IN THIS ISSUE ...

1 - THE EDITOR WRITES - This weeks news and information in brief.

2 - FIRST AP PARTITION OF THE GHOST - A hot sunny day, plenty of
    beers, loads of faces and open spaces: Finsbury Park on its
    best behaviour. The perfect site for the first sighting of the
    Velvet Ghost. Sir Vincent Foley reports...

3 - LOS PALMAS 6 LATEST TOUR DATES - Get on down to that live nutty
    sound with top tribute band, Los Palmas 6. Latest tour news and
    details courtesy of Steve Turner.

4 - VELVETGHOST.COM NEWS - Latest news and band information from the
    one and only Cathal Smyth.

5 - A PUB CALLED IAN DURY - Fancy naming a pub after one of Britains
    greatest song writers? Read on to see how you can help.

6 - RHYTHMSTOCK - MIS and TMML subscriber, Simsey reports on the
    weekend's festivities, remembrance and fund raising in memory of
    the late, great Ian Dury.

7 - GOODNIGHT! - Thanks and closing words

[1] - THE EDITOR WRITES

"Above and beyond the call of duty". That's how I would describe the
actions of a certain number of the Madness Online community after
returning from a fun-packed weekend filled with Madness and
remembrance for a certain late singer and songwriter.

Since it's birth 5 years ago, the regular `Madmeet` has grown and
grown. From the early days back in 1996 when a few Mads met up in
Camden Town to Friday's huge bash in the Dublin Castle and at a
number of venues all across London. The so called Madmeet has
finally come of age.

It's impossible to name everyone who contributed to Friday's bash,
but I feel special mention must surely go out to Madness who kindly
donated and signed a cornucopia of Madness items, Simsey - your
keeper of law, order during the auction, Vince Carden and Chris
Carter-Pegg for spending so much money (which all went to charity
by the way!), Vince Foley who many said looked remarkably like a
certain Madness frontman, and finally, the chap who without his
tireless effort none of the day's events could have taken place, Mr
Paul Scatt who pulled out all stops to make the day an enjoyable and
memorable occasion for all who turned up.

I'm sure there were many others who I should also be thanking for
making the day run so smoothly. If you are one of those people not
listed, I'm sure I speak for everyone by saying that your efforts
were no less appreciated.

During the course of the day, I managed to speak to a fair chunk of
those present and all agreed that this could surely be an annual
event. Obviously an annual Ian Dury Tribute Concert would be out of
the question, but I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult to get the
assistance of a Madness tribute band or two.

If another event is planned for next year, I'll let you know right
here.

Onto other things now...

News in from One Step Behind's Brendan Phipps is that the band were
filmed by BBC TV last Friday at their gig in Sidcup. The BBC are
making a programme on TOP TEN TRIBUTE BANDS and went to great
lengths to get hold of them. Three different agents approached the
band about the same show!

Brendan continues by saying that he doesn't know if the band will
definitely get on, as they were filming a selection of bands, but
the researcher was spotted putting his camera away and dancing, so
things looking good on that front.

Some re-release news now, and Vince Foley tells us that the
recently re-released version of `Divine Madness` is now currently
59 in the DOTMUSIC charts. Since the original release way back in
1992 it has now sold over 900,000 copies in the UK. Thanks to
Vince for the info.

Ever found yourself pondering over that elusive Madness lyric? Well,
you're in the majority of you have? Thanks to the wonders of
modern technology and the hard-working people at:
http://www.nuttysounds.co.uk
you can now reference the lyrics to over 150 Madness songs. Thanks go
to Simsey for the details.

If you were lucky enough to get along to the Rhytmstock auction,
you'll already know that The famous Dublin Castle is due to close.
If you were paying attention, you'll also know why. For those who
were not able to make the meet or were too drunk at the meet, I'll
explain. The landlord of the Dublin Castle has recently bought the
pub from the brewery, meaning that the pub is now there's and will
be a free house. The pub is closing for some major renovations this
Sunday week which will mean no more beer being served the next
5-6 weeks whilst the alterations are being made.

One of the more bizarre alterations requires the widening of the
corridor leading down to the toilets by a mere 3 inches!! Something
to do with EU rules apparently.

Many thanks to Vince Foley for the news. It'll be nice to go back
into the pub - this time with some decent furniture!!

How would you like to watch the Ian Dury Tribute concert again?
Perhaps you weren't able to see the show first time round but as any
self respecting Madness/Dury fan, you'd love to get the opportunity.
Well, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, you can! Simply
point your browser to:

http://www.dotmusic.com/news/June2000/news14207.asp

Once there, you can view certain chunks of the gig, or the concert
in full and all in true postage-sized stamp glory!!

And with that, lets get right underway with this truly bumper edition
of the MIS...

Enjoy!

All the nutty best,

Robert Hazelby (MIS Online Editor)

[2] - FIRST APPARITION OF THE GHOST

Live at Finsbury Park, June 10th 2000

A hot sunny day, plenty of beers, loads of faces and open spaces:
Finsbury Park on its best behaviour. The perfect site for the first
sighting of the Velvet Ghost.

The masses arrived at the Marquee, which up to this point was
witnessing other talents, yet those in the crowd were looking for
something just a bit more. They were met by the Chorus of Bagpipes
as Cathal Joseph Smyth sauntered through the crowd to join his
fellow musicians on the stage that awaited....the greatest show on
earth (again).....

When all was right, a thumping version of 'We Are Love' (the way as
nature intended it to be) got the venue into gear and something
good, something very good was taking hold.

Any fears that were existing pre-show were quickly vanished as a
confident and dynamic Smythian performance assured those present
(both on and off stage) that energy, attitude and determination
would win the day.

Many of the crowd were a bit miffed at this at the beginning, indeed
who were these guys and who gave them the right to take over
Finsbury Park and the Fleadh? Whoever did or did not though couldn't
help but get into it, this was damn solid stuff.

The anthem that should have been, 'You're Wonderful' was next to
fill the airspace of NW4 as this track crosses all ages and tastes,
it simply is ....erm..wonderful. If the  Velvet Ghost follows the
responses of the people when this was displayed, hopefully the song
will finally gain the attention and respect it deserves.

What backed this up too was a different slant to the songs original
incarnation, and indeed that was true of other old gems (like 'The
Wizard', 'The Communicator' et al). For a band that only rehearsed a
few times before today, the capable hands of messieurs Boz, Vause,
Mc Gloin and Co. soon had everyone on their feet, a feat not
achieved by the acts before or afterwards that day in the tent.

A more personal moment from the frontman himself was seen in a short
but sweet ditty about those things that make childhood so special.
The grown man returns to the idiosyncrasies of yesteryear with just
guitar and vocals to bring the audience back with him.

An abrupt end to that was then met with a blinding performance of
tracks like 'The Wizard' and a sadder introduction to 'Johnny the
Horse'. Here we are given the story of how Smyth one day met these
bowsies near his house and how one cried telling him of his mate's
death. Unlike the radio-friendly version of the original song, a more
sombre and melancholic verse greets us to a deeper and more
insightful side of the song.

One may have felt the biggest pity of this performance was the clock
working against those performing, however the nature of the (festival)
beast was tempered with a few moments of unheard magic.

For the first time ever, the general public were 'welcomed to the
darkside', a new Ghost classic .....a tale of one man's struggle and
dealings with those of the drug underworld. 'I want my money by 11am,
I want my honey in my pocket again', these lyrics and the bouncing
melody and ever so catchy chorus had many welcomed to the
'd-d-d-d-d-d-d-darkside'.

One song that had those present listening aswell as dancing to was
the new 'This Friend I know'once again illustrates the songsmith's
ability to strike a chord with all of us. This tale of a
misunderstanding between friends for me was a real moment:

     '....I don't want to be
      Laughed at put down or broken Oh no
      Don't want you to lie
      Or speak words that you choke on
      Oh no.......'

Who does my friend? Who Does?

If the Velvet Ghost are going to unleash their sounds to the record
buying public, a good track to start the ball rolling with would be
'Hoo De La La'. Not everyone can claim to have an unfamiliar crowd
singing along to an unheard of song by the end,but those on stage
here today can. I mean within a minute the crowd were singing along
in a chorus of 'Hoo de la la ,Hoo de la la'...release this one for
sure.

By the time the clock struck 2, the apparition was drawing to a close,
a thank for those present, both sides of the stage and a special
mention to young Elouise Symth saw the band finish its performance
with the Blue-beating 'The Communicator'. Another foot-stomper, the
set finished up on a high and all were in better mode then 40 minutes
previously.

One can't find fault much here today, all are in top form, from
ivories to brass, from Double bass to guitars (Boz for life-what a
scoop!) everyone jelled well and delivered the first (but not last)
performance of the Velvet Ghost.

I had been to Finsbury Park a few times before, and although I may
have witnessed earthquakes, flagshakes and more, I never saw an
apparition like that today in the Marquee.

More people have witnessed the wizardry of the Dreaming Man and now
have seen the Light of the way....

Velvet Ghost....Finsbury Park relinquishes it soul today,and god it
felt good!

All the best

Vince Foley!

[3] - LOS PALMAS 6 LATEST TOUR DATES

Hello Maddies!

Gig List 2000,

June
    23rd  Bushey Police Sports Club - Bushey Hertfordshire
    29th  Libertys nightclub - Newhaven
    30th  Beechams Club - Worthing

July
     1st   Mannings - Great Yarmouth
     4th   Yates Wine Bar - Worthing  (Ian Dury tribute gig with
                                       Drip Fed Fred)
     8th   The Selsey Bill - Selsey
    14th  The Firkin - Hornchurch Essex
    16th  Hawth Amphitheatre - Crawley
    19th  Walkabout - Wigan
    20th  Walkabout - Lancaster
    21st  TBA
    22nd Brunswick Hotel - Worthing
    29th  Steyne Gardens ( Worthing seafront fayre) - Worthing

That should keep you going for a while, if you get to any gigs come
and say hello !!

Steve Turner.

lospalmas6 at hotmail.com
www.lp6.co.uk

[4] - VELVETGHOST.COM NEWS

Dear Friends,

I hope this letter finds you all in the very best of health and that
all is well with you. On Saturday the 10th June 2000 on the fields of
Finsbury Park, London. At the Fleadh festival the Velvet Ghost walked
amongst you. For the first time the ghost performed in public.

>From the moment cousin Sean started up the bagpipes and we made our
way through the good people and onto the stage I knew what had begun
suited me well. I would like you to know that I had one of the
happiest days of my life. When we left the stage I knew that this
was the beginning of a long old road and one that would be worth the
journey.

I hope you all enjoy travelling it with me.

I have come to thinking that the most important thing now is to
record an album. And to do this, as soon as possible in the next
couple of months.

I want it to be recorded completely in one day. On one beautifully
fine day. The ghost will rehearse for two day's beforehand and then
record the performance live. I think that "attitude beats technique"
and I want to capture the life and the spirit of the ghost in all
its rawness on record without overdubs.

I want you to be able to hear us breathing, hear the brass section
moving onto the microphone hear every glorious detail as it's played.
I want you to know which day it was in the life of the ghost and who
was there.

I will be recording in analogue as with digital recording you lose
harmonics which are "liked" by analogue recording and I think are
invaluable in making an album in this way. When the ghost plays
together there is a kind of harmonic swirl which occurs and that's
what I want captured for you to hear.

I am hoping for a very special experience in the studio.

Kindest regards to all

The Velvet Ghost

info at velvetghost.com

[5] - A PUB CALLED IAN DURY

I went to the Tribute gig last night [Fri 16th] ... and what a great
night it was !  Hope you didn't miss it. Boy... are those Blockheads
a tight band !!

I was at the Gants Hill concert in the late 70s... when the floor
collapsed. What a great night that was... one of the most memorable
nights I've had. But the Tribute concert tonight was great for its
own reason.. the Blockheads played real shit hot... and all the
guests gave there all and everybody had fun and remembered what the
evening was all about... in praise of a truly unique English talent.

I live in Upminster, and, am trying to get some sort of commemorative
thing going to commemorate Ian in Upminster. There is a new pub
opening in Upminster soon.. its still being built. Its owned by
Wizard Inns. They are currently holding a competition amongst the
locals to choose a name. I suggested 'The Ian Dury'... well... what
else !!?? Its just gotta be called that hasn't it ??!!  Although my
9 yr old son suggested 'Lord Ian Dury', which i quite like too !!

If enough people say they would like the pub to be named after
Ian... well, who knows, it might just happen !!

The address, telephone no. and email address to contact is;

     Wizard Inns Ltd
     17 Victoria Street
     St. Albans
     Hertfordshire
     AL1 3JJ

     01727-792200

The email address is wizard at wizardinns.co.uk

If the new pub that they are building in Corbetts Tey Road in
Upminster is quoted in your mail that will ensure they know which
one you are talking about.

Also, mention that Ian;

     a.  Was born in Upminster, and in fact wrote an album
         called 'Lord Upminster'

     b.  Is just about the only famous person to come from
         Upminster !!

     c.  Died in the same year the pub will be opened

     d.  Produced some wonderful English music

     e.  Appeared in many films

     f.  Was a wonderful example for anyone with a
         crippling disease to look up to as he never let
         his polio hold him back from anything

     g.  was a wonderful example for anyone with cancer to
         look up to as he never let it  hold him back from
         anything

     h.  he was named as a 'Special Representative to the UK
         Committee for UNICEF' for his work with UNICEF
         promoting mass inoculation programmes helping to
         prevent the spread of polio in Third World countries

     i.  he did a lot of work for the charity CancerBACUP,
         which provides information and support to cancer
         patients, their families and friends.

     j.  was loved by millions of his generation !!

It might be the best idea to send the request via email because it is
not so easy to ignore.  You may want to cut and paste the info above
into the mail.

Once again, thanks for your support on this,   Bob

Come on... if enough people get onto Wizard Inns maybe they just
will do it!! If you don't wanna contact me.. just call Wizard Inns.
Telephone no. from directory enquiries... and quote the new pub they
are building in Upminster.. Corbetts Tey Road... and tell them that
they HAVE to call it 'The Ian Dury'.... or maybe, as my nine yr old
son suggested... 'Lord Ian Dury' !!

Anyway, another brilliant night tonight.... thanks to all those that
turned up... audience and guests... ( Tom Robinson singing 'I wanna
be straight' LOL )

God bless Ian,

Bob (RMcA56 at aol.com)

[6] - RHYTHMSTOCK

MIS and TMML subscriber, Simsey reports on the event that will now
go down in history as `Rhythmstock`.

Take it away old boy...

Thursday 15

I was picked up by Chris "Mountain Boy" at about 20:30 at the
motorway service station. Also in the car were Alfie (Chris' mate)
and Rich Groves. We were running slightly late but it didn't matter
- we were going see Madness and the Blockheads! After an uneventful
journey down the M40 and M25 we arrived at Cheryl's - taking final
directions over a mobile phone.

We'd hardly been in Cheryl's 5 minutes, when she forced us to drink
some beer - and then some spirits. Chris tried some Ameretto, but
wasn't too impressed with it, so he had a quadruple vodka instead.
We eventually got to bed at about 2am.

Friday 16

We were up early on the Saturday morning as I promised I'd meet Scat
at the DC between 11:00 and 12:00. In the end, I got that at about
12:15. The DC was already heaving with about 25-30 Maddies at that
point.

The next 1½ hours was spent meeting friends old and new (to those
I'd already met, great seeing you again - sorry if I didn't get
much time to talk to you; to those I met for the first time - hope
to see you again at the next MadMeet). At 13:30, it was time for the
MadWalk. Scat had spent many a long hour familiarising himself with
the route, landmarks, and their significance and only had to look at
the notes supplied to him all the time. Well done, mate!

Back at the DC, and it was time for the auction. Things got underway
with an unexpected first lot. Suzanne had a spare ticket to auction
off. It was snapped up for £25 by a lovely Dutch couple who had come
over for the weekend specifically to attend the concert. That's
dedication for you! The auction proceeded slowly at first, as
everyone was awaiting the arrival of Chas' auction goods, which had
been promised by 15:00. A cheer went up when Adele got there with the
stuff in a large box. Not only had he donated one of his earlier
stage-suits, but also all the Zarjazz releases, all the Zarjazz
white-label pressings, an almost full-set of signed Madness albums,
a couple of miscellaneous signed Madness albums, and four signed
copies of the promotional Drip Fed Fred video. Thereafter the auction
picked up steam, and an amazing total was raised (of which more
later).

At 18:30, we started to make a move for the venue. By the time we
arrived at Brixton, some of us were hungry, so Wimpy was the chosen
port of call. Not the best in the world but any port in a storm, eh?
On coming out of Wimpy, a small group of us were informed that Kix
and Monsieur Barso were quaffing liberally in a nearby pub watching
the Netherlands - Denmark game. A nod's as good as a wink, so off
we went. 15 very pleasant minutes were spent in chatter, and Jerney
got her t-shirt signed by both of them. Unfortunately, some idiot
spilt Guinness all over her later that evening, so the t-shirt
remains forever immortalised with signatures and stout.

Onto the gig, and although we'd missed the start - only Chas 'n'
Dave doing their own stuff - we fought our way through towards the
front and eagerly awaited the start. Madness performed a short
4-song set which was gratefully received by the Maddies present,
if not everyone else as well. They did "Lovestruck" (still a great
singalong track), "Crippled With Nerves" (an old Kilburns number,
ably sung by Kix), "Drip Fed Fred" (an obvious choice, but still
not the same without Uncle Ian), and "It Must Be Love" (which they
dedicated to Ian). After about half an hour's faffing about, the
real event was announced by compère, comedian, and sometime guest
vocalist Phill Jupitus. The set list was fantastic. These are solely
my opinions.

1) Neneh Cherry - "Wake Up And Make Love With Me". I was very dubious
   about her before the gig, but I'm happy to report that she
   performed the song really well. A credit to the event.

2) Wreckless Eric - "Clevor Trever". I've never heard him before and
   was pleasantly surprised.

3) Chas Smash - "What A Waste!". Superb! What more can one say about
   the man.

4) Mick Jones - "I'm Partial To Your Abracadabra". Good song, but I
   was never really into him.

5) Kix - "Plaistow Patricia". An unexpected but brilliant performance
   by the man who was truly touched by the hand of Dury.

6) Tom Robinson - "I Wanna Be Straight". Again, not my cup of cha,
   but well-sung, all the same.

7) Suggs - "My Old Man". Sung with style and panache as always.

8) Kathy Burke - "Billericay Dickie". It takes some guts to stand up
   and sing in front of 3000 fans when you're not a singer. The girl
   done good. Blinding performance - hope she gets involved in the
   tribute album.

9) The Kilburns - "There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards".
   Indeed there have, and you and Ian were they. Solid performance by
   the old-timers.

10) Saffron - "Mash It Up Harry". Good. Unfortunately, her distinct
    voice didn't come over as well with this style of music.

11) Ingrid Mansfield-Olman. - "Spasticus (Autisticus)". Not my
    favourite song performed by someone I'd never heard of. Can't
    really comment any further.

12) Keith Allen - "Blackmail Man". Brilliant. He even had time to
    juggle the lyrics sheets mid-song.

13) Mark Lamarr - "Blockheads". Good choice of song. Decent
    rendition considering. He decided to do some stage diving,
    tripped over a wire en route and hobbled off at the end of the
    song.

14) Phill Jupitus - "Reasons To Be Cheerful (Part 3)". Good effort
    from a great bloke.

15) Kirsty MacColl - "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick". Ian's only
    number one, and most widely-recognised song completely destroyed
    by someone who is past her best. I remember her voice on The
    Pogues Christmas release years ago. It has deteriorated. A bit
    of a downer, that.

16) Robbie Williams - "Sweet Gene Vincent". A superb rendition of a
    very moving song. This one brought a tear to my eye. Well done,
    mate.

17) Robbie Williams & everyone else - "Sex And Drugs And Rock And
    Roll". Brilliant way to finish the concert.

There were some plusses and minuses during the night. For me, the
plusses were Kix's appearance for "Plaistow Patricia", The Kilburns,
the unbelievable sax-playing of Gilad Atzmon, and the guest
appearance by Davey Payne (an ex-blockhead). The minuses, well,
Kirsty MacColl's embarrassing attempt, Phill Jupitus not guesting on
"Drip Fed Fred" which he did so magnificently on TFI Friday, and
Robbie Williams not singing "You're The Why" (Ian's last song) which
was pencilled in as being performed.

After the gig, we were all ready to pile over to Stockwell for the
ska disco. Then came an astonishing announcement. We all know the
Scots are known for their amazing capacity to imbibe an alcoholic
beverage or three. It is therefore with regret, that I have to
inform the list that MrG went home because he had had it. I think
the England versus Scotland drinking session might have to be
re-arranged.

The disco was superb. Many many thanks are due to Scat who kept us
ably entertained for the two hours we spent there. More fund-raising
was done via the raffle. The prize of a DVD and "Sixth Sense" film
was won by Mountain Boy. Quite fitting really, as it was his
birthday. Congratulations, ower kid. It might also come in handy
when he finally tells his girlfriend that he's off for another round
of debauchery and laddishness at the up-coming Crunch! gig which he
hasn't told her about yet!

After the disco, Cheryl, Mountain Boy, Alfie and myself made our way
back to Cheryl's gaff. Cheryl practised the haggling she'd perfected
in Thailand by getting us a minicab for £20 (the journey was really
worth about £35). Well done for that, Chezza. By the way, I still
owe you a couple of sovs. Back at Cheryl's we talked and reminisced
about the night's events until the early hours. At 04:00, we all
retired, with Mountain Boy moaning about Cheryl keeping him from
his beauty sleep. Mind you, he had a point because he does need it.

Saturday 17

I was up bright and early by Mountain Boy making himself a coffee.
Noisy bleeder - and he didn't make me one! After Cheryl had dragged
herself out of her pit (where she lay manufacturing snot till 10:00),
we bad goodbye to Mountain Boy and Alfie.

I had to make my way to the DC to meet Scat at about 15:00 for the
photocall. As usual, I arrived late. The photographer was already
there enjoying a pint and watching the cricket. A few Maddies turned
up for the photo: Caz, Emma Southerby, Jerni, Nutty Becks, and Scat.
I apologise if I've forgotten anyone. Then came the moment you've
all been waiting for, the unravelling of the cheque, and the amount
we actually managed to raise. I have great pleasure in informing the
list that the grand total raised was:

£1,203.61

This represents 1/50th of the amount raised by ticket sales - an
absolutely sterling effort from such a small amount of people. Many,
many congratulations and thanks to those who turned up and gave so
freely of their hard-earned spondoolicks.

I spent the afternoon and evening back at Cheryl's with Scat
quaffing ale and watching England give the Huns one hell of a
thrashing!

That concludes my account of the weekend's event. I can't thank Scat
enough for getting this whole thing off the ground in the first
place, and allowing me the pleasure of hosting the auction. Scat,
my man, this whole weekend is down to your vision in the first
place. Uncle Ian would be truly appreciative of your efforts.

There only remains one thing for me to say. As Ian so rightly wrote
many years ago, there ain't half been some clever bastards, and we
have had one taken from us at the prime of his life. We didn't mourn
his decline with Thunderbird wine, moreover, we cheerfully celebrated
his life and career. In doing so we helped a charity close to his
heart. All stand and raise your champagne glass to Mr. Lovepants.

Ian Dury 1942-2000. RIP.

P.S. Scat is now known as Paul "Insufficient funds in your account"
Scahill.

[7] - GOODNIGHT!

Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this edition of the MIS.
This issue would have been even bigger if I'd had the time to put in
everything I wanted to, but with the Friday and Saturday spent up in
London, I was a little pushed for time.

Even though this issue has only just hit your mailboxes, I'm already
deciding what to put in the next MIS. The latest edition of that
excellent Madness/ska bible - `Mad Not Mad` has just been released.
Next week's edition will feature an in-depth review of issue 6. In
the meantime, if you can't wait for next Sunday's review, you can
get hold of a copy yourself by writing to:

REMOVED

E-mail: bige at supanet.co.uk

Pricing details are - 7 pounds for 4 issues or 2 pounds for a single
issue.

Until next week.

All the nutty best,

Robert Hazelby