INSTANT KARMA
What goes around…
The miraculous tale of Manc indie never-weres Magic Roundabout, resurrected by Third Man after 34 years
Early days: (l–r) Paul Chadwick and Nick Davidson
Magic Roundabout supporting The Pastels, April 1987
IN 1987, Manchester band Magic Roundabout looked set to take the indie world by storm. They sported leather jackets and bowl cuts, hitting a musical sweet spot somewhere between C86 and White Light/White Heat. “A great band,” remembers Graham Lambert of Inspiral Carpets, who played with them several times. “They had a cacophony of sounds and a lightshow straight from a ’60s psychedelic meltdown film. They could do one song for 20 minutes but they never compromised and I liked that.” However, with all seemingly to play for, Magic Roundabout never got around to releasing anything… until now.