Gig Review - Magnum at Bradford Club Rio **** For once, the doors at Rio open on time, they still only have two bar staff for six hundred people though, I solve this by getting in three pints at at a time. When bands get to this age, Bob Catley and Tony Clarkin seem to be about the same age as my parents, they're not really going to get many new fans, old bands don't often break back into the big time. If they were good in their day though, they can continue to do this, pack out mid size venues with die hard supporters. I chatted to a few folk, and amongst the locals there are a lot of people who are following the band around most of this ten date UK tour, an IT manager from Southampton, a charming Glasweigan couple, and then I bumped into these two............. Superstars of rock!! Simon Shagouri and Andy Brown from Under Lock And Key. We havn't seen each other in about ten years so it was nice to have a pint and a natter and catch up. Tragedy though, just as Andy is saying they have supported Magnum before, Bob Catley walks up and asks why are they not on the tour ? Blank looks all round, a breakdown in communication between the bands has meant that ULAK have been missed from the bill, and thus we get no support band tonight. Magnum take to the stage, the great thing about these boys is that they really can play well, and Catley is an accomplished singer. I didn't take any notes, but from memory they play 'Brand New Morning' , 'The Blue And The Grey' , 'Wild Swan' and an old classic that gets a rapturous reception, 'All Englands Eyes'. The band now have ex-Thunder drummer Harry James, Mark Stanway on keyboards and Al Barrow on bass, they are a good tight unit, they perform with zeal and give a profesional performance, Catley especially seems to relish tonights set. Good show, the tracks from the new album seem to indicate a good return to form for the band, and although the days are long gone since they played to 60,000 people at the Garden Party, they put on a damn good show in front of a few hundred in Bradford.