The 2020 gigs are starting to be announced. Wed 4th March - Nantes - Le Stereolux Fri 6th March - Bordeaux- Theatre Femina Sun 8th March - Perpignan- El Mediator Fri 13th March - Besancon - La Rodia Sat 14th March- Strasbourg- La Laiterie Thu 2nd April - Lille - Theatre Sebastopol Sat 4th April - Vitrolles - Salle Guy Obino Pity I have started a new job which might preclude me from going to some of these. Ah well, I can but hope
I’ve just relocated from Guildford to Edinburgh having taken voluntary redundancy and am now working in Dundee. Yesterday I saw a bloke wearing a Magma MDK T-shirt and we had a quick chat. He had seen them at Barcelona a few years back. Then, later on, I noticed a bar on the other side of the road called Bubu - Philippe Bussonet’s nickname!
Le Triton have announced a Magma gig on the 11th September. Tickets were not expected to be on sale until 2nd September but went on sale yesterday. The gig will probably act as a rehearsal for the upcoming Japanese dates
I’m back in the UK after the quick trip to Paris and Le Triton. The gig was stupendous and the band were on fire. The set list was Kohntarkosz and then the shortened Theusz Hamtaahk trilogy set. The encore for a change was something different from the usual Ehn Deiss this time it was De Futura. After the Paris Philharmonic Hall and Jazz les Pins shows it was great to hear them play in a small club again and, apart from Stella and Isabelle’s vocals, which were a bit on the faint side from where I was sitting (front row middle left), the sound was tremendous. The band really appeared to be enjoying themselves and I could see a few on stage hilarity taking place. Stella and Francis have gone out to Tokyo a bit earlier than the rest of the band to have bit of a holiday before the Japanese gigs. Nothing much in the way of news from the dressing room afterwards. I’m looking forward to the London gig in three weeks time.
Hi. I noticed that the new album Zess was released on vinyl record. Does somebody know what source was used (hi res files or just 16/44)? ZËSS seventhrecords
Just arrived back at the hotel after tonight’s gig at the Islington Assembly Hall. Nice place and well filled. The band played for five minutes short of two hours. Started with the TH medley which lasted an hour. A very quick break and then into Emenhetet Re and then De Futura for the encore. A glass of champagne with the band afterwards in the dressing room. Back to Dundee tomorrow/ today and then down to Gateshead next weekend for the Tusk Festival. Met quite a few old friends and made some new friends.
a brief discussion elsewhere suggests, sadly, that changes in US visa rules means that tours to the US in the near future are unlikely to happen
Another storming gig at the Tusk Festival at Gateshead last night. I met up with the band before the show to be told that Isabelle wasn’t coming as she has very bad back pains which are going down her arms. So only the two vocalists. The hall was very nice with raked (unreserved) seating. Thanks to my band member wrist band I got into the hall early. I was then interrogated by one of the security people as to who I was and how did I get in given that all the doors were closed. Via the dressing rooms seemed to be the right answer! I was also asked by some youngish kid was I in Magma and if so would I sign his photograph! The set list was the usual. Kohntarkosz to start with followed by the hour long Theusz Hamtaahk medley. There wasn’t an encore piece. I did video a large chunk of the show but Stella specifically asked me not to put it online. So that’s it for Magma for me for this year. I have a ticket for Frankfurt next Saturday but I can’t/ won’t go because of the cost of travel during school holidays here in the UK. Finally, in the three years since they had last toured Britain part of the coinage had changed and they had a load of the old pound coins which they couldn’t use. I did offer to take them of their hands but they were going to the bank this morning
I had a ticket but didn’t go but I understand that the Frankfurt gig setlist was De Futura TH medley Encore Kobaia Ehn Deiss
Did anyone here buy Zess on vinyl? I found it locally, so i bought it, but unfortunately side 2 is all in mono! I hope they're not all defective ...
That would be dreadful but ... it’s not a piece I would want to interrupt in the middle to flip a record.
There’s a rather horrific picture on Facebook of a scar on Isabelle’s throat and neck. It turns out that she has had surgery for a cervical glioma on her spine which explains the pains she had experienced down her back and arms. Get well soon Isabelle
Breaking news... :-( Philippe, Jerome and Benoit are no longer in the band. No reasons given at this stage. It is rumoured that Jannik Top's son will be taking over bass duties with the band On the plus side Isabelle has recovered from her surgery and Sylvie, Sandrine and Laura will be joining the band for all of the upcoming French gigs including two nights in Monte Carlo and one in Toulouse.
Wow! so this would be the end of the longest-standing Magma lineup. Weird. I'm sure we will have more info soon.
Yes, me too. Jerome wrote that there was a band meeting after the Oslo gig, which was unusual in itself as this wasn’t the Magma way. They were told that there would be changes and departures. And that was that. Bubu has been with the band since 1995/6. You know, when the Zess album was released I asked why were Benoit and Jerome not on the album and were they still in the band. I was told yes, they were. I suspect that this might have been start of things.
They’ve spent the last week at Le Triton rehearsing for the tour which starts next week. I did see a comment on a FB group along the lines of “oh, Magma is an all girl band now...”. It did make me laugh. I have a spare ticket for the Bordeaux gig as the theatre took its time to post my ticket to me, so much so that I bought another one just in case.
I was supposed to be going to Bordeaux tomorrow. However, what I sincerely hope is just a bad dose of flu has made me cancel my trip.
Hi, I'm discovering this band these days and I'd like to «get it» I like the first side of MDK but as of now I find the side 2 of that album to be REALLY repetitive. Maybe I should start somewhere else?? Opinions ??? Tx