Majik

Shot out of Nottingham from a world of woodland outlaws and stylish boutiques; Majik are on a three man mission to resurrect the psychedelic corpse of funk-rock. Taking the time to breathe life into a forgotten genre before dressing it in cowboy boots, teaching it how to seduce womankind and slapping its arse on the way out; the lads are ready to melt hearts, make waves and get those feet jiving again.

It may have taken ten years to take shape but 2006 will be this bands year. In the same town where soul legend Edwin Starr died the trio have paid their dues on the unsigned scene with nothing but a stern face, alcohol in their gut and a mirror in their pocket. But now, with a record deal with independent label Rock Revolution freshly inked, Majik are ready to take their sound to the masses.

Think Quentin Tarentino directing Pulp Fiction: The Musical. Think James Brown singing along to a Led Zeppelin riff while Elvis and Bootsy Collins fight over a Hendrix guitar lick and you’re almost there. With influences ranging from Aerosmith to Funkadelic, Cream to Guns N Roses and much more. The next step for the band is the recording of the new EP and under the guidance of producer Will Jackson (Kaiser Chiefs, The Music) the band will enter the studio this autumn to put their groove on disc.

On the road the band bare their souls and their chests in the name of rock ‘n’ roll. In their time they’ve shown Nottingham what runs deep in the River Trent but now their mission lies nationwide and their first hurdle came in September. Aboard the ‘Ignite The Tide’ tour, supporting York-based sleaze rockers Kid Ego, the band left the dingy rock holes behind and set up their kit in some of the most prestigious venues in the UK including a hometown show in the main room at Rock City.

They are making sure their hair is big, their shirts are ripped and their trousers are tight. Prepare yourself because with a rider consisting of a pack of Rennie, a bottle of Pantene Pro V and an extra towel, the lads are packed and ready to make mankind sing, dance and make love to the sound of Majik.
- Peep Show

Choosing a favorite band of all time..ever..in the entire universe and beyond, is a simple task. Mostly due to the past 5 years of working in live music venues, watching well over 1000 bands. Many of which are top acts such as; Bob Dylan, Peter Green, Ritchie Havens,George Clinton, Bo Diddley, The Who, Roy Ayers, Prince and Rick Derringer..to name a few. The rare experience of watching and working with the very best performers in the indusrty makes it very easy to spot a great band, after hearing just a brief intro to a song. (most people working in the industry can) Anyway, this is what happened the first time I saw Majik ( then the magic heroes) Showing up on stage looking like ..well..kids. I almost walked out before they had a chance to play. But after hearing the intro to Heartbreaker, I quickly fell in love with the band. Its been a year since that night and since then, I have promoted them on 3 radio stations, found them a growing collective of Majik groupies ( of which they have no idea) and harass them regularly (Im sure to their pleasure..dismay..pleasure/ maybe dismay) So why all this effort? What makes Majik so great? Well, again, its a very simple answer. Theres a shit load of excellent bands on the scene; infact, its shocking how many there are. What makes Majik different is that they play different. They are all 20-nothing years old and play like the professionals that have been at it for the last 30-40 years. (its uncanny and makes me very uncomfortable) Even rarer for a young band, is that they play just as well live as they do recorded. This is main reason why anyone who has seen them perform live, becomes a raving lunatic of a fan (join the annoracks for Majik bus) But most of all, the reason I can easily call this band one of the greatest I know, is that each and every song they produce is a quality track.There are no singles for this band.. the entire album and every song on it is a gem! .. and that is why I love MAJIK! - Total Rock

Tonight’s headliners are Majik and with a growing reputation, we are looking forward to seeing their set. Adopting a style of rock, which is driven by diverse drumming and upbeat, funky basslines The Majik play with passion and confidence, and from the start of their set the crowd seemed enthusiastic. The drums provide the effective build-ups, with lots of great fills and along with the walking bass, give the guitar and vocals a chance to roam and experiment. The vocals are really laid-back and casual, with a bluesy edge picked the songs up really well. The songs are based around catchy hook lines, but using plenty of dynamics and temp changes, The Majik are diverse and effective. The songs are given emotion by their strong and suave performances. It seemed like they knew full well that the crowd were going to love every note. It’s all very tight, but the songs still have a good flow and generate a funky, swinging atmosphere. This is classic 70’s funk rock, played with feeling that Hendrix and Led Zep would be proud of. The Majik ooze arrogance and embody the spirit of rock n roll. - Saggy Pants

As Majik take to the stage the crowd appears to double in size, and it’s easy to see why; the band are simply a delight to behold. Initially it would appear that Wolfmother have pipped them to the post marketing their own brand of Led Zeppelin-style riffs, but it’s evident that as Majik reveal their sonic arsenal, this couldn’t be further from the truth. With vocals reminiscent of James Brown, basslines Flea would be envious of and Guns N' Roses-style soaring solos, Majik have an enraptured crowd hanging onto their every note.

It's one of those very rare gigs where it dawns on both band and audience that bigger things are a distinct possibility and they might not be your little secret much longer. You might laugh the first time you see a guitar technician scurrying over to Stav after seeing him every other week lugging a massive board of effects pedals about, but after a while you realise - that's what bands are supposed to do.

It's obvious that someone has had a word with the band about their stage act (which in the past has been very loose and eager-to-please), and they've listened. No messing about between songs.

It's the music side of things that provide the true revelation, however; they have raised their game considerably. The Bass Rooster, who has always had to deal with the eternal problem of sharing a stage with a charasmatic frontman who looks extremely decent with his shirt off, has improved most of all; he's finally come into his own, peeling off solid basslines and keeping the excesses Rock bands usually tumble into firmly in check.

The band mix old favourites and new tunes with dazzling precision - Heartbreaker and Just Ain't Right were obvious crowd-pleasers, new tunes Hardway and Friday Night demonstrate a firm conviction to keep it Notts (the former is about Whycliffe, while the latter celebrates the joys of getting battered at The Social), and their surprising cover of My Sharona proved what we've always suspected; that The Knack were just a balls-out Rawk band in skinny ties and basin haircuts.

It’s extremely telling that as the band exit the stage, the crowd thins considerably. No pun intended - simply fucking Majik.
- Leftlion