Photo by Guy Barton
Where did your band name come from?
Some fans started calling Rob ‘Magic Rob’ in his solo days and it stuck. Then the Magic expanded into the Universe one day when he was munching on some Grain Waves.
Group Members?
Rob Burgess (vocals & acoustic guitar), Nathan Rowlands (electric guitars & backing vocals), David Bath (bass, sound effects & backing vocals), Glen Stewart (drums).
Describe your sound:
Rob reckons it’s psychedelic-folk rock with a medieval twist and a space-rock vein. I’d say on a good day it’s a mix of Ziggy Stardust-era Bowie and some Led Zep. I’d like to believe that anyway.
Who are your influences, musical or otherwise?
My mum but err, musically, for us it’s Beatles, Bowie, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin. Classic rock pretty much. Also I spent a lot of time watching Rage as a kid waiting for the good stuff to come on.
What’s the weirdest experience you’ve had whilst performing?
Probably Rob busting lights bulbs with his high notes.
What’s your biggest achievement/proudest moment so far?
Whenever we get the audience out of their shell and going crazy it makes me proud.
What are your plans for the future?
Rob has been very prolific by himself so far with three albums he produced himself, a rockumentary and he is working on a sci-fi book. But this year we’d like to make our first album as a band. And get on the bill for something big like Corinbank or the Folk Festival!
What makes you laugh?
Myself mostly. My mistakes and my own sense of humour.
What pisses you off?
Arrogant/snobby people.
What’s your opinion of the local scene?
It may not be is as big as Sydney or Melbourne but it is fully alive. Plenty of gigs and venues if you look properly. A lot of activity thanks to the CMC and places like The Phoenix and Pot Belly that support local, original music.
What are your upcoming gigs?
We have an out of town party coming up, but we’re going to have a short break to work on some new songs and get gigging again after that.
Contact Info:
‘The Magic Rob Universe’ on Facebook
rowlandsnathan@hotmail.com
