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The Magic Band

Venue: Eric's
Town: Liverpool
Date: 13th March 2013
Website: http://www.beefheart.com

One of my regrets is that I never saw Captain Beefheart perform live. Of course, I never will as the Captain [aka Don Van Vliet] departed this world in 2010. However, all is not lost as the wonderful Magic Band are keeping his musical legacy alive in the best possible fashion. This is no tribute band, it's the real thing as it includes three musicians who played pivotal roles in the Captain's musical career, together with two extremely fine musicians who play the extraordinary music of Beefheart as if they had been members of the original band[s].

Of the original members, we have John "Drumbo" French [vocals, harmonica, sax and drums], Mark "Rockette Morton" Boston [bass] and Denny "Feelers Rebo" Walley [guitars]. The "new" members are the gifted Erik Clerks [guitar] and Craig Bunch [a fine drummer]. Together they recreate the complex, highly original sound of Magic Bands of old to an astonishing level and surely this must be the closest thing to seeing the Captain at his peak. This is not really surprising as the three originals are old hands at playing this amazing music. For example, John French first joined the Magic Band in 1966 and it was he who transcribed the music for Trout Mask Replica from Beefheart's original ideas. John worked with the Captain intermittently until 1980. He now assumes the role previously taken the Captain as the band's vocalist and does such a convincing job that it is difficult to believe that it is not Beefheart singing.

"Rockette Morton" is another long-serving original Magic Band member, having been bassist from 1969 to 1974.

Denny "Feelers Rebo" Walley was a member of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention and was spotted by Beefheart on the "Bongo Fury" tour. Beefheart was impressed by his slide guitar playing and asked him to join the Magic Band.

The band kick the show off with "My Human Gets Me Blues" from "Trout Mask Replica"and it's clear from the start that they mean business. They get a great reception from the crowd. Beefheart's music has always been popular in Liverpool and tonight is no exception. This is followed by one of my favourite Beefheart songs "Low Yo Yo Stuff" from "Clear Spot" complete with the snake-like twin slide guitars of Denny and Erik and Drumbo's vocals that sound so much like the Captain's that it is uncanny. John then tells us how he heard Beefheart's first single, a cover of Bo Diddley's hit "Diddy Wah Diddy" on the radio in California in 1965 and was knocked out by it. Tonight, John's powerful vocals echo the original Beefheart version, as does his bluesy harmonica playing.

Next,we have Rockette Morton's party piece, a fantastic bass solo which replicates one that he used to do with the original band, this leads into some free-form sax blowing from Drumbo and a drum solo by Craig Bunch, all of which demonstrates the virtuosity of this band. There's more great twin slide guitar interplay between Denny and Erik on "When It Blows It Stacks" [from "The Spotlight Kid"].

Drumbo takes up his guitar and sax for "Hot Head" from "Doc At The Radar Station", on which he originally played.

The magnificent first set draws to a close with "Circumstances" [from "Clear Spot"] which features another vocal tour de force from Drumbo, resplendent in safari suit and trilby.

During the interval the band, to their great credit, mingle with the audience and are happy to chat about the old days. Someone asks John French if he ever intends to play the whole of "Trout Mask Replica" live, to which he politely replies in the negative although, it would technically be possible.

The second set opens with an exhilarating drum solo by Drumbo French - is there no end to this man's versatility?

In the second half we have more from the legendary "Trout Mask Replica", including "Moonlight On Vermont [featuring a stunning slide guitar solo from Denny Walley] and John French's favourite "Steal Softly Thru Snow".

Other highlights are some great slide playing from the excellent Erik Clerks [who looks like a dead ringer for a young Vic Reeves!] and the atmospheric "Click Clack" from the "Spotlight Kid" album.

The show ends with a climactic rendition of "Big Eyed Beans From Venus" [another "Clear Spot" song]. The audience, of course, demands an encore but rather than the full band returning, it is John French on his own and he proceeds to give a stunning solo performance of the spoken word "Orange Claw Hammer" from "Trout Mask Replica". Breathtaking stuff!

What an incredible performance by The Magic Band! They might just be, in the words of the late Captain, "the best batch yet".

Peter Cowley