MAGNUM Announces Return To Live Stage: 'We're Doing It Again'
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Bob Catley has announced the return of MAGNUM, the U.K. prog/pomp/AOR rock band, eight months after the passing of Tony Clarkin, the group's guitarist, songwriter and driving force.
Earlier today, Catley, along with MAGNUM keyboardist Rick Benton and drummer Lee Morris, shared a video message in which the MAGNUM vocalist said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "All right. Hello, everybody. Bob here, [with] Lee and Rick. I've got something to tell you. It's good stuff.
"I've been recently doing [shows with the German rock/metal opera project] AVANTASIA, as you probably know, all through the summer, doing 15 festivals all around Europe. Thank you, Tobias [Sammet, AVANTASIA leader], and the band. Brilliant and great crowds and everything. And I'm doing all these gigs and I'm going, 'Oh.' This gives me fire back to sing Tony's songs again. I thought I'd lost that chance forever, but now's now. And I want you to know that we're doing it again. We're gonna get out there. We're gonna put a show together. We wanna do a tribute to Tony and the respect for all those songs me and him did over 50 years, actually. I can't believe it."
Bob continued: "I really miss being in MAGNUM, I've gotta tell you. It's still in my heart here. It's mended now. My MAGNUM heart is back. Great. And so we're gonna get out there in the new year, I believe. And we're coming round. And we're here to say come and see us. It's gonna be great. It's going to be a big tribute for Tony. It's gonna be the best of MAGNUM. It's gonna be probably a couple of hours, and we'll probably have a little interval in the middle so you can do what you like and then come back. So it's a show in two halves, like we've done before. People will remember that.
"So that's about it, basically," Catley added. "So I'm back, we're back and we're gonna see you in the new year. You've gotta be there. Don't miss it, 'cause it would be a shame to miss this tribute to Tony. So, try and be there. Tell your mates, tell your friends, and we'll let you know about the dates very soon.
"Okay. Peace and love. And all right. Cheers. Speak to you later."
This past March, Bob said in a video message that he couldn't "carry on with Tony not here anymore… Since we lost Tone, we lost our guiding light, the magnum force behind the band, our songwriter, our producer, our guitar player. He was everything to the band," Bob said. "He was everything to me. For the last 50 years, we never went anywhere without each other. On tour, in the studio, I was at his side constantly, working on stuff with him. I had a wonderful life with Tony. But now it's all too much for me, people. I can't carry on without Tony."
Clarkin died in early January at the age of 77. The news of his death came just weeks after it was announced that he had been diagnosed with a rare and incurable spinal condition. As a result of his diagnosis, MAGNUM canceled its previously announced spring 2024 tour.
(Source: www.blabbermouth.net)
