The Magic Band
www.magicband.org

John French had the idea of re-forming The Magic Band back in 2001, eventually succeeding in 2003, after finding members willing to give it a try. After the first promoter started changing the goalposts, the project was put in stasis for a year, until Barry Hogan of ATP came along in 2002 and offered the band good solid guarantees, also promoting a concert in London @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire.

With the economic downturn, interest faded in The Magic Band and they did not pursue the project again until Barry Hogan once more contacted the group for a festival appearance in 2009 – The Ten Year Anniversary of ATP. With the blessings of Hogan, John invited Eric and Craig to join the Magic Band and play the festival, and the result turned out quite well. They were invited again to play at the ATP Festival in 2010, and decided rather than doing a “one-up” that they would book a small tour of the UK and a Dublin show. The tour was well-received and the band clicked as a team. John French’s book, “Beefheart: Through the Eyes of Magic” was released this same year and the book was rated as “one of the six best music books in the UK in 2010.

Again, another Festival appearance in early 2011 resulted in another slightly-larger tour. Two CDs were released that year. One is the original “Bat Chain Puller” (originally recorded in 1976) that had been in Gail Zappa’s vault since 1975. French wrote the liner notes for this set, and a special tribute to Don Van Vliet, who had passed away December 17th of 2010. The other was a Sundazed release: “The Magic Band live in Oxford 2005” – which was picked as the best of thirteen performances during the UK tour.

French’s book “Beefheart: Through the Eyes of Magic” had, in 2013, sold out of the original printing and is now being re-printed in paperback and in digital media format. A new album, simply entitled “The Magic Band plays the Music of Captain Beefheart live in London 2013” was released also in the Fall of 2013. These are live digital recordings of The Magic Band at Chelsea Under the Bridge recorded in March 2013.

In 2013, the lineup has changed with the inclusion of Andrew Niven on drums, Craig Bunch having decided to pursue other interests.

John “Drumbo” French – Vocals, Harmonica, Saxophone, Drums.
Denny “Feelers Rebo” Walley – Slide Guitar
Mark “Rockette Morton” Boston – Bass Guitar
Eric Klerks – Guitar
Andrew Niven – Drums

Fleece website:
www.thefleece.co.uk

TICKETS:

£20adv | All Ages*

www.seetickets.com/see/price.asp?code=771327

Also available from:

www.gigantic.com/the-magic-band/fleece/2014-06-05-19-30

www.ticketweb.co.uk/event/109589

www.bristolticketshop.co.uk/?/140605FLEMAGI1

* Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult and leave by midnight