Magnum will be a big miss

Hot gossip from the local music scene

There’s an old adage that if you “don’t use it you lose it”, but what if you do use it and it’s an almost irreplaceable asset to the community?

That’s the reality faced by those who have enjoyed gigs at The Magnum in Irvine. Many would say the venue helped put Ayrshire on the map as a home for quality live music with shows from The Clash, Chuck Berry, Thin Lizzy, The Jam, Madness, The Smiths and more. Okay, none were recent – but this heritage is something that should be revered.

A whole host of Ayrshire performers have taken to the stage at the Magnum – in recent years, local promoters Freckfest have done much good with festivals and gigs in the main hall and in the theatre, which is just a gorgeous wee venue. I remember some smashing performances there including fantastic gigs by Roddy Woomble, Colin Hunter and Sean Kennedy. All superb Ayrshire talents.

Like many folks I’ve fond memories of day tripping to Irvine to enjoy the facilities at the Magnum which were at the time, top notch. A lack of suitable repair has seen the building fall into tougher times and what was once state of the art looks to be a shabby shell.

It will be replaced by new cultural and leisure centre, The Portal, which will open in January following a £ 20 million- pound investment from North Ayrshire Council. This is of course an exciting development for the people of Ayrshire, especially in Irvine. I’m keen to see what will, or could replace the performance spaces available at the Magnum, as to me they do seem irreplaceable.

Of course Irvine is very much catered to by the Harbour Arts Centre, which does a great job of facilitating local music and playing host to an endless stream of talented touring musicians who come visiting. It’s exciting times for Irvine but I think having a variety of venues is always good news for a community and the Magnum will take some beating.

I had the pleasure a few weeks ago of attending a new monthly jam night in Dalry at the Greenbank Inn.

Led by local musician Graeme Miller this was such an excellent experience that I just had to write about it. It was my first time in Dalry ( yes) and I wasn’t sure what to expect but I have to say it was one of the friendliest and most fun nights I’ve had involved with music.

To say there is community spirit in Dalry is a massive understatement, it’s a smashing wee place and full of great music talent. There’s something about these places that allows creativity to flourish and it’s fair to say Dalry is a great wee hub of creativity. Graeme will release his debut album very soon and I certainly wish the Dalry troubadour all the very best.

I can announce I have started work on a cultural exchange with New York. I know how vital it is to have experiences which inspire and educate – and you can’t get much bigger than New York.

There’s a real appetite both ways for cultural exchange and things are looking very positive at the moment. Sending a band or performer or two across to New York sounds like just the thing. If you are interested get in touch with me at littlefiremusic1@hotmail.co.uk. Till next time, @littlefire.