Goodbyes are always bittersweet.

I was lucky enough to attend The Magic Gang’s farewell gigs in Glasgow and London. The first gig of the Farewell Shows took place at St. Lukes, Glasgow, the energy of the crowd was quite laidback. It was unusual for me to see a Glasgow crowd so reserved but I am willing to blame that on the fact it was a Tuesday evening. I stood upstairs in St. Lukes, which I have never done before, near the stage and was able to savour every moment of the show and appreciate how talented The Magic Gang are as musicians. It was a really great night but for the purposes of this review I am going to focus on the final gig at Roundhouse, London.

The crowd was perfection. It was an amazing atmosphere from the opening notes of Alan Power and The Take Twos to the DJ set at The Elephants Head that proceeded the gig. The tube to Chalk Farm was bustling with anticipation, my carriage seemed to be full of fans attending The Magic Gang’s final gig. Seasoned fans wearing old merch marched ahead to Roundhouse leading the way for the rest of us. The smell of cigarettes and pints was thick in the warm London air. It felt like a summer’s night, which made the wait to get in a lot more bearable.

This was my first time at Roundhouse and after having a snoop around the venue, I grabbed a pint and took my place near the back of the hall to have a boogie with the support act. The venue quickly filled up during this time and became rowdier with every passing minute, a far cry from Glasgow just two days earlier. When Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’ filled the room, the excitement that had been bubbling away erupted as everyone started to sing and dance along and, as cheesy as it sounds, it was at this point I knew it was going to be an amazing night. Sarah Vaughan’s angelic voice singing ‘It’s Magic’ set the scene, ‘The magic is my love for you’ ringing out across the room as the four lads, looking dapper in their shirts and suits, took to the stage for the last time.

The show kicks off with ‘Intro’ and ‘Think’, the crowd were already vibing with the band but as they progressed into hits from their debut album everything went up a notch. ‘Getting Along’ and ‘All This Way’ had the crowd going wild. We then went right back to the beginning with ‘Lady, Please’, ‘Only Waiting’ and ‘Feeling Better’ much to the pleasure of the OG fans who roared in appreciation for each track. ‘Death of the Party’ was a standout performance for me, both in Glasgow and London. Kris absolutely killed it. The mirrorball made an appearance again and was met with a flurry of phones to snap pictures and take videos, just as in Glasgow.

‘What Have You Got to Lose’ was a crowd pleaser as always. ‘Just a Minute’ followed after, keeping the momentum up and the crowd jumping. The songs were all pretty rapid in succession and it was belter after belter. It was nearly impossible to tear yourself away to run to the bar. ‘She Won’t Ghost’ was a personal favourite moment of the evening, with the devoted fans absolutely losing it once again. ‘Alright’, ‘Jasmine’ and ‘Your Love’ followed after, the audience as boisterous as ever. Throughout the whole set I was struck by how every single song was greeted by fans as if it was the bands’ ultimate anthem. ‘Hotel Apathy’ was met with a genuine roar of excitement from the crowd, it was really remarkable to see how genuinely excited the crowd were to hear these songs. ‘Slippin’ and ‘Caroline’ were Jack’s moments to shine and connect with the audience. The whole night passed in a flurry of singing, dancing and pints and before I knew it, Kris and Jack closed out the set with ‘All That I Want is You’. The atmosphere was electric, with the crowd turning it up to eleven, despite the band’s teasing that this would be the final song of the evening. The applause from the audience continued to swell and grow in volume as the band disappeared off the stage.

When the band returned to the stage for their encore, it was clear to see how emotional the night was for each of them. They opened the encore with ‘Life Without You’, which was the perfect song for such a bittersweet evening. They sang this song much earlier in the set in Glasgow but moving it to the encore was perfect. There were a lot of tears from fans and the band alike as Kris and the audience sang the song to each other. (I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it). The mood was brought back up with the band’s cover of ‘Believe in Yourself (The Arthur Theme Song)'. I have to be honest, I wasn’t too bothered about hearing it (I would’ve rather had more of their own stuff) but it was easy to see from the crowds’ reaction that I was very much in the minority. Now that the tears were forgotten, we were ready to see the band out in style with ‘Take Back the Track’ and ‘How Can I Compete’. Once again people were thrown onto shoulders, with the crowd pushing closer to the stage and there was a real feeling of never wanting the night to end. As the final chant of “I just wanna know that you will be” hung in the air, there was a real melancholic feeling amongst the crowd, the realisation setting in for fans that this really is the end and more tears were shed.

As the band took their bows, the audiences’ applause reached its climax, as if the fans were trying to thank the band for not only this amazing night but also for the decade that had preceded it. The band seemed genuinely moved by the reception they received from their fans and it was extremely sweet to see.

Overall, it was an amazing gig and a flawless performance from the band. It couldn’t have been easy for them to get through it but they did, and they did so stunningly. The set was amazing and full of so many fan favourites… but oh how I wish we got ‘Bruises’. It was the perfect goodbye from a wonderful band, who have undoubtably left a huge hole in the UK Indie scene. As much as I hope this goodbye is not forever, I look forward to see what is to come from each of the guys as they embark on their solo adventures.