The Magic Gang come home for infectious Bestival 2017 set

From the moment they hit the stage, it’s clear that there’s only one thing on The Magic Gang’s agenda tonight: to have a bloody good time. Greeted by a packed out tent at Bestival’s Invaders of the Future stage, theirs is a heroes welcome, with crowd members already scrabbling onto their mates shoulders to get a better view.

Dressed entirely in matching neon yellow raincoats - presumably just in case the rain shows back up this evening - it takes the self-declared “Bournemouth-via-Brighton” four-piece mere minutes to dial up the celebration levels to 11. ‘How Can I Compete’ is a bona fide indie anthem which sees a Magic Gang flag emerge from the centre of the crowd (while its owner attempts to poke a hole through the tent’s ceiling with such vigorous waving) before the likes of ‘Your Love’ and ‘Alright’ provoke up-in-arms singalongs that the mightiest of headliners would be proud of.

Made all the more special by the fact that a ton of both Gus Taylor and Paeris Giles’ school friends are dotted throughout the crowd - Jack Kaye manages to spot one of his too, for good measure - their Bestival set is a short and sweet homecoming, which blasts through their life as a band so far, while making the prospect of their next steps all the more exciting.