The Magic E's @ the Waterfront Studio
Get to know your local music scene
There is such a variety of music to be found in Norwich that it is sometimes easy to overlook our local talent, even with the excellent Outline App on your smartphone. Tonight at the Waterfront Studio was an excellent case in point – The Magic Es are here to launch their We Are Magic EP, preceded by another fine Norwich band, Keplar.
Keplar kick the evening off with Andy, Darren and Dan fronting up the stage and Joe standing in for Richard on drums. With the exception of a stomping cover of These Boots Are Made for Walking (delivered with the intensity and strut of Milk and Alcohol era Dr Feelgood) Keplar perform all their own material, old favourites like Playing Away mixed in with new songs like Let It Go. They draw in styles that cross the decades, from Tom Petty to Manics to Muse, with Andy Mazzei's vocals launching above the perfectly balanced guitars and drums.
The Magic Es stamp their headlining authority via the extraordinary voice of lead singer Pete Thompson (which lies somewhere between Springsteen and Daltry when in full flow), and with the strong melodies and catchy hooks contained within each song. The four individual tracks from the EP are superbly showcased, but there are other less well known tracks like Hope, Stone Cold Soul, and the non-Bowie inspired Heroes, that also demonstrate just how talented this four-piece have become.
Yes, there are Manc-inspired nods within the performance, with everything from Oasis to Happy Mondays coming through, and at one point it was almost like being at a Peter Hook gig. But to simply place The Magic E's into the retro rock camp would be a travesty of justice. Away from the adrenaline-fuelled rock of the live performances you can strip away the layers and find a rustic lyricism and melody that is usually found within the likes of Midlake or Neil Young. Balancing the two sides is a fine art, and The Magic E's may just have found a way.
The lesson learnt from this Norwich double bill at the Waterfront Studio is plain to see. Get to know your local music scene. Check out your local acts, download their tracks and play them to your friends. Have a favourite local band, and support them whenever they play. Use the Outline listing pages to brief yourself on where and when our local musicians are performing (admission is usually ridiculously cheap or even free) and become part of this city's buzzing musical landscape.
