, giving it their all in this emotional setting.
The Creedence Clearwater Revival classic, Up Around The Bend is rocked up a tad, more in keeping with the Hanoi Rocks version, which, to be honest, I much prefer. Again, Danny Vaughn adds a bit more depth to the vocal delivery along with Giles.
Don’t Stop by Fleetwood Mac brings this celebration of music to an end and the full house have embraced every single glorious minute of it.
So there we have it, an evening of triumph, showcasing the brilliant new album of originals and some of the best classic covers, on the Rock and in the heat of the night.
If you missed out because of the size of the venue, then make sure you do not miss out next time. Oh, and go and buy the album.
