Mark Stanway's Kingdom Of Madness:
perfoming Classic MAGNUM
Classic-era members continue to keep “The Spirit” of Magnum alive, performing music from the band’s celebrated 1978-94 period…
One of the UK’s finest exponents of melodic rock music, Magnum achieved high album and singles chart positions in both the UK and Europe and gained a reputation as one of the UK most captivating live bands, with regular sell-out concerts at major venues.
While Magnum may no longer be performing, aficionados of this much-loved band can continue to enjoy their acclaimed catalogue of music, performed by core musicians from the band’s classic periods.
Long standing Magnum keyboard player Mark Stanway (1980-2016) is joined in Kingdom of Madness by fellow Magnum members Micky Barker (drums, 1985-95), Richard Bailey (keyboards/flute, 1975-80), as well as Mo Birch (vocals/percussion, Magnum live and studio appearances). For their 2024/25 shows, they are joined by bassist Brian Badhams, vocalist Chris Dando, and guitarist Alan Bell.
“The best way to respect to the band's legacy and to “keep the night light burning” is to ensure that this fine catalogue of songs continues to be played and heard,” says Mark Stanway, keyboard player with Magnum for 36 years.
The LEGACY tour will dig deep into the Magnum back catalogue with a two-part show. Audiences can expect a generous helping of material from the band’s early Jet Records period with tracks from the “Kingdom of Madness”, “Magnum II”, “Chase the Dragon” and “The Eleventh Hour” albums, as well as stage favourites from the band’s 1985 commercial breakthrough “On a Storyteller’s Night” plus other best-selling albums including “Vigilante”, “Wings of Heaven” and beyond.
“We’ve put a lot of time into refreshing our set list for this tour,” says Mark Stanway, “and we can promise a very different show from what people may have seen from Kingdom of Madness to date. Certain songs we’re playing from the very early days have not been played live in over forty years.”
This union of classic members of one the UK’s most revered melodic rock bands has already been met with the highest acclaim from both music critics and audiences alike:
“This was no pale imitation of an inimitable band”, wrote Andy Rawll at Metal Talk. “This incredible group of musicians showed their respect of the legacy of Magnum. The beauty was in the verve and euphoria of an unfettered performance, delivered with style, that delighted those in the crowd, as much as it did those on stage.”
David Randall at Get Ready to Rock added: “This really was a night of Magnum nostalgia and an evocative celebration of the band’s heritage.”
The “spirit” of Magnum lives on in the Kingdom of Madness….