It was a sad end to a good thing when Magnum guitarist and chief songwriter Tony Clarkin passed away in January, bringing the story of British hard rockers Magnum to a close. A huge influence on the world of melodic metal, albums like ‘The Eleventh Hour’ and ‘On A Storyteller’s Night’ remain undisputed classics.
December 10, 2022 was a memorable night when Magnum played the final show of their European tour at KK’s Steel Mill in Wolverhampton and, as they had done on all previous nights, wowed their fans from the first to the last note. The concert was recorded by a state-of-the-art audio equipment, which later turned out to be a real blessing because it was – as we know with hindsight – the last official live recording starring Tony Clarkin, who died suddenly just days before the release of ‘Here Comes The Rain’, Magnum’s 23rd and final album.
Due to the huge demand and to mark the first anniversary of Clarkin’s passing, ‘Live At KK’s Steel Mill’ will be available on Steamhammer/SPV from January 10, 2025, for the first time on double CD, triple LP and for digital download. The album presents Magnum as an enthusiastically celebrated act whose repertoire of hits, classics and newer material could hardly be more varied.
“It was the perfect evening,” recalls singer Bob Catley. “We finished our The Monster Roars tour in Wolverhampton, KK’s Steel Mill was packed out and the promoter was a passionate Magnum fan. I couldn’t imagine a more worthy farewell to Tony than those recordings.”
To pay tribute to their late bandleader, Magnum are set to play an exclusive series of ‘Tribute to Tony’ shows in the UK in January 2025. As a special gesture, Clarkin’s daughter Dionne will showcase 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. 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!” Which is why ‘Live at KK’s Steel Mill’ is undoubtedly one of the most emotional albums in Magnum’s longstanding career!
Catch Magnum at the following dates:
21.01. UK-London – O2 Kentish Town Forum
22.01. UK-Manchester – Academy 1
24.01. UK-Glasgow – The Garage
25.01. UK-Wolverhampton – KK’s Steel Mill
26.01. UK-Wolverhampton – KK’s Steel Mill