ONE FINAL DANCE: FAREWELL TO ONE OF INDIE’S MOST NOTORIOUS BANDS ‘THE MAGIC GANG’
“Every great magician has their finale, one last trick up their sleeve. The disappearing act. Now you see them, now you don’t.”
Taking to the stage one final time was The Magic Gang. After 300 shows and over a decade’s worth of music, the Brighton four-piece are calling it quits with three farewell shows; Glasgow, Manchester and London. What started as an exciting and nostalgic re-visit to one of our youth-favourite bands, turned into a beg to not bid adieu.
Known for their definitive indie and colourful rock sound, The Magic Gang soundtracked the latter end of the alternate 2010s. Nominated for Best New Artist by NME in 2018, their self-titled debut became an immediate cult and critic’s favourite. And the equally (if not more so) successful follow-up brought a joyful moment to dance during the pandemic. If you haven’t heard of the gang, you’ll find traces of Weezer, The Beach Boys and The Beatles stirred together in a cocktail of indie bliss.
To say our goodbyes, we headed to the final ever headline show at the Roundhouse. Pulling tunes from their full catalogue, including deep cuts, the boys had London in the palm of their hands for a memorable close to their journey. From crowd-pleasers ‘Think‘ and ‘Getting Along‘ to dusting off oldies ‘Alright‘ and ‘Slippin’ this was nothing but one big party. For everyone.
“I’m not crying, you are” they laugh, before playing ‘Death Of The Party‘. As the title track of their second record, the words have never felt more poignant than right now. A stark reminder that this truly is the final dance, and it’ll soon be time to put away the balloons and return to normal.
They don’t leave us in our feels for long, bouncing into the fiddly riffs of ‘What Have You Got To Lose?‘ and bold festival-ready melodies in ‘Just A Minute’. From front to back, we’ve not heard a crowd this loud in a long time. A combination of emotion, euphoria and the gang’s unique hooks had people in a chokehold.
“We’ve got one group over here going mental and another over here going mental, so let’s judge it on the next one. It’s the last time we’re going to do this London. So jump around!” Fan-favourite ‘She Won’t Ghost‘, which is only available on YouTube, prompted people to scramble for shoulders. And as the early tracks kept coming; ‘Jasmine‘, ‘Hotel Apathy‘, ‘All That I Want Is You‘, mosh pits ensued along with the odd flying cup of beer.
As the evening began to wrap up, a four-song-encore began. But, not before the band sent out heartfelt thank you’s to friends, family, fans and team, impressively mentioning that Mike, their manager, has been with them since day one. “Thank you to everyone who’s supported us along the way, we’re eternally grateful.”
‘Life Without You‘ encouraged flashlights, turning the Roundhouse into a beautiful bubble of love. Each light, glistening and shining bright, right back at the band. Hundreds of them slowly dotted around the circular nature of such an iconic venue. Their cover of ‘Believe In Yourself’ came next, remembering when they turned the Arthur theme song into a wonderful hit indie back in 2020. If anything, the message felt more important tonight than ever before.
With a final take to the disco floor on ‘Take Back The Track‘, the riffs of ‘How Can I Compete‘ kickstarted. An eruption of cheers swarmed the venue, as the band’s smiles took to the bodies of every person. To those people, they transcended higher and higher until the opening words brought them back down to earth, ready to sing their hearts out.
There are people of all backgrounds here, some hard-core fans, and others who may never have gotten the opportunity to see these live until now. Regardless, everyone is living in the moment. It’s hard to stop yourself smiling, and for us, the indescribable keys this melody has to our teens are unmatched.
We gazed out across a completely sold-out Roundhouse. Full of enduring smiles. People on shoulders having the time of their lives. Mosh-pitters in their own world. Taking it all in, this was a moment not just for the band, but the audience too, who’ll remember this day for years to come.
Then, the lights dimmed. The Magic Gang took a final bow. All while the words of ‘How Can I Compete‘ carried on, this time being sung by the dedicated crowd.
As they exited the stage, it felt like a part of our teen years had gone with them, a reminder of the subtle power music has. In reality, those memories will stay very much with us. And as a band, that’s a pretty special impact to have, more so because it’s an achievement not exclusive to just us.
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