Live Review: Grand Magus - The Fleece, Bristol
5th March 2020
Support. Wolf
Review and photos by Paul Hutchings
Coronavirus? Ha! As Twisted Sister sang, “you can’t stop rock n’ roll”. The world media may be causing panic buying of toilet paper (really?) and hand sanitiser, hand washing is apparently the new fashion (not in the gents at the Fleece I can tell you!) but on a cold Thursday night what you actually wanted was a gathering of metal heads to sing along with gusto to two genuine classic heavy metal bands who have plied their trade for nearly half a century between them.
It’s been a while since I’d last seen Wolf and by all accounts, we were lucky to see them perform tonight. Flight cancellations meant they arrived by the skin of their teeth, still sound checking at advertised doors opening time, and reliant on their countrymen for the loan of amps and other equipment. You would never have known. With a generous 45-minute set to get stuck into, Wolf opened the evening and this UK (read England, Scotland, NI tour) tour with a set of gusto and energy. With seven albums under their belt, setlists must be a challenge if only in deciding what to play. Their first album for six years, ‘Feeding the Machine’ is released on 13th March and it’s a bit good. Four tracks from said release slipped neatly into a roaring set which was delivered with minimum of fuss and maximum efficiency. Niklas Stalvind is the only original member of the band that was formed way back in 1995 and he wears his Wolf stripes with pride. This is his vehicle. Long-time guitarist Simon Johansson took the lead duties, his giant bear-like frame in contrast to the sinewy front man. For those not in the know, it would be a surprise to learn that bassist Pontus Egberg and drummer Johan Koleberg are new recruits, such was the ease that they powered their way through the evening. Of course, no Wolf gig is complete without a couple of bouts of audience participation and with the Bristol crowd very much in the mood to rock, ‘Skull Crusher’ and ‘Voodoo’ were rabidly welcomed.
Hard rock and metal have been graced with many superb power trios over the decades. Rush, Motörhead, Cream, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, the list goes on. Add to that ever growing list the majesty of Janne ‘JB’ Christoffesson, MATS ‘Fox’ Skinner and Ludwig ‘Ludde’ Wilt; collectively known as Grand Magus and who have in all the many times I’ve seen them live, never failed to provide astonishingly good shows. With nine albums dating back to their eponymous debut in 2001, Magus faced a similar challenge to Wolf. What songs to play? Well, this is a band who just rip out classic metal after classic metal track; ‘Iron Will’, ‘When the Oars Hit the Water’, ‘Kingslayer’ (“written before Game of Thrones” reminded JB), ‘The Shadow Knows’, the list goes on and on. Blending several tracks from 2019’s ‘Wolf God’ with a smattering from most of their other albums, Grand Magus had the fists pumping, the horns raised and the heads banging from the first note.
What sometimes gets lost amidst the thumping metal is how solid and tight this band is. Ludde may be the relative newcomer, but he’s nearly at a decade in now and his powerful drumming is the perfect base for JB and Fox. Whilst the Swedes still remain slightly stilted on their regular chats with the crowd, there was enough humour to warm the already buzzing audience and the refrain from a shout of Boris Johnson to one of ‘JB’s title introductions was met with the disdain and perplexed look that we demand. Metal is one of few societal gatherings where agreement about politics is usually assured. Clad in leather waistcoat, JB is also pioneering the way for the return of the skullet and is one of the few people who can pull it off! Fox and Ludde meanwhile have no such follicle challenges, but all three were as usual clad in leather and studs.
By the time Magus reached their three-song encore, everyone was moving and no-one leaving, not always the case. Indeed, few bands captivate like Grand Magus. A blistering ‘I, The Jury’ and ‘Dawn of Fire’ led to the finale, introduced by JB as “we’ve played 15 fucking songs … this is the last one”. It could only be ‘Hammer of the North’, bringing the proverbial hammer down on another splendid Grand Magus gig. Five years on since their last Bristol appearance (though they did cross the bridge to Cardiff in 2017), there was nothing to suggest that it won’t be long before they return once more.
All photo credits: Paul Hutchings
