A MAGIC Band without the great Captain Beefheart? But what can you do when Don Van Vliet, one of the most innovative rock frontmen has retired himself to a caravan in the desert to pursue his other career as a fine painter and, so its rumoured, nurse a life-threatening illness.
However, those who turned up at the Carling Academy expecting the worst off a motley crew trading on the name of the most revolutionary of bands were in for one of the most pleasant surprises of their lives.
This Magic Band is formed from members spanning different periods and incarnations of the group: John French on vocals, harmonica and drums; Mark "Rockette Morton" Boston on bass; and the dual guitar dynamism of Gary "Mantis" Lucas and Denny "Feelers Rebo" Walley, who was also a Frank Zappa stalwart.
From the off there was no sign of this disparity in the family tree, though, as French drawled: "This place has a reputation as a rowdy city and I just remembered why. So are you ready?"
As some scally in the audience roared back "are you?" we were off, running through a myriad of complicated rhythms, riffs, runa-round guitar solos, swampland growlings and mighty drumming - all the hallmarks of the great songs from the band's still unquenchably stunning catalogue.
The charismatic French was a revelation in the role of Captain whose floppy boots no one would have thought could be filled by anyone else before this gig. The others were sensational, too, as they wheedled and weaved through the classics from album greats that stand the test of time such as Safe As Milk and Trout Mask Replica.
There were lads young enough to be be their grandchildren dancing to the songs that only supreme craftsmen groomed by the Captain could provide.
With power cut-off looming, the band timed it just right to triumph with a mighty climax performing two of their greatest numbers: Moonlight in Vermont and, of course, Big Eyed Beans From Venus.
Grown men laughed and cried. This was Magic indeed.
