Magdalena Bay kick off their UK tour in Birmingham
The alternative duo brought their ‘Magical Mystery’ tour to Birmingham’s O2 Academy.
Photo: Amalia Irons
In the nicest possible way, I try to avoid travelling to Birmingham for gigs. It’s an hour and a half on the train and, if you don’t make the last train at ten past eleven, then you’re in for a fun night. Luckily for Magdalena Bay, I made the expedition to see them because, well, Imaginal Disk was one of the best albums of 2024, and it’s not even close.
Canadian electropop artist Allie X was up first, whose 2020 single Susie Save Your Love was the only song I was familiar with. Despite being the only one to take the stage, the musician, with the help of a ghostly white backdrop and a pair of jet black sunglasses, commanded the full crowd as if it were her own headline, getting everyone dancing before the main act.
Flashes of light struck the stage during the wait, leaving fans anticipating the duo’s stage entrance twenty minutes too early, with a chorus of ‘oh’s’ sounding out when the stage went dark once more. Stagehands shuffled about on stage, setting up the band’s props, including a huge mirror of sorts, which would go on to play visuals throughout the show.
For some reason, all the tall men had come out in their droves that evening, and I had to utilise my tiptoes to see anything — the joys of being five foot seven. It’s part and parcel of gigs at this point, but I did find it ironic that a guy in front of me, who must’ve been at least six feet, turned to his friend and said, “I hate not being able to see at gigs.” Try standing behind you. Memories of being one of the tallest in the crowd at Chappell Roan’s Leeds Festival set seem so distant now. If only.
The band stuck to their own rule book and played some of their most successful music straight off the bat, with 2024 album Imaginal Disk’s opener She Looked Like Me! serving as their introduction, making way for one of their best, Killing Time, before singer Mica Tenenbaum addressed the audience and welcomed everyone to the “Imaginal Mystery Tour”.
Image, arguably their second most popular song, sent the crowd into a frenzy, with everyone dancing together as if we knew each other, and something so strange and somewhat unheard of at gigs nowadays: minimal chatter. The band had everyone’s attention and it was a rare sight to behold.
The band fired their way through some of the best discography, like You Lose!, Death & Romance, Chaeri and That’s My Floor, captivating the Birmingham audience with ease, and choosing a setlist so perfect that they truly put the cherry on top when their encore included the first live performances of new singles, Nice Day and This Is The World (I Made It For You).
Despite the fact that their exceptional second studio album came out two years ago, they gave it a fresh, new lease of life with their magnetic performances, including a record number of outfit changes in the space of an hour and a half — well, outfit adjustments/additions, or whatever you wish to call it. Whatever it was, the pair made it a truly special night, and well and truly kicked off their stay in the UK.
Here’s to more Magdalena Bay in 2026.
