Good evening!

Those of you going along to this year’s Madness Minehead Weekender, which takes place this coming weekend, are going to be in for a real treat as it’s just recently been announced over on the House of Fun page that the band will be playing “The Liberty Of Norton Folgate” in full.

So, it’s Folgate Friday for all!

The album in full would mean the first live airings of Rainbows and Africa. Meanwhile, favourites like Clerkenwell Polka and even That Close have not been heard since the 2010 “Do not Adjust your nut tour”.

This week Suggs tweeted from rehearsals lines from Rainbows suggesting he was learning the tune. Clearly enjoying himself, he claimed it felt like HIS birthday and was then immediately misunderstood by some online incomprehensible souls, with loads of people wishing him happy returns of the day.

If they decide to reach into the second disc there are songs there that are rare and many have never heard performed live. Hunchback of Torianno has been the only one to make it out before now, and only once at a Brighton gig with some wonderful added brass. One Fine Day came close to appearing in the Hackney Shows but didn’t quite ever make it into the proper live arena.

Hints of something from disc two at least again came from Twitter with lines from Torrianno being quoted. Let’s hope rehearsals carry on well this week. Already it’s looking like Folgate Friday will easily outstrip previous outings of the album, at Hackney and the light bar in terms of number of songs aired.

This could be One Fine Day Indeed, and one fine weekender.

Now, before we get this issue underway we’ve got this short message to pass on;

“Bonsoir!

We’re IndEed and we’re Invited by M.I.S to play live in Minehead / Butlins on Sunday 24th of November 6.40pm, Jaks Bar, with “MIS presents”.

Here is one of our original tracks called “My Eye”, a free download !

I hope you will bring your eyes to see us on stage on the sunday.

Merci ! Merci beaucoup !  Judge Fredd

https://soundcloud.com/indeed-3/my-eye”

Enjoy the read,

Jon Young, Liz Hazelby, Rob Hazelby, Simon Roberts

SHOWTIMES

See below for all forthcoming Madness and Madness related gigs and events. If there’s something we’ve missed off or you feel should be added then please let us know.

Madness

November 22nd – 25th House Of Fun Weekender, Minehead, UK

December 31st – Dublin – www.nyedublin.ie

For tickets see links via: www.madness.co.uk

Suggs Live

Suggs My Life Story, the West End of London December Run.

http://www.nimaxtheatres.com/garrick-theatre/suggs_my_life_story_in_words_and_music

December 1st     – Garrick Theatre, London’s West End.
December 8th     – Garrick Theatre, London’s West End.
December 15th  – Garrick Theatre, London’s West End.
December 22nd  – Garrick Theatre, London’s West End.

April 2014

2nd – Newbury Corn Exchange
3rd – Loughborough Town Hall
4th – Wakefield Theatre Royal
5th – Southport The Atkinson Theatre
6th – Runcorn The Brindley
8th – Mansfield Palace Theatre
9th – Stamford Corn Exchange
11th – Isle of Wight Shaklin Theatre
12th – Aldershot Princes Hall
13th – Wimborne Tivoli Theatre
15th – Bury St Edmonds The Apex
16th – Tunbridge Wells, Assembly Hall
17th – Stroud Subscription Rooms
22nd – Chelmsford Civic Theatre
23rd – Stevenage Gordon Craig Theatre
24th – Redditch Palace Theatre
25th – Malvern Forum Theatre
26th – Margate Winter Gardens
27th – Northampton Derngate
29th – Bolton Albert Halls
30th – Darlington Civic Theatre

May 2014

1st – Newark Palace Theatre
2nd – Redhill Harlequin Theatre
3rd – Watford Colosseum
4th – Yeovil Octagon Theatre
10th – DUBLIN Olympia Theatre
13th – Harlow Playhouse
14th – Lowestoft Marina Theatre
16th – Leamington Royal Spa Centre
17th – Jersey Opera House

The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra

No further gigs at present. Keep an eye on: www.ltso.mis-online.net

Deaf School

No further gigs or events at present. Keep an eye on http://deafschoolmusic.com for more information.

*** NEW *** The Lee Thompson Band

Note: The Lee Thompson band (yet to be named otherwise) features son Daley on vocals. The local Barnet band played a gig at the church earlier this year. (find on youtube under the name reverend green that one.) They played another pub in Barnet recently and this week played again at The black Horse. The old bull is their fourth charity based gig.

When? December 1st. The Old Bull. Barnet.

TWEETS OF A DOVE

Various snippets from Twitter and Facebook that have caught our eye.

Near Jazz Experience

9am on Monday on Resonance FM, Asking the question, ‘Why Are We Musicians?’. (104.4fm LDN only and online).

Repeat of Episode 3. http://resonancefm.com/

Woody

“Looks like Thomo and I will take time out to sign Magic Brothers & LTSO merchandise & albums at Butlin’s on Sat 23rd. More later”

House Of Fun Weekender

Saturday night fancy dress theme:  Song Titles.

1st prize £150 to spend on the merchandise stand.

10 runners up get 4 bottles each of Gladness.

graham mcpherson  – @suggsgmcpherson

“Mastered the digital watch, conquered the calculator, steady progress of world domination, I now have ‘website’ http://www.suggsmcpherson.co.uk  # wow”

The Magic Brothers – @magicbrothers3

13th Nov

“Nick & I are on LBC tonight between 7 & 8pm. A whole hour of Magic Brothers & Rethink. Don’t forget it’s schizophrenia awareness week”

Chrissy Boy – @CBoyForeman

13th Nov

“Children in Need backstage.  Suit by Gresham Blake. Will get my stage gear on asap. CB ‪pic.twitter.com/MXIMvJ6DoT”

Madness – @MadnessNews

15th Nov

“Amazing response to #BaggyTrousers with @RizzleKicks on @BBCCiN #CINrocks last night, it’s up on YouTube here: http://youtu.be/vmW6SvKhheo “

“Great to meet @RizzleKicks yesterday, watch @BBCOne #CINrocks @BBCCiN  from 8pm tonight for a surprise! pic.twitter.com/UUZFvTlBIQ

House of Fun – @madhouseoffun

10th Nov

“This time in 2 weeks we’ll be getting ready for @leethompsonska! Here’s a look at Sundays highlights pic.twitter.com/GyoKGdDCjK”

13th Nov

Following their outrageous appearance in 2012, this year @cubanbrothers play Centre Stage late on Saturday night! pic.twitter.com/wHRMIelOud

BUY IT

If money’s currently burning a hole in your pocket then perhaps we can help with your dilemma.

*** NEW *** The Specialized Store and T-Shirt section

Welcome to Specialized Project official website

has been updated with more merch – some that was not previously available. Christmas is coming – It’d be a good place to start for that ska fan in your heart.

All proceeds go to The Teenage Cancer Trust.

LTSO, Bangarang, Featuring Dawn Penn

Single release date December 16th.

The Magic Line Album * Out Now! *

Signed T-shirt packages and a deluxe edition.

http://www.magicbrothers.com/topspin-store/all/

A range of Magic Brothers T-shirts, Polo Shirts are now available to buy.

The CD album is available via Amazon and the download via iTunes contains an interview with Phil Jupitus talking to Woody about the album.  But if you buy the album via the official band site you can choose a signed option or bundle.

If you’ve a spare £75 and are really into the magic, then there are 25 packs going fast that include all of this….

The Magic Line Collectors Pack – Limited Edition of 25 includes; The Magic Line Signed CD Album. The Magic Line Digital Download. The Magic Line T Shirt. Woodys Drumsticks Signed. Nicks Guitar Paick Signed. Copy of Album Lyrics. “Thank You” Phone Call From Woody & Nick.

Our thanks go to Paul Smart for the above

The Liberty Of Norton Folgate – Reissue on Salvo

This edition is retailing at just over £5.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Liberty-Of-Norton-Folgate/dp/B00DB51OTM/ref=ntt_mus_dp_dpt_1

Suggs “The Close” Signed Book

Suggs is one of pop music’s most enduring and likeable figures. Written with the assured style and wit of a natural raconteur, this hugely entertaining and insightful autobiography takes you from his colourful early life on a North London council estate, through the heady early days of Punk and 2-Tone, to the eighties, where Madness became the biggest selling singles band of the decade. Along the way he tells you what it’s like to grow up in sixties Soho, go globetrotting with your best mates, to make a dead pigeon fly and cause an earthquake in Finsbury Park.

Suggs is a singer, songwriter, DJ, actor and TV presenter. He is perhaps best known as lead singer with Madness, who have had 24 top-twenty hits and continue to tour. Suggs lives in Camden, London.

– Features unseen and exclusive lyrics.
- 352 pages.
- Hardback.

http://www.recordstore.co.uk/search.html?term=suggs

Louis Vause – Midnight in Havana

“Oh dear. I’m alive..!” Pianist Louis Vause has always said that his albums are “Gouged out of him by circumstance” but his third album ‘Midnight In Havana’really is a case in point.

Recorded as a valedictory set, a swansong if you like, after he was told that the onset of cancer meant that he had mere months to live, the completion of the work coincided with his liver transplant and the all clear. He was in the pink. The same could not be said for his credit cards which had covered Louis’ uncharacteristically cavalier spending on recording costs.

http://www.cadizmusic.com/2007/index.php?location=/web/Catalogue/CADIZCD119

Mark Adamson of the Deaf School Website gives us an exclusive quote or two from Suggs, on the forthcoming Deaf School Book.

Deaf School – the story is told at last!

“For me, the gigs Deaf School have done recently have been some of the best I’ve seen by any band.”

So writes Suggs in his foreword to a book, published this month amid a flurry of Deaf School gigs and other Book Launch events, charting the creation and career of a band that influenced so many artists that followed – and that still fills venues 40 years after their debut at the Liverpool School of Art Christmas Dance.

Deaf School had a huge impact on Madness (Suggs: “Back in my youth I met some characters who were a right bunch, but what we had in common was that we loved Deaf School.”) – not least, of course, because guitarist Clive Langer’s became Madness producer and because Suggs married Deaf School singer Bette Bright!

Written by leading rock music writer, author and broadcaster Paul du Noyer, a lifetime Deaf School fan, Deaf School: The Non-Stop Pop Art Punk Rock Party, is published later this month by the Liverpool University Press, priced at £14.99. Accompanying the publication of the book is a Deaf School exhibition, featuring original art works by band members, posters, photos, rare films of live performances, band stage costumes and much more.

The book is available from Deaf School’s website at www.deafschoolmusic.com

MIS FEATURE

MIS PRESENTS…   Now 6:00pm Till 10:30pm Sunday at Jaks Nightclub @ The House of Fun weekender.

This Sunday in Jak’s bar, from the new time of 6:00pm, until 10:30pm, MIS arw taking over Jak’s nightclub. We hope it’ll be a nice meeting place and time for all the regular online fans to gather, and enjoy a laugh.

MIS is proud to present…

Owen Collins. (Insanity FM DJ)  6.10pm till 6.40pm

With guest Louis Vause. 6.20pm

Indeed.  (Celebrated French style live band) 6.40pm till 7.10pm

Pop B*st*rds  (MIS DJ show) 7.10pm till 8pm

http://youtu.be/VnfJVsou_wY

Mr Scurf’s Koast Train  (Koast Radio’s Live Broadcast of it’s weekly random mint ska show) 8.10pm till 9.30pm

Andy Keys Clark.  (Guest of The Koast Train, ska & soul singer.)

The Inflatables. (Reggae set live ska band)  (9.30pm till 10.30pm) with guest appearance by Darren Fordham (10.20pm)

Join us and and come and say hello. 6:00pm till 10:30pm in Jak’s.

Jonathan young

SIGN OF THE TIMES

Suggs Launches Christmas toy Appeal in Newham

Source: The Newham Recorder web site

http://www.newhamrecorder.co.uk/news/singer_suggs_helps_launch_the_newham_recorder_christmas_toy_appeal_1_2993766

Suggs presented members of the appeal’s junior taskforce with the first donation of toys this year at Stratford Circus, ahead of an event for his new autobiography, That Close, organised by Newham Bookshop.

Suggs, the Bloke Next Door who did Well for Himself

Source: The Yorkshire Evening Post

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/what-s-on/arts-entertainment/music-and-gigs/music-interview-suggs-the-bloke-next-door-who-did-well-for-himself-1-6230232

“We didn’t have a huge girl demographic when we started. It was boys jumping up and down, it was a laddish thing.

He married Anne when he was 21, during Madness’s heyday.

“Anne was around from the very beginning. We started going out when we were 18. She’d seen me, supported me and cherished me,” he said.

In the last five years, their popularity has reached new heights. “There’s still a chance for us to do pop music without being seen as old fools, ” he says.

Madness on children in need rocks.

Baggy Trousers Featuring Rizzle kicks. – http://youtu.be/vmW6SvKhheo

My Girl II – http://youtu.be/yxkj1d_gdlU

Donate – http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008dk4b/features/cin-donate

Woody and Suggs on Soccer AM

LIVE INTENSIFIED

MT-Rudeboy’s Coverage of The LTSO at The Big One

Specialized – The Big One 2 gig

Here’s Paul willo’s message from after the Specialized “Big One 2” gig, including a mention in the review of The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra…

Just got back from Specialized -The Big One 2. What can I say that already hasn’t been said? A lot probably. All our hard work over the past year came to fruition this weekend and didn’t it just.

The atmosphere at the packed Parkdean venue was a superb vibe, everyone commented on that. The generosity of people astounds me. Seriously. You all gave as much as you could and that’s fantastic. The music was just brilliant. We actually pride ourselves on a great line up-it worked a treat ,maybe one or two changes we should have made but it fell beautifully.

We salute the great turnout for the Remembrance Day event which Jonathan Reads haunting rendition of the last Post really made the hairs stand up on your neck and Mike Brands reading. Great job lads. So….to my partners in crime. Love and kisses to Ruth Williams for her sterling work, Steve Nevard for his tireless graft and creativity, Darren James another grafter and great stage manager, Jenny Bignell ,Biggles n Nelly who operated that hospitality lounge with military precision-what a team, Mike Cornwell sales man extraordinaire, Mrdevsworld Isstrange for all his work on setting up, and the van of many items the whole of the Parkdean staff for their polite and always willing to help attitude and to Nuttyboy Jackson who ran his security ship tight as a nut, great job on the stalls and other bits and pieces Kevin as well as Parkdean heads Claire, Brendan, Louise & Lesley, To Wayne Uggy Campbell for helping out with the DVD with Gareth & Co from Gemini Productions, to every single of one you who turned out in your hundreds I thank you kindly, you made it the event.

It was with those remarkable bands – The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra Official were just brilliant – Thommo going to the bar during the set where I bought him his drink and he went back onstage was surreal fun but they were very tight and The Beat played a monster 2 hour sizzling set complete with the now obligatory Specialized marriage proposal. The Hotknives were just of the scale and a great stage invasion! I’m very tired, got no voice, so if I’ve missed anyone I’m sorry. I’m off to bed.

Great to see old friends and make new ones. This year was massive – NOW LETS GO ONE STEP BEYOND…

Much love you beautiful people. Goodnight.

The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra, Bath. 1st November 2013

Bangarang Encore – Bath – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnn9hE-ZROU

No No No – Bath – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D—d2VpT6M

Support Band Joke – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9RSx6tW2uU

Ali Baba – Bath – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3_I6IxmxM8

Bangarang – Version 1 – Bath – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiqX6ea70fY

All footage courtesy of Looby Loo.

I REMEMBER WAY BACK WHEN

This week, MIS co-editor Rob Hazelby, goes back 5 years to issue 498, and the week of Sunday 16th November to Saturday 22nd November 2008, and then back 10 years to issue 236 and the week of Sunday 16th November to Saturday 22nd November 2003.

5 years ago…

Issue 498 – Sunday 16th November to Saturday 22nd November 2008

It may have had a release date as yet, but progress seemed to be racing along with the forthcoming Madness Tribute album.

Friends of MIS, M.O.T and JAG, had both recorded tracks for the album. M.O.T with ‘Sign of The Times’, and JAG with ‘You Said’.

On to the articles, and we got things underway with the news that bookmakers and journalists were issuing rumours and suggestions of Suggs entering the jungle in the next series of I’m a Celebrity, get me out of here”. Thankfully, five years on and nothing has come to fruition.

It was on to graffiti next, as we took a look at one piece that had actually appeared in a background image at this year’s Norton Folgate stageshow. The image appeared during “We Are London”, and was of a wall painted in large white lettering with the phrase “One Nation Under CCTV”. The work was believed to have been created by the notorious Banksy.

The Daily Mail said of it’s appearance…

“Banksy pulled off an audacious stunt to produce what is believed to be his biggest work yet in central London.

The secretive graffiti artist managed to erect three storeys of scaffolding behind a security fence despite being watched by a CCTV camera.

Then, during darkness and hidden behind a sheet of polythene, he painted this comment on ‘Big Brother’ society”

Next it was over to Fred Beouf who was celebrating one year of running his blog. How was he commemorating this landmark? By issuing 7 treats, starting with a rare French Madness clip.

Following this it was back on to graffiti as we went all the way back to 1975, and to a piece of Lee Thompson graffiti which the London Evening Standard were asking “Is this London’s oldest graffiti?”. A number of Madness fans knew that this wasn’t as Lee and Mike’s graffiti in Kentish Town from 1973/74 still survived from their pre band days.

Chris Carter-Pegg commented;

“Amazingly, now 35 years on, some of the graffiti which they did in 1973 / 1974 still survives, including the bridge at the local train station and a nearby block of flats, both of which were wrapped in scaffolding at the time and thus with this additional height, people would for ever more wonder how on earth they got up there, once the scaffolding had been removed!”

Elsewhere we reported on The Dance Brigade’s plans for the year ahead, including the release of an album in the new year. As far as live shows were concerned, the band wanted to concentrate on recording before hitting the venues again.

We brought this issue to a close with the news that so far 9 tracks had been recorded and confirmed for inclusion on the forthcoming Madness tribute album. It was certainly starting to take shape.

10 years ago…

Issue 235 – Sunday 16th November to Saturday 22nd November 2003

We started off this week’s issue with an important heads-up for those people who bought tickets for the Wembley gig on the 9th of December.

So, what as this important announcement? Well, it turned out that the gig for the 9th had been moved from Wembley to The Forum in Kentish Town.

Almost as soon as that message went out, The Madness Trading Ring burst into a frenzy of activity. This was initially due to the fact that a number of Madness fans had promised to take their children along to the Wembley gig, and although more than happy to see the band at The Forum, were in a quandary because The Forum was an over 18’s venue.

MTR subscriber, Sandy Phillips contacted the venue management to check, and was told that they’d not even considered the possibility of under 18’s wanting to see the show, and were unable, at the present moment in time, to confirm what the age limit was.

Elsewhere, and other fans, suspected that the venue change was due to poor ticket sales, which had forced the band’s management to move the concert to the smaller venue of The Forum (which still held a more than respectable 3000+).

What do mid-70s experimental Liverpool art school Brit-poppers “Deaf School” have to do with Madness? Quite a lot actually! MIS subscriber Darren Balsdon decided it was time to give the rest of us his verdict on the band’s recently released ‘What a Way to End it all – The Anthology’ – a compilation containing 35 tracks plus 11 BBC Peel Sessions versions.

After a detailed and lengthy review, Darren summed up his article with the following words;

“This album wont go straight into my “first team” of classic albums, but I wont send it out on loan to Grimsby Town either! I think it will become a respected squad player – on the bench alongside my Jimmy Cliff, Timbuk 3, Small Faces, Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Stephen Duffy albums. Ready to call on when the mood suits – about thrice a year.”

Next-up, we had a report from Chris Carter-Pegg and Emma Southerby, who, after learning that a certain Lee Thomson would be making an appearance or two in Oliver, at the Bull and Gate Theatre, Barnet, decided that they needed to get their backsides along and see what the performance was like.

Here’s what Chris and Emma had to say;

“Thommo in the lead role of Fagin certainly stole the show and was excellent, singing in a very different way to his Crunch! / Madness styles of singing, he had very clearly put an enormous amount of work into perfecting the role. It was good to see Thommo’s misses Debbie on stage as well, who also played several parts in the play.

Whilst in the nicest possible way Thommo seemed the quite perfect choice to play Lionel Bart’s Fagin, it was still very strange to see him performing in a very non-Madness/Crunch! role. Whilst I guess the same could be said of seeing Suggs in Our House, at least he was singing Madness songs!”

Finally, we finished off the issue with an article from the Three Counties Music section of the BBC web site, where journalist, Katy Lewis, spent time with Ian Soulsby, lead singer of Madness tribute outfit One Step Behind, and asked him just what it’s been like being Suggs for the past ten years.

Rob Hazelby

TIME…

That’s just about it for the week, but  in true MIS style we do have a few last minute bits to pass in your direction.

First-up, and although this year’s Madness Weekender has yet to take place it looks like plans for the 2014 event are already well underway.

The eagle-eyed amongst you may have already noticed that on the House of Fun event facebook page there’s a small mention of the fact that you will be able to book-in for 2014’s Madness weekender at this year’s event.

Although not yet officially announced with dates, those attending this coming weekend’s event will be able to put down deposits for part 4 of The House of Fun.

Moving on, and this week we received word from Paul Smart about the latest on Magic Brothers potential future live outings…

“The band did their first rehearsal about 3 weeks ago and it went really well. We are lining up more rehearsals for after the Madness Weekender, don’t have exact dates yet, but should hopefully be able to squeeze a few days in the studio.

We are currently working on live gigs for the New Year, I don’t have dates or venues confirmed yet but I’ll keep you posted.”

You can be sure that as soon as we hear anything further we’ll be sure to let you know.

Next, and earlier this week we discovered that a late entry to the Madness Weekender line-up are Stone Foundation. The band’s link (albeit a fragile one!) to Madness goes all the way back to 1981. Here’s Dexy D’Angelo;

“The year was early 81, ‘Baggy Trousers’ had been in the charts and the band I was a member of were supporting MADNESS on a few dates! TEAM 23 were even recording their gigs for a proposed single release on The Rolling Stones mobile studio no less! In the year 2013, 32 years later STONE FOUNDATION are a last minute addition to the line-up of THE MADNESS WEEKENDER…how good is that!”

And finally, we’d just like to remind those of you who have yet to sponsor Bedders on his fundraising task of learning to pass his tuba grade one exam to get along to his JustGiving page and donate.

As we finished last week’s issue Mark was on a very respectable £565. Now he’s up to a fantastic £920, but he could do with breaking the £1,000 barrier. He can only do this with your help!

For more information and to make a donation, go to:

https://www.justgiving.com/Mark-Bedford-tuba

Until next week, take care,

Simon Roberts, Jon Young, Liz Hazelby, Rob Hazelby