Solid As Ever
On a day dominated by ska and reggae acts, the Magic Numbers seemed out of place. Not least as most of the rest of Sunday's main stage line up would be put in the classic or nostalgia bracket and the Magic Numbers are only on album number 2. Even though relatively speaking for this stage they're a band in their infancy, they have more singles and crowd pleasers than you'd think and certainly held their own.
Opening with 'This Is A Song' from 'Those The Broke', they then stuck two heavyweights in early with 'Take A Chance' and 'Forever Lost', followed by the slower but equally popular 'I See You, You See Me'.
It's interesting to people watch during a Magic Numbers festival performance, as to those who aren't fans, some of the slower tracks like debut album single 'Love's A Game' can drift by with little impact. I also wonder how those in party mood waiting for Madness found that part of the experience.
'Love Me Like You' is and always will be a brilliant live track. The same can be said of 'Mornings 11' which opens their first LP, a track that effortlessly switches between bouncy feel good guitar pop and majestic, mellow harmonies, giving this song a real epic edge.
When asked "who was seeing us for the first time?" the crowd cheer suggested that, not only were there a good number who could say yes, but they were having a decent experience, meaning that overall the Magic Numbers can be regarded to have turned in another solid set.
Although I was left under whelmed by the band's second album, they still remain a good bet for an enjoyable hour or so at a festival.