10th Anniversary concert live in London Song List My Human Gets Me Blues Low Yo Yo Stuff Diddy Wah Diddy Bass Solo (Hair Pie) Clouds intro into Golden Birdies When It Blows Its Stacks Hot Head Doctor Dark Drum Solo into On Tomorrow Alice In Blunderland Suction Prints Hair Pie (Bake 1) Steal Softly Thru Snow Owed T’Alex Click Clack Floppy Boot Stomp Moonlight On Vermont Big Eyed Beans From Venus Electricity Recorded at Under The Bridge, London on 16 March 2013 Notes From the sleeve notes: On their 10th anniversary The Magic Band celebrated by playing music of Captain Beefheart in front of aRead More →

This electrifying film is a front row ticket to the powerful avant garde blues sound of The Magic Band as they perform the music of Captain Beefheart live in concert. (Blurb on DVD cover) Song List First Set Clear Spot Abba Zaba Bass Solo When It Blows Its Stacks Golden Birdies Hot Head Nowadays A Woman’s Got To Hit A Man Ella Guru Pachuco Cadaver Kandy Korn Second Set On Tomorrow Suction Prints Hair Pie Bake 1 Steal Softly Thru Snow Grown So Ugly Owed T’Alex Mirror Man Sugar ‘N’ Spikes Big Eyed Beans From Venus Circumstances Electricity   Recorded live at the Engine Shed,Read More →

Many thanks to everyone who has provided information to piece together this set list, notably Gavin Baker, Benjamin Horrendous and Michael Godwin. Main show: Mark Boston (bass) solo: Hair Pie Bake 1 John French (drums), Gary Lucas (guitar), Denny Walley (guitar) and Mark Boston (bass): My Human Gets Me Blues Abba Zaba Hair Pie Bake 2 Steal Softly Through Snow Drum solo leading into On Tomorrow Gary Lucas (guitar) solo: Evening Bell John French (drums), Gary Lucas (guitar), Denny Walley (guitar), Mark Boston (bass): Alice In Blunderland I Wanna Fidn Me A Woman That’ll Hold My Big Toe Till I Have To Go Veterans’ DayRead More →

The Magic Band Shepherd’s Bush Empire ON PAPER this looked a suspect proposition: after all, who goes to see Eric Clapton’s band sans Eric? But Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band were always more than sidemen; these were players inducted into the secrets of the Captain’s musical universe during long rehearsals in which creative tensions could mean swinging fists. No musician sounded quite the same again. This five-piece line-up has briefly reconvened after encouragement from a longtime fan of the music, Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons. And, with the Captain having changed careers 20 years ago to paint and sculpt in the Mojave Desert, this packedRead More →

To all the fans who showed up and offered support in our June/July tour – have a wonderful Christmas. Hope to see you next year. Part One: Amsterdam to Liverpool My wife Donna had tears in her eyes standing on the impersonal LAX sidewalk the morning I left. We’d never been separated this long before and we only had moments in the hustle and bustle to say a rather formal goodbye. I walked inside and took my place in the long line behind a tennis player from Germany who was going home to visit her family. We conversed about universities, sports training, and torn kneeRead More →

On 16 May 2006 the Magic Band made their first live television appearance for 25 years on Swedish TV4 television. Ralf Nygård of TV4 (also the cameraman at Camber Sands for the Magic Band’s concert there) helped make it happen and the Magic Band appeared on their breakfast show, no less. John French and Mark Boston were also interviewed although that is yet to appear on YouTube. Circumstances Steal Softly Thru Snow Featuring John French, Denny Walley, Mark Boston, Gary Lucas and Michael Traylor.Read More →

Many thanks indeed to Cormac for sending along his photos of the pre-gig Fire Party People meet and the gig itself. Comments from Cormac. “Dennis Martian, the cat in the hat and Fast Paul, the communications nerve centre of theMagic Meet, getting a message from Stewart or Melissa.” “Dennis at the window in his hat, my friend Graham Montgomery from Dublin (there were two other Dubliners not pictured) I don’t know who that is at the table, Ben with something under his hat, Andy Bean with his back to the camera, and Stewart beardy-face Osborne.”   Benjamin Horrendous Cormac Gary Lucas, Rockette Morton, Drumbo, DennyRead More →

Many thanks indeed to Ian for sending along these splendid photos. Pre-gig crowd shots – note Benjamin Horrendous’ zipper head and plethora of Fire Party people. Cormac giving Dennis Martian some of his fire. Rockette Morton and Denny Walley Gary Lucas reads an untitled poem Drumbo   Rockette Morton, Drumbo, Denny Walley   Denny Walley Drumbo, Gary Lucas, Rockette Morton Ben, still keeping it zipped.Read More →

The following gigs have all taken place. For news of upcoming concerts, please see the latest reunion news from the blog. 2003 UK, All Tomorrow’s Parties, Camber Sands, East Sussex Sunday 6th April 2003. This was recorded by the BBC and broadcast on John Peel’s Radio 1 Show and on Radio 3’s ‘Mixing It’ programme. See ATP photos taken by Janet The Planet (Denny Walley’s wife). UK, Shepherds Bush Empire, London Monday 7th April 2003. Photos taken by Ian Archer Photos taken by Daniel Frampton Photos taken by Geoff Geddes Photos taken by Cormac O’Donoghue A film of this show is available on the Crows Milk DVDRead More →

Many thanks indeed to Janet for taking her photos of the 2003 Magic Band’s Camber Sands show, and to her huband Denny Walley for sending them along. Here’s Denny’s message: I had my wife Janet “The Planet” take these shots. I spoke with John French this morning, and he said that you might like some of them, so here you go! It was great to meet some of the Fireparty Folks, and especially to PLAY for them. The acceptance of TMB by such a diversified audience, was overwhelming to us. We LOVED it! Dons music is too important for it not to be played andRead More →

Containing both an 80 minutes live show from April 2003 recorded at Shepherds Bush Empire, London and a 50 minute documentary narrated by John Peel and directed by Elaine Shepherd, this PAL format DVD was a real treat when released in 2004 by Subdiva. Its only available second hand now – copies do regularly turn up at amazon.co.uk Update – November 2014: Copies are available from Proper Records You can read more and view both the films here at the Radar Station via YouTube: Live In Concert Crows Milk documentaryRead More →