1993-1998

Dressed in chimney sweep-style outfits, Madness open the annual Brit Awards with a live performance of the upcoming rerelease, Night Boat To Cairo.

The band’s classic gets another airing courtesy of Virgin, complete with four dance remixes of differing quality by Paul Gotel. The single spends two weeks on the charts, peaking at No56.

Carl is interviewed on breakfast TV. He talks about the reunion, his job as an A&R man and his Irish roots. The interview closes with a prize question about the number of hits Madness enjoyed.

Madness play at the popular three-day festival, which also features Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, UB40, Toots & The Maytals and Sam Brown.

Madness appear on the second day, alongside The Frank & Walters, lndigo Girls, Aztec Camera, Sultans Of Ping, Squeeze, Chris De Burgh and Bjorn Again. All acts are given one hour and 15 minutes, but Chris De Burgh overruns by 45 minutes, so consequently Madness are forced to cut theirs short. ‘It’s great to be back in Scotland,’ Suggs quips. ‘You’re not as tight as they say you ought to be. I’m only serious. This ironic song is all about Wash ‘N Go, it’s called The Sun And The Rain, and thank you Chris De Burgh for dampening us down.’ Later he pays tribute to their long-serving soundman, Ian ‘Dad’ Horne, by announcing: ‘I’d just like to apologise for the poor sound quality tonight. It’s the birthday of the man who does our sound and has done for a few years now. So if you can’t hear it now, you’ve never been able to. But please, I’d like you very much to bring your hands together for our soundman Ian Horne, who has his 97th birthday.’ Some fans start to sing Happy Birthday, and the band join in with: ‘We love you Dad, we do.’ Carl dedicates Bed & Breakfast Man to ‘everyone out there in the rain. You know who you are.’ As the set draws to a close, Suggs adds: ‘We’ve been told to stop shortly, but we’re not stopping yet. All grown­ups are bastards, never be a grown-up. They’re selfish miserable bastards.’ As another dig at De Burgh, before the final track, instead of M-A-D-N-E-S-S, Suggs spells it out as M-I-N-D-L-E-S-S.

One Step Beyond / The Prince / Embarrassment / My Girl / The Sun And The Rain / Grey Day / It Must Be Love / Razor Blade Alley / Shut Up / Bed And Breakfast Man / House Of Fun / Our House / Night Boat To Cairo / Madness / ENCORE: Rockin’ In A^b / Baggy Trousers

Cashing in on their newly-rediscovered popularity, Virgin release a triple CD collection of singles, B-sides and 12-inches, interspersed with interview snippets from friends, fans and colleagues.

I FIRST saw Madness early in 1980 in a San Francisco club. It was the city’s mecca of punk but the locals didn’t know quite what to make of this new thing from England.
The suits were ill-fitting, the rhythms suggested one of those table-top robots on speed and although Chas Smash looked menacing as he yelled ‘One Step Beyond!’ Madness clearly weren’t opposed to smiling. They rushed around the tiny stage like air escaping out of a balloon, striking poses lifted from silent comedies and suggesting a small crowd in panic. They’d already had two or three hits back home but their set was long on attitude and short on songs and they came over like a novelty act with a short shelf life.
Five years later, I wound up working as their press officer as they tried to get used to not having Stiff’s Dave Robinson bellowing at their backs. They’d lost Mike Barson, signed to Virgin and were trying to get their label Zarjazz up and running while writing Mad Not Mad. Virgin found them bafflingly clannish and Madness simply weren’t very interested in anything any more. They’d spent the first half of the ’80s changing from a gang of Camden chancers into the best singles band of their era and, after 19 straight hits, countless tours and a stream of brilliant videos, they were married or in long-running relationships and stoking Madness was no longer the most important thing in their lives. The poignant Yesterday’s Men was the work of a band that already knew the old days were over.
Nothing defines the ’90s like nostalgia and Madness have made a successful second career out of shared memories. Yet there is something painful about listening to them using up a complete life in little more than five years, moving from the hi-jinks of the 2-Tone era through the young adulthood of It Must Be Love and House Of Fun and into the darkening middle-age of bitter-sweet epics like Michael Caine and One Better Day.
Madness were a pop group but they never sold fake tans and fairy lights. They started off like a pick-up side having a kickabout in the park and wound up, well, almost professional. They never completely abandoned ska but their music slowly became richer and stranger until their blend of clipped rhythms, honking sax and tinkling Joannas evolved into a new kind of English cabaret music, tangled up in pub singalongs and fairground sideshows but with its finger firmly on the pulse of an England that was choking under Margaret Thatcher.
Madness actually sounded like the last gasp of a neighbourly working-class culture that was dying on its feet. With hindsight, you can actually hear the life going out of their music; Madness were a classic pop but they were also an argument about the fate of a certain kind of national life, an argument about what it meant to be young and British in the early ’80s.
The Business is a track-by-track record of Madness’s seven years of hits, kicking off with The Prince in August 1979, and winding down with (Waiting For The) Ghost Train in June 1986. A three CD affair running at around three-and-a-half hours, complete with all the B-sides, various jingles and a 56-page booklet, The Business is for collectors. There are a few jewels among the B-sides, like One Second’s Thoughtlessness and If You Think There’s Something, but the feel remains that Madness lived and died by their A-sides.
However, The Business’s biggest drawback are the fragments of old interviews from Madness sidekicks and business associates that are thrown between tracks like a bad radio programme. The material clearly dates back to the early ’80s because the idea is virtually abandoned on the third CD, but the chatter is edited on to the end of songs in a manner that makes it distinctly hard to avoid. Madness have worn very well indeed but their comments sound old on the first play.

Mark Cooper, MOJO

Suggs and Mike are interviewed and talk about the support act on their forthcoming Christmas tour, the split in 1986, rediscovering success, and how they fill their spare time.

Dubbed The Man In The Mad Suit Tour, the band’s second Christmas tour since their reunion begins in the north of England. Support comes from Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine. The tour sees Lee dressing up as the genie from Aladdin.

One Step Beyond / Embarrassment / Driving in My Car / Yesterday’s Men / Victoria Gardens / Shut Up / The Prince / One Better Day / Never Ask Twice (aka Airplane) / The Sun and the Rain / My Girl / Our House / Tomorrow’s Dream / Michael Caine / House of Fun / Grey Day / Wings of a Dove / Tomorrow’s (Just Another Day) / Baggy Trousers / It Must Be Love / ENCORE 1: Bed And Breakfast Man / Madness ENCORE 2: (Waiting For) The Ghost Train / Night Boat to Cairo

During tonight’s gig, Lee decides to climb into a bag and hop across the stage. Predictably, he falls off.

Madness’s only live show of 1994 is supported by dance act the Tyrell Corporation, reggae favourites Aswad, hip-hop act Credit To The Nation, punk stalwarts Buzzcocks and a return from Ian Dury & The Blockheads. Madness’s set is notable for Suggs quoting The Rolling Stones classic (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction towards the end of Driving In My Car, and My Way at the close of Wings Of A Dove. The support acts are thanked – particularly ‘Ian and his Dury’ – and Carl shows off his soccer skills by kicking back a ball that someone’s thrown onstage. Suggs dedicates Bed And Breakfast Man to John Hasler, then Lee takes the vocals for a reggae version of The Kinks’ 1970 transvestite classic, Lola. Underlining the subject matter, he does a striptease to unveil a pair of stockings and suspenders. Earlier on, he brings a coffin onto the stage, sparking rumours that this is Madness’s farewell show. A tradition begins as the band’s children come onstage for Night Boat to Cairo, with Suggs’s daughter Scarlett taking over the vocals from her dad.

One Step Beyond / Embarrassment / Driving in My Car / Yesterday’s Men / Shut Up / The Prince / One Better Day / The Sun And The Rain / My Girl / Our House / Michael Caine / House of Fun / Grey Day / Wings of a Dove / (Tomorrow’s) Just Another Day / Baggy Trousers / It Must Be Love / ENCORE 1: Bed And Breakfast Man / Madness / ENCORE 2: Lola / Night Boat to Cairo

The singer teams up with old friend Rob Dickins, by now a powerful and influential figure in the music industry. In late August, he uses an appearance on Radio 1 to announce his plans for a solo career.

For his first solo TV outing, Suggs performs two cover versions – The Beatles’ I’m Only Sleeping and Suedehead by Morrissey.

With an acronym for Fuck All That, and the motto ‘sample it, loop it, stick big guitars on it, then rap all over it’, the band tour throughout summer, including the Phoenix Festival. Their debut single, Downtime, is issued on Dink Records in August.

The frontman’s first solo single – a cover of The Beatles classic – reaches No7 in the UK charts.

The singer’s anthem to his stomping ground enters and peaks at No14 in the UK charts.

Madness convene at Sir John Henry Studios in London for the third Christmas tour since their reunion. A small problem has occurred since a photo session in mid-November – Bedders doesn’t want to play any more. The subsequent tour programme states, ‘Bedders is not appearing due to the fact that he has now got a nice, cushy well-paid job in graphic design, which is a far greater challenge than playing 15-year-old hits once every couple of years for loads of money.’ Rather than cancelling the tour, it’s decided that Blockheads bassist Norman Watt-Roy will fill the vacant spot. New music station VH1 films the rehearsals and interviews Suggs, a bespectacled Carl and a short-haired Woody for its 1:1 series.

The Mad Dogs tour begins in Northern Ireland. To make sure everyone knows this isn’t one of the many tribute bands that now terrorise the club circuit, the adverts bill them as, ‘The Original Madness’. Support band on the Emerald Isle are Scary Eire, a Clive Langer & The Boxes offshoot. During the tour, Madness use a London-skyline themed backdrop and Lee is dressed as The Joker from Batman.

‘Good evening Dublin,’ says Carl. ‘We are Madness…North London geezers in the area, come out, come out, come out.’ Our House is introduced as ‘a song called Country House’, but the recent Blur hit is not played. Suggs urges the audience to make some space at the front because ‘people are all going purple and they’re putting me off my dinner’. Fan Michael Farmer is invited to have an onstage drink with Lee and Hector Walker, and the consumption of a yard of ale becomes a ritual on the tour. The second encore starts with In The Rain, but Carl – dubbed ‘Chassy O’ Smash’ by Suggs – misses it as he’s backstage calling his mum.

One Step Beyond / Embarrassment / Driving In My Car / Yesterday’s Men / Shut Up / The Prince / One Better Day / The Sun And The Rain / My Girl / Our House / Michael Caine / The Return Of The Los Palmas 7 / House Of Fun / Grey Day / Wings Of A Dove / Tomorrow’s (Just Another Day) / Baggy Trousers / It Must Be Love / ENCORE 1: Lola / Bed And Breakfast Man / Madness / ENCORE 2: In The Rain / Night Boat To Cairo

Co-written with Mike Barson, Suggs’s third sole effort also includes a festive version of Sleigh Ride and a cover of the Supergrass classic, Alright. It goes on to peak at a lowly No33 in the UK charts.

For the mainland gigs, Madness are supported by Laxton’s Superb, who Carl had discovered while working as an A&R man.

This was the second time I’d seen the Mads at the G­Mex, the last being the Mad Suit tour of December 1993, and I must say the boys were even better this time around. After negotiating what seemed like a mile-long queue, we managed to squeeze our way to the front. Shortly to appear was a young bunch of power popsters by the name of Laxton’s Superb. In all fairness I thought they were pretty good, but they went down like a lead balloon with the expectant masses. Eventually Madness appeared minus Bedders (Suggs did explain why, but I couldn’t hear for the racket). Chas was decked out in what appeared to be the same outfit as two years ago with top hat etc, while Lee looked more and more like Jack Nicholson in Batman. One Step Beyond opened (as usual) and by now I was trying to concentrate on keeping my rib cage in contact with the crush. One of the lads I was with lobbed his fez onstage and we managed (briefly) to persuade Suggs to don it. There was also the strange sight during a rendition of Los Palmas of two lads on stage having a yard-of-ale drinking competition (mad indeed).The playlist was pretty much what you’d expect with the exception of the two encores, In The Rain and Lee’s brilliant version of Lola. By now the crushing seemed to ease a little due to the continuation of tiring dancing feet and more and more people carried out. The gig seemed to fly and before you knew it we were saying adios with Night Boat To Cairo.

Darren Jagger-Hull

During tonight’s show, Lee invites a girl onstage to take part in the yard of ale drinking contest during Los Palmas Seven.

Support act Laxton’s Superb are booed off, but they don’t seem to mind. As often is the case with One Step Beyond, Carl inserts the line ‘Sound to sound / Nation to nation.’ ‘Were you here last time we were in Birmingham?’ asks Suggs. When some people at the front raise their hands he quips: ‘ls that all ?’ Later he peers at the seats up to one side and says, ‘Oh, hello. My goodness, those seats must have been cheap. You can’t hear, you can’t see and we can’t hear you though, that’s the main thing.’ During the Los Palmas Seven drink-off, a fan called David stands back-to­back with Lee, who switches his yard of ale for an empty one until he’s caught in the act by a booing audience. When the band leave the stage, the backdrop displays ‘Merry Christmas’ with a witch on a broomstick flying over it. The appearance of artificial snow during the encore adds to the festive spirit.

Lee wears his It Must Be Love suit, rather than his Joker outfit. Dressed in his Grey Day suit, Carl repeats his ‘Sound to sound / Nation to nation’ riff during One Step Beyond, and also plays trumpet during the sax break of Embarrassment.

Earlier in the day, Chris and Lee take time out to shoot the first part of the video for new Crunch! single Magic Carpet. At the gig itself, Carl appears in a blue suit similar to Lee’s. During Yesterday’s Men, Suggs adlibs ‘Are you sure?’ to the third mention of ‘Has to get better in the long run’. Shut Up sees Carl sitting on the PA while the audience fill in the piano solo at the end.

Finally, after four years of begging my parents, I was allowed to go and see the one band who have influenced my life more than anything. Perhaps I should say that I am just 17 and have been a devoted Madness-follower since their huge revival in ’92. Up till now I have not been allowed to go to a gig. I was not disappointed at all. I was right at the front of Wembley with my friends. It started as ever with a rumbling voice. Carl stood there booming those almighty lyrics “HEY YOU … ” I was so amazed I could have cried, there on the stage less than two metres away were the lads who I never thought I’d get to see. Suggs stood wearing a checked suit (not the Shut Up­one) it was small black ‘n white checks, and a bowler hat. He stood with his arms in the air for a second and everyone cheered so loudly. Mark wasn’t there for some reason. The programme hints that he didn’t want to be. Which was a shame. The whole capacity of the area was moved at one point when Suggs and Carl decided to get the into the male bonding thing and hug each other. All the girls said, ‘Ahhhh’. All the lads laughed. The set was a classic one with all the old favourites. Baggy Trousers had the arena jumping as I guessed it would. It was incredible. Suggs posed for my photo. I called him in a quietish moment and he looked straight at our little crowd and said, ‘Yeah?’ I screamed out, “SMILE SUGGS!’ and aimed the camera and he did pose for a second. The lads also did a rendition of The Kinks’ Lola which they did at Madstock ’94. Lee was climbing all over the monitors at the front. There was also a good moment during Los Palmas Seven when Lee picked a girl out of the audience and made her try to down a yard of ale. Carl took the opportunity of having a quiet fag while Suggs went to change his jacket. I have never had such an amazing night out.

Lucy Bailey

The upbeat Simon & Garfunkel cover version will be Suggs’s most successful solo single release, peaking at No4 on the UK charts and spending 22 weeks on the charts.

Madness practice for the first of only two shows in ’96, during which they finally add some new material after a year of tinkering. You’re Wonderful, Saturday Night Sunday Morning, Culture Vulture and Soul Denying are slowly taking shape, although the latter is only played at rehearsals as Madness struggle to find its shape. Bedders is still no longer with Madness, but his bass-guitar isn’t gathering dust and he plays with BUtterfield 8 at the Jazz Café the same evening. The next day he flies to Japan with members of The Blockheads for recording sessions.

The support acts for the third North London jamboree are King Prawn, The Gyres, Audioweb, Catatonia, Wilko Johnson, Mike Flowers Pops, The James Taylor Quartet and Squeeze. Today’s gig takes place on the same day as the England-Spain match in Euro 96, which sees a win on penalties for the home nation. For this year’s shows, Madness wear grey Beatle-style suits, with Carl surprising everyone by having his hair dyed peroxide blond. Suggs interrupts Driving In My Car to say hello to the crowd before the song starts anew. Four years after the teaspoon act at the first Madstock, Suggs now picks up a lollipop left on stage by Carl’s son. ‘I’ve got a new dance I’ve been practising all morning,’ are his words to introduce the first of the three new tracks to be premiered tonight. During Saturday Night, Sunday Morning, Chris inserts the intro of The Four Tops’ I Can’t Help Myself. Fully aware of the high expectations, Suggs adds that the new songs ‘will not be available in your record-shops on Monday morning’. The gig also takes place in the same weekend as the reunion concert by The Sex Pistols. Thus The Sun And The Rain is announced as ‘Anarchy In The DHSS’. Carl dedicates Our House to his mum before Suggs announces, ‘We may not have any walls or a roof, but today this is our house.’ Michael Caine is played for the first time since December 1995 and precedes the second new song, Culture Vulture, which is performed for the only time until 2018, although the instrumental break is used later for Drip Fed Fred. You’re Wonderful opens the encore, with Carl dedicating it to his father, who had died the year before of cancer. The fans’ reaction makes it an instant crowd favourite. The show is also notable for an unusual ending after Night Boat To Cairo, and the usual stage invasion of children and family. As the band leave the stage and some fans begin drifting away, Carl suddenly reappears and announces: ‘Thank you for coming. We love you and we’ll miss you.’ A circus fanfare then suddenly strikes up as, unbeknown to the crowd, some of the band have been putting on harnesses backstage and are winched into the air, flying back and forth across the stage. Lee performs his trademark somersaults as Carl bellows ‘We shall return!’ in a fittingly surreal end to the show.

One Step Beyond / Embarrassment / Driving in My Car / Yesterday’s Men / Shut Up / The Prince / Saturday Night, Sunday Morning / One Better Day / The Sun And The Rain / My Girl / Our House / Michael Caine / Culture Vulture / House of Fun / Grey Day / Wings of a Dove / (Tomorrow’s) Just Another Day / Baggy Trousers / It Must Be Love / ENCORE 1: You’re Wonderful / Bed And Breakfast Man / Madness / ENCORE 2: Return of the Los Palmas 7 / Land of Hope and Glory / Night Boat to Cairo

Sting. Weller. The Pistols. What is it about Finsbury Park that fast sees it overtaking Eastbourne as the place for old codgers to go and spin out their remaining days? Today it’s the turn of Madness with their annual, no-really-that’s-the-last-ever, gig. Nightnurse to Cairo anyone? Before all that though there’s a bill of younger tykes and assorted oddballs specifically designed to bamboozle the boots-and-braces brigade. Still, the cropped ones seem much more comfortable with Squeeze’s middle-aged spread rock. But after Cool For Cats and Up The Junction they could fart into a trumpet and still go down better than ten pints of lager after a scraped England victory. And so to Madness who, surprise, surprise, play all the hits, all the sensitive songs, and all the later stuff that no-one knows. There’s all the nutty dancing, all the banter, and these are indisputably classic pop songs, but there’s something intrinsically sad about seeing Chas Smash (the proto-Bez, kids) still pretending to be a 12-year-old overdosing on Tartrazine. Ultimately this is Theme Park Britain, wherein you can indulge your adolescence once again. And surely that’s what tribute bands are for. Stop the madness. NOW!

NME

After standing up for at least ten hours, right at the very front of the crowd, listening to numerous support groups, of which personally Squeeze was the best, the lights went out and the chants of “MADNESS” began to fill the air. Smoke filled the air as all eyes turned to the stage and seven figures all dressed in grey suits took their places at the front. Madness were at last here. ‘HEY YOU,DON’T WATCH THAT, WATCH THIS !’ boomed around the park as Mr. Smash (sporting a trendy blond hairdo) got Madstock 3 under way, with a brilliant version of One Step Beyond followed by classic after classic Madness songs. Embarrassment was next followed by Driving In My Car which had to be started again after the first verse, because of a computer problem or something. Yesterday’s Men, Shut Up and The Prince all came and went, then we were in for a real treat – a new Madness song, Saturday Night, well worthy of a place in the charts. Back to the hits with The Sun & The Rain, a fab My Girl, Our House, Michael Caine and another new song, Culture Vulture. I don’t remember too much about the next song, House Of Fun, as I was lying at the bottom of about 80 people during a mild bundle. Grey Day was next, then Wings Of A Dove and Tomorrow’s Just Another Day, then there was a small pause because Barso’s keyboard lost its power. After God knows how long, a bell sounded out, and the boys went into a storming version of Baggy Trousers. It Must Be Love was next, and then Madness were gone. After about five minutes of

“OLE, OLE, OLE, MADNESS, MADNESS”, they were back where they should be, on stage. Mr. Smash dedicated the next song – Wonderful – to everyone at Finsbury Park and to his Dad, it was another new one and definitely a top 10 hit. Bed & Breakfast Man followed, with a stomping version of Madness after that. Then they went off stage again, and returned to do their last encore. Los Palmas began with Land Of Hope & Glory next. Then there was only one more song to play – a brilliant rip-roaring version of Night Boat To Cairo. Then it was all over, Madness said their goodbyes, with Suggs, Smash, Thommo and Monsieur Barso flying through the air on swings. After the concert had ended I met a man called Melvyn who works with the Mean Fiddler and he managed to get me a set list and got all the members of Madness to sign it for me (apart from Bedders of course). A brilliant end to a Mad-tastic day.

Chris Tinson

Supporting Simply Red, and with Norman Watt-Roy on bass, The Extravaganza is taped for semi-live broadcast on BBC Radio and TV. Madness enter the 360-degree main stage dressed in the same Beatlesque suits as worn at Madstock (save for Woody’s trademark shorts), hiding behind umbrellas before embarking on a 12-song set. The intro of The Prince is interrupted again because the crowd finish the spoken ‘Buster’ part for Suggs. ‘Who said that?’ he bellows. ‘Do you think we’re paid to stand here to let someone else sing the song? Then fucking swap places.’ Suggs continues to rave about his yellow-tinted shades (another flavour of the late 90s) and throughout the show he refers to the revolving stage. At one point there’s even a request to ‘turn that bloody stage’. My Girl not only goes out to the girls, but also to ‘men dressed up as girls’ while Carl dedicates You’re Wonderful to the English football team as an encouragement for next day’s Euro 96 semi-final against Germany. Again the song gets a rapturous response. As It Must Be Love ends this ‘nice day out’, Carl gives thanks to headliners Simply Red and Suggs to ‘Mr Sun’.

One Step Beyond / Embarrassment / Shut Up / The Prince / Saturday Night Sunday Morning / The Sun And The Rain / My Girl / Our House / Wonderful / House Of Fun / Wings Of A Dove / It Must Be Love

The fourth single from The Lone Ranger reaches No24, dropping out of the chart after only four weeks.

Suggs joins 14 others musicians and performers in rural Devon for the annual EMI songwriting course. Among them is Chris Difford (Squeeze), Graham Gouldman (10cc), Kirsty MacColl, Lamont Dozier and Mike Barson’s brother, Ben. Suggs collaborates with Gouldman and Difford on five songs – There Was A Day, Sad Old Man, That’s The Way We Do It, Me & You Against The World and Two Bacon Sandwiches.

Shows are scheduled for the Ilford Island (December 8^th), Ipswich Regent (9^th), Wolverhampton Civic Hall (17^th), Poole Arts Centre (19^th) and The Forum in Kentish Town, London (21^st).

The celebrity karaoke show sees Suggs assisted by a disembodied voice dubbed ‘The Big Guy in the Sky’ announcing the scores. He’s also helped and hindered by Pop Monkey, a man in a costume who gives him the choice of songs. The show will eventually run until 2002, with subsequent presenters including Will Mellor and Sarah Cawood.

While Suggs is caught up in his solo career, other band members convene to rehearse new tracks, including The Wizard, Going To The Top and No Money.

Chris and Bedders play with the rotating line-up at Ska Extravaganza 3, with a set that includes ska favourites Liquidator, Phoenix City, Return Of Django and Madness. Lee had been billed to appear, but failed to show.

Suggs presents a special episode of Night Fever on BBC as part of the annual Children In Need telethon. A total of £20million is raised for charities dealing with disadvantaged children.

After the departure of Steve Finan in 1995, the manager’s shoes are finally filled by experienced no-nonsense operator Rudge, who has previously worked with The Who, The Rolling Stones and Duran Duran.

Supported by Dance Hall Crashers, Royal Crown Revue and Hepcat. A recording of tonight’s gig will be released on CD on March 2 1999 as Universal Madness.

One Step Beyond / Embarrassment / The Prince / The Sun And The Rain / My Girl / Shut Up / Baggy Trousers / It Must Be Love / Bed And Breakfast Man / Our House / ENCORE: Swan Lake / Night Boat to Cairo / Madness

For a while, with the ‘nuttiest sound around’ in deep hibernation (as far as this country was concerned), it was hard to tell if that last truth was merely myth. So it was with great glee that the British septet returned kicking and raving to a Southern California stage after 14 years away, making it an event that drew the likes of Gwen Stefani, Brian Setzer and Elvis Costello, as well as a large, though not sold-out, crowd. Fronted by the still dapper, screwy, vocally clipped and utterly charming (and now plenty paunchy) Graham ‘Suggs’ McPherson and Carl ‘Chas Smash’ Smyth, the band delivered a rousing, randy and downright wonderful performance Sunday night at Universal Amphitheatre, a set that found the band as lively and energetic as in its heyday. Well, almost. These days it’s more Dadness than Madness, and an opening One Step Beyond displayed a distinctly pre-geriatric tempo that suited these mostly 40-ish players. These days, it takes them a little while to warm up. It made sense, then, for the group to coast at the start through some of its mid-tempo (though still offbeat) singles such as Embarrassment and the jaunty cover of Prince Buster’s The Prince. By mid-set, however, after high-stepping versions of My Girl and House of Fun and with keyboardist Mike Barson in full (if choppy) effect, Madness had hit its stride, deftly shifting from more dramatic tunes such as Grey Day, It Must Be Love and an excellent Tomorrow’s Just Another Day to all-out workouts such as a sprinting Baggy Trousers. All of it was delivered as if Madness were as vital to young music fans as the music it has influenced – No Doubt, Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger and countless others who learned the basis for their craft in part from these kooks’ records. But, foolishly, the new breed only picked up on the zaniness of Madness, the most obvious component. Like so many others, they often overlook the deceptively simple nature of the band’s songs, where minor keys and moody chord progressions creep up unsuspectingly and are deflected (or sometimes bolstered) by plainspoken, British working-class storytelling, long believed the sole domain of Ray Davies. That’s partly why Madness was never taken completely seriously, but it’s also why the lovely Our House (played superbly here) is one of the finest singles ever. It’s so much more than mere ska (though the band can do that as well as the best of them). It’s grand pop that communicates a broader range of emotion than just being happy. Just as it was 14 years ago, so is it today. And though, at this point, the Madness gents may amount to nothing more than a supreme nostalgia act, theirs is a welcome return.

Orange County Register

It isn’t often you get a chance to see rock legends perform live. It’s even less often that you get to see Madness perform. Tuesday night, Madness put on an incredible show at RIMAC as part of their Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour, their first American tour in 14 years. After patiently waiting through the slew of opening bands, the huge crowd became antsy while the stage was prepared for Madness. Finally, the band took the stage, a huge ‘M’ banner was unfurled behind the drum kit and the RIMAC crowd went crazy. Madness kicked off their set with one of their most recognizable songs, a bouncy cover of Prince Buster’s One Step Beyond. Clad in sharp suits and sporting their usual flat-top haircuts, the band appeared confident and commanding. The musicianship was impeccable, and Madness had the crowd eating out of their hands. Madness made their way through most of their hits, including It Must Be Love, Grey Day and Tomorrow’s Just Another Day. Between songs, lead singer Graham ‘Suggs’ McPherson bantered with the audience, often giving the songs humorous introductions. Other highlights of the hour-and-a-half set included House of Fun, Shut Up and the band’s 1983 signature piece, Our House. Throughout the set, the RIMAC floor was a sea of dancing people, all hot and sweaty but jubilant in witnessing the spectacle. After Madness left the stage, the audience clamored for more. The band returned for a short encore, which featured an instrumental song that kept the crowd moving. After Madness left the stage again, the audience immediately called them out for a second encore. Looking a bit taken aback by the audience’s enthusiasm, McPherson said, ‘Any time you’d like us to come back, please give us a call. It’s been a pleasure.’ Madness then launched into a cover of Jimmy Cliff’s The Harder They Come, before closing the show with a repeat performance of One Step Beyond. 
Upon the band’s exit, McPherson said, ‘We’ll see you again. Who knows where, who knows when.’ Hopefully it won’t be too long.

UCSD Guardian

Diane Cooke

As on previous dates during their US trip, Madness are supported by Blink 182, Dance Hall Crashers, Royal Crown Revue and Aquabats

The performance began with their customary soundbite from Mick Jagger, ‘The only thing that makes it, that really makes it, that makes it all the way, is one that achieves madness…’ as six of them (minus Lee) lined the front of the stage facing the audience. Lee ran in last with his military helmet on and dismissed them to their ‘posts’ onstage.

A few chairs were put out on the side of the stage just before the concert started for Sandra, Barson’s wife and kids one of whom could be seen occasionally crawling around Barson’s feet as he played the keyboards.

No surprise that they started with One Step Beyond and Embarrassment, and

on a couple of occasions, Bedders and Chris came out holding a small video camera and were grabbing home videos from the stage.

There were a few attempts to mosh from a small number of people, but it was met with great opposition as it was a reasonably civilized crowd.

Overall, the concert went without a hitch, except when Lee attempted to play Night Boat to Cair” from atop a stack of speakers. The speakers were probably placed directly in front of other speakers, as there was a great deal of feedback as he attempted the first blasting note a couple times. He nixed the idea, and after a ‘Sorry about that’ proceeded to play it from his original spot on the stage. Oh well, that’s showbiz.

Later I got every single one of them to sign the Madstock CD, starting with Lee, Mike and Woody. All of them were perfectly gracious. Lee was particularly kind as he could see my apprehension in getting Mike to sign the CD cover, since Mike was already on his way out the door. “GO ON!” he shouted. “Get BARSON to sign it!” I told Mike (who was accompanied by his family) I had recently seen Take It Or Leave It again and was it true that he’d left Carl in the car as depicted in the film? He said: “Naaaaaaahhh, it’s not true. They just wanted something INTERESTING to put in there, and it made me come off looking rather NASTY.” I introduced myself to Chrissy Boy as the person who’d recently asked ‘Where are the rest of the band right now’ on their webpage. He immediately perked up, stuck his hand out and Said “What a good question! I had a lot of fun with that one!” And he and Bedders confirmed that everything in that answer was actually what was happening that day. He really HAD called everyone to see what they were doing at that very moment. I enjoyed talking with him briefly, then slipped off to nab Carl and Suggs. Carl, as expected was perfectly charming. Anyway, we all went outside, the vans started to pull away, and Madness were off on the road again, leaving for Hawaii the very next day. I asked Bedders if he’d ever been to Hawaii before. He said, ‘No, but I’ve seen Hawaii 5-0.’

Diane Cooke

Another greatest hits album is released by Virgin – basically it’s a re-packaged version of Divine, with the addition of the single version of The Sweetest Girl, placed in its correct chronological position after Uncle Sam.

The fourth Madstock features a line-up of Jazz Jamaica, Desmond Dekker, Alabama 3, Toots & The Maytals, Catatonia, Space and Finley Quaye. In the morning, Chris and Lee appear at a Madmeet in the Dublin Castle, answering fans’ questions. A small group of fans are invited to the soundcheck during which the band play Our House, Yesterday’s Men, Toots & The Maytals’ 54-46 That’s My Number and Michael Caine. This year’s element of controversy is Scottish singer Finley Quaye who angers the crowd by firmly questioning England’s survival prospects in the World Cup. The PA plays A Town Called Malice and Euro 96 anthem Three Lions before Madness take to the stage doing the classic Nutty Train pose. Suggs is wearing a straw hat and Hawaiian necklace, while Bedders kicks a ball offstage by way of a greeting. An abruptly ended One Step Beyond opens the set. ‘Good evening Finsbury Park, have you had a good day so far?’ Carl asks. During the familiar greatest hits set, Suggs quips, ’First time, we were coming back. Second time was our last concert. Third time was our second last concert. And now we’re coming back again. They say your day is over, but it ain’t.’ One Better Day is plagued by three false starts and Baggy Trousers is devoted to Ian Dury, who has recently revealed his battle with cancer. During the encore, giant balloons are thrown out the audience before the band’s kids pour on to the stage for Night Boat To Cairo. The second encore brings a surprise as Frederic ‘Toots’ Hubbard and Desmond Dekker join them to perform 54-46 That’s My Number.


One Step Beyond / Embarrassment / The Prince / The Sun And The Rain / My Girl / House of Fun / Shut Up / Wings of a Dove / (Tomorrow’s) Just Another Day / One Better Day / Baggy Trousers / It Must Be Love / Bed And Breakfast Man / Our House / Madness / ENCORE 1: Swan Lake / Night Boat to Cairo / ENCORE 2: 54-46 That’s My Number

Outside the park it’s chaos, a white Notting Hill Carnival. More Fred Perry than Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry. One Kray-wannabe blasts a football against a police van with the ferocity of a Psycho free kick. It ricochets off, smashing a pub window: ‘Get in there!’ This, Keith Allen, is your ‘vindaloo’ generation, people who make Grant Mitchell look like a Norfolk vicar, lads who recognise no irony whatsoever when dancing to Jamaican-inspired music while draped in the St George. They feel no shame in adopting foreign culture as their own – which is why Allen’s subvert-the-plebs experiment is so offensive – and why Madness have the biggest working-class audience in pop history. Billed as a ‘Pre-World Cup friendly’, the En-ger-land mentality is antagonistic, though that’s OK because I’d rather be at a gig where I’d be lynched for shouting ‘Chelsea are f***king scum’ than the come together vacuous bliss-a-delia of, say, Spiritualizzzzzed. Finlay Quaye chucks down his mic, his drummer hurls drum sticks at the taunting, wanker-signing crowd, but the trouble’s self-inflicted because a) he predicts that England will f**k up in France and b) he is a total arse. It’s meant to be a friendly, but Finlay vs The Crowd is an Argentina vs Uruguay bloodbath. Then booting footballs into the crowd (on me ‘ead Suggs!), Madness arrive, Chas skanking away his middle-aged spread, Baggy Trousers inducing a Trevi Fountain of laggg-ahhhh! For House of Fun one suedehead dives from a human pyramid, cracking his head on the floor – I wonder if it’ll leave a ska (ho-ho!). Embarrassment starts and his mates bundle him, before leaping up in one beer-drenched group hug, drunken snogs all round. Aaah, It must be love, love, love.

Melody Maker

Madness proved they were still Madstock for it as they topped a superb bill of talent old and new. Suggs and the Nutty Boys ska-ed, stomped and laughed their way through this pre-World Cup friendly at London’s Finsbury Park. Before ageing skinheads and rude boys, they belted out old classics including One Step Beyond and The House of Fun. With them was a younger crowd along to see current chart stars Space, Catatonia and Finley Quaye. Catatonia’s winsome Welsh singer Cery Matthews held the audience transfixed with haunting songs including Road Rage.

But Quaye muttered and mumbled his way through a tepid set before adding anti-England football jibes, These were greeted with boos and beer cans from an angry crowd. He could have learnt lessons in manners and music from Desmond Dekker and Toots and the Maytals. But for the crowd, it was a clear result – Madstock 4, Finley Quaye 0.

The Sun

For their last show of 1998, Madness return to California and join a festival line-up that also includes The Prodigy, Blink 182 and Green Day. Plans for an East Coast tour with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones don’t materialise, so they settle for being No2 on the bill here. All proceeds are donated to charity. No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani is watching the show and is no less enthusiastic than the rest of the crowd – although UK fans present are disappointed with the predictable 40-minute greatest hits set.

A lack of promotion means the album only reaches No82 on the UK chart. A review in the NME sneers, ‘The music swings drunkenly from the vaudeville cheesiness of Straight Banana to the rinky-dink cod-ragtime of Our Man, with Suggs out front like some Cockney karaoke king.’

With Suggs’s solo career seeming to have run its course, and fans and critics pointing out that Madness are just wheeling out their greatest hits every two years, it’s clear action needs to be taken if Madness are to continue in any meaningful form. Peter Rudge discusses the possibility of a new studio album with EMI-Virgin.