Anybody who knows us or who has occasionally dipped into this virtual tome will know that we are very supportive of local musicians and of live music but you will probably have worked out by now that we are not really your typical "rock groups in pubs" types of people but more sort of sunday lunch swing or dinner jazz afficionados ... That being the case, you will appreciate what a big event it was for us to go along and see the Magic Trees play at the Cedar Tavern in Blackpool last night. After all, we had such a great chat with them the other week for our radio show - and we absolutely love their CD "Everything Is A Song" - that we just HAD to go and hear them play live.....
So what sort of music do they play? Well, rock (ish) - but not as you'd normally think of it. Certainly not hard rock - more "mellow rock"... Lead singer and lead guitar player Jason Moon can really play a tune and we get plenty of those 1970s-sounding guitar solos but there is more to Magic Trees than that. Drummer Ian Dickson has gained such a reputation in the short time that these guys have been here from Canada that he has been asked to play with other bands as well. Jaime Dickson plays acoustic rhythm guitar which gives some of the songs a more folky - even country - edge while Colleen Moon fills in the rest of the tunes on her highly versatile keyboard - with no bass guitar in sight.
Now, having a band consisting of two boys and two girls may sound more Bucks Fizz than Thin Lizzy but they have been known to play the odd Fleetwood Mac song and their mix of backing vocals really does create some wonderful harmonies worthy of Nicks, Buckingham et al.
The Magic Trees have recorded a great CD called "Everything Is A Song" - which you really ought to buy - and most of the material they played last night was taken from that. However they also demonstrated their wide repertoire with a few covers thrown in: a song by Cream that they finished with, a version of Queen's "I Want To Break Free" which easily rivalled the original (sorry Queen fans but having the female voices in the vocal mix here really does add something special..) and a great version of The Police's "Message In A Bottle - which is notoriously difficult to play but they really did make a superb job of it.
The Magic Trees are next playing at the Station Tavern in Lytham on Saturday 14th May and the Galleon Bar in Blackpool on Tuesday 24th May. If you like good music and fancy some seaside rock with a mellow twist, why not go along and see them...?
More info: http://www.magictreesband.com/
