GIG REVIEW : MAGAZINE : PICTURE HOUSE, EDINBURGH : SUNDAY 30 AUGUST 2009

Third time this year that I've seen Magazine play live. This was by far the strangest.

The sense of anticipation wasn't any less than before, but the fact that there was a very prominent notice saying the band would be playing two halves of show, with the first half commencing at 8.35pm meant I knew exactly when the lights would go down.

Previously, the band took to the stage after a taped version of The Thin Air before launching into a blisteringly powerful The Light Pours Out Of Me. This time, it was all a bit more subdued. Howard Devoto emerged from the shadows, said something that he considered witty and urbane but went over the heads of most of us, said something like 'suit yourselves' as the band pumped out the opening notes of Because You're Frightened.

The song ended with Howard showing off a vinyl copy of The Correct Use Of Soap LP while saying it was 30 years ago you know...as the band played the intro to Model Worker.

I couldn't believe what has happening as it was now clear that we were going to get treated to the whole album, track-by-track, in order.

And given that the LP is up there in my all time Top 10 list you can begin to imagine how freaked out I was about this.

It was a truly stunning 40 minutes or so, spoiled only slightly by the fact that the keyboards of Dave Formula seemed so low in the mix. But what the live performances proved is that this is an album predominantly driven by the bass of Barry Adamson and the drums of John Doyle. I didn't stop dancing the entire time....even during the slower numbers.


I was slightly nervous about the second half of the show....after all we knew there would be no songs from one of the albums, and while there was clearly much to look forward to, I wasn't sure it could match the enjoyment of the first half.

And so it proved.....but only just.

Things weren't helped by the fact that the second part opened up with the obscure and 'difficult' b-side The Book which is more a reading from the pretentious notes of Howard D rather than a real song. What followed were far from obvious choices - 20 Years Ago, Upside Down and Parade - a b-side, a flop single and slowish-tempo album track. But just as I began to worry that things were going to peter out, we were treated to Permafrost and The Light Pours Out Of Me before the band left the stage to huge roars from a very appreciative audience.

The encore consisted of two songs. Definitive Gaze and Give Me Everything. The lack of Shot By Both Sides left a few folk bemused, but I don't think anyone felt cheated - maybe other than the fact that the second half only gave us 8 songs after the 10 songs of the first half.

As with gigs back in February I think of all the great tracks that weren't played. Only one song from the much loved Secondhand Daylight LP, and no sign of the manic I Love You Big Dummy as played earlier in the year. But I still loved it. And if there is a next time, I'll certainly be going along.

mp3 : Magazine - A Song From Under The Floorboards (live)
mp3 : Magazine - Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (Peel Session)
mp3 : Magazine - Give Me Everything

The live track was recorded in Melbourne on 6th September 1980. The Peel Session aired on 8th May 1980, while the single was released on 17th November 1978.