Although The Magic Gang weren't playing in our usual gig spot, knowing they would be playing only an hour away from us in such an intimate venue wasn't something we could let slip through our fingers. I knew I had to see them live and, most importantly, nab myself some funky Magic Gang merchandise. They were, and still are, the band I had on a constant loop and one of the bands high-up on my must-see list.
The first band we were saw were an all-male band from Liverpool (which we could tell by lead singer Kevin's very strong Liverpudlian accent) and they impressed us with their stage presence and intriguing lyrics. Personally, my favourite song was (and still is) 'Losing Your Love' for it's relatable lyrics and a beat you can't help but nod your head to. However, all the songs were performed amazingly and Paris Youth Foundation is a band I definitely recommend seeing live. They remind me of Circa Waves mixed with a little bit of The Night Cafe due to their similar styles and not just because all three bands came out of Liverpool.
The second band we saw were a group of lads that we had previously heard a little bit about here and there. Despite hearing their name a few times, I hadn't got the chance yet to listen to any of their music yet and had no idea what to expect. Abattoir Blues totally blew me away with their sound as I expected it to be more similar to The Magic Gang's chilled style. Instead, the band that may have got their name from the Nick Cave song, had quite a shout-y style that we did not expect at all. Their instrumentals were amazing and added that extra boost to the songs, however, their music wasn't to our tastes - we still loved their live set and think they did a great job at warming up for The Magic Gang!
After being quite excited to see The Magic Gang live, especially since we were adamant they would never come anywhere near us, we were over the moon when we discovered that they would be coming to a venue nearby us. We had been listening to them for a quite a while and their live set lived up to everything we thought it would be. Although we initially thought Jack (Kaye) sang all of the songs, we were massively delighted to hear Kristian (Smith) sing a few of the songs, with Angus (Taylor) and Paeris (Giles) support them with soulful backing vocals. In fact, since the gig, The Magic Gang have released the song 'Take Care'; a beautiful song sung just by Gus himself.
After the gig, we weren't sure whether to wait for The Magic Gang to come out; however, Kevin from Paris Youth Foundation was more than happy to have a chat with us. Despite promising us he'd follow our band, Sherbet Shakes, he may have broken his promise but we'll have to forgive him for how kind he was! Even after we began to walk away, he still spoke to us and clearly has a great sense of humour as he kept cracking jokes. It always makes it super easy meeting bands when the members themselves are incredibly easy to talk to and actually make a huge effort to speak to you.
Without a doubt, The Magic Gang are the band you need to see live. They are incredibly talented and they play with everything they have, making sure you have the best experience possible. Seeing them in such a small venue for roughly £11 was something I won't forget and will always cherish; bands are often great prerecorded but they exceed a whole new level when you get the chance to hear them live.
In 2018, The Magic Gang have now released their debut album and it is incredible from 'Oh, Saki' all the way through to 'Bruises.' It's always hard to get your first ever album spot on, especially when you have to choose from which singles you want to include but they didn't get a single song wrong on the entire album. If you can't see them live just yet, I suggest listening to their self-titled album on repeat!
Listen to their debut album 'The Magic Gang' on Spotify here
Listen to their debut album on SoundCloud here
Follow them on Twitter here
Buy their debut album here
And like their Facebook page here
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