THE (UN) LIKELY LADS

Steve Davis is a big believer in the power of chance. Without it, he would never have encountered the band that changed his life. “Things often happen as a consequence of unexpected events,” he reckons. “When I was 16 or 17, me and a school friend went to watch Isotope, the band that Hugh Hopper was in after Soft Machine, at the Roundhouse [in June, 1974]. The headliners were Magma. I’d never heard of them, but they were jaw-dropping. I became such a heavy-duty fan. My favourite album of all time is Köhntarkösz. Looking back, I was so lucky to be there at the right place at the right time.”

“I can’t really describe the euphoria of being involved in it. I’ve been very fortunate to have had this second life that’s