Veteran Brummie rockers Magnum are to release an official recording of the last night of their The Monster Roars tour. This KK’s Steel Mill show was the last that guitarist, songwriter and founding member Tony Clarkin would play with the band.
Magnum – Live At KK’s Steel Mill (Steamhammer/SPV)
Release Date: 10 January 2025
Words: Robert Adams
This is a bittersweet album for me. Originally recorded to document the band’s 50th Anniversary tour, after the passing of guitarist, songwriter and founding member Tony Clarkin on 7 January 2024, it now serves as a lasting tribute to one of rock music’s finest songwriters.
I was fortunate to catch the band on the first date of this tour at Cambridge Junction on 28 March 2022. This was my twelfth time seeing the band live, and they certainly did not disappoint.
The show recorded for this album at KK’s Steel Mill on 10 December 2022 followed the same setlist at Cambridge, and the whole band sound fantastic. Every decade was covered in the show, with then brand new songs like The Day After The Night Before and The Monster Roars sitting comfortably beside Magnum classics such as Kingdom Of Madness, Sacred Hour and On A Storyteller’s Night.
It is a testament to Clarkin’s timeless songwriting that these songs fit so well together. Having seen the band live so many times before, I can actually see vocalist Bob Catley’s over-the-top hand and arm movements as he puts everything into the performance as I listen to this wonderful album.
Given the poignant nature of Live At KK’s Steel Mill, it is a must-purchase, and not just for Magnum fans but for anyone who has even a passing likeness for top-drawer melodic rock. Magnum were masters of their craft, and the class oozes from the speakers on this album.
It did take a few plays of the album for me to put my emotions to one side. Tony Clarkin will be greatly missed, indeed. Once I had my emotions in check, I found the album to be a joyful experience and a very fitting tribute not only to Clarkin but also to Magnum themselves.
There are numerous standout tracks on this album apart from those already mentioned. Dance Of The Black Tattoo, The Flood and Vigilante sound majestic, but the cream at the top of this set for me is a spinetingling version of Les Morts Dansant from On A Storyteller’s Night album.
It is up there with the Marillion classic Forgotten Sons as one of the best songs written about the futility of war. I would have loved for them to have played How Far Jerusalem in these shows, but that is me being greedy.
Magnum Live At KK’s Steel Mill is a truly wonderful album.
The remaining members of Magnum are playing five Tribute To Tony shows to commemorate their fallen leader.
Clarkin’s daughter Dionne will contribute two of her father’s favourite instruments to the concerts – his red Telecaster and his white custom guitar, hoping that Clarkin will be watching from heaven. “My father was an extremely modest and humble man who would probably be surprised at how much the large Magnum community continues to love him to this day,” Dionne says.
“He always believed that few people would really care if one day he would no longer be with us. As it turns out, the exact opposite is the case.
“We all miss him, his huge artistic achievement and his great empathy as a father, friend and musician.”
Live At KK’s Steel Mill is the most emotional album in Magnum’s longstanding career.
