Magnum

New band members, but playing lots of old favourites.

Vocalist Bob Catley sets the scene as the Brummie pomp-rockers close out their forty-sixth year with a handful of shows before recording a new album, their twenty-first, in 2019.

Your current album Lost On The Road To Eternity reached number fifteen, the band’s highest placing since 1990’s Goodnight LA.

We were incredibly thrilled. It was number eight in Germany. We celebrated with a couple of shandies.

Tell us about your keyboard player, Rick Benton.

Rick was a recommendation who stepped in when we needed somebody very quickly – mid-tour, in fact. It’s lovely to have him as he’s a great character.

Drummer Lee Morris played with Marshall Law and Paradise Lost. What does he bring to the band?

He’s a fantastic drummer. It was a mutual agreement to part with Harry [James], but Thunder were working more and more, and scheduling became an issue.

Does the band chemistry changed with the arrival of new members?

Not much. People come and go. That happens all the time in bands. We’re a very solid unit.

As well as a new studio album there’s also a live one on the way.

Yeah, we recorded that on the last tour. It’s just been mixed and sounds great.

What are your thoughts on Kingdom Of Madness, the breakaway band featuring former Magnum keyboard player Mark Stanway?

I haven’t taken much notice of them. [Nervous laugh] What do you want me to say?

Well, their aim is to perform Magnum music ignored by the current line-up. There have been various Magnum tribute acts down the years, so good luck to them, I suppose. Live and let live.

At seventy-one, how much longer do you think you can do this?

Oh, I haven’t thought about that. I’m not thinking of stopping, put it that way. DL The first date is in Edinburgh on Nov 22.