In most issues we give you a gentle nudge, asking you to send in reviews of any Madness gigs you’ve recently attended. With the 40th anniversary tour being so lengthy it’s simply not possible for fans to attend each gig, so these submissions are one of the only ways in way the fanbase can read-up on what they’ve missed.
This week, MIS subscriber Vicki Lee responded to our pestering and has been kind enough to write up her thoughts on the Barcelona gig held on the 6th July. Check out our “Live Intensified” section below.
As always, we ask that if you’ve been along to any of the gigs on this year’s tour please knock up a review and send it in. We’d love to bring it.
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.
19th – Open Air Theatre, Scarborough (Suppt: The Pigeon Detectives)
20th – Doncaster Racecourse, Doncaster
21st – Bitts Park, Carlisle (Suppt: Bootleg Beatles & Chris Difford) Orig date 9/6/19
24th – Sanddown Park Racecourse, Esher
August
17th – Newbury Racecourse, Berkshire
18th – Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, Scotland
20th – Custom House Square, Belfast
23rd – Northern Meeting Park, Inverness
24th – East Links, Montrose
26th – Clapham Common, XL South London festival. With “Special” Guests.
30th – Wolverhampton Racecourse, Wolverhampton
31st – Winter Gardens, Margate
September
1st – The Downs, Bristol, (Suppt: David Rodigan)
November
Friday 29th – Monday 2nd December – House of Fun Weekender 2019
December
12th – AFAS Live, Amsterdam
Suggs
Saturday 3rd August – DJ set at Dreamland, Margate with Max Romeo and Trojan Sound System. More info at: https://www.dreamland.co.uk ** new **
Buy It
Before We Was We: The Making of Madness by Madness
The band’s first official book.
The story of how they became them. It’s a journey full of luck, skill and charm, as they duck and dive by day and make the name in London’s exploding music scene by night, zipping around the capital in their Morris Minor vans. Their formative years, 1970-79.
This is the riotous coming-of-age tale of seven unique individuals, whose collective graft, energy and talent took them from the sweaty depths of the Hope and Anchor basement to the Top of the Pops studio. In their own words, they each look back on their past and how during those shared adventures, they formed a bond that’s lasted forty years. Before We Was We is irreverent, funny and full of character. Just like them.
You can now buy a range of classic album design T shirts.
Absolutely returns to the official T shirt store since first appearing a decade ago as merchandise. Seven now joins the albums T-shirts range, only previously a promotional shirt. For the first time Rise & Fall (Following last year’s triumphant return of this album’s title track on tour) joins official shirt range.
Best of all, 10 years on from its box set release, The Liberty of Norton Folgate is purchasable. We are having a little bit of that!
Complete Madness. Total Madness hits albums join the range.
This range is also certainly a reaction to the continuing bullshit of bootleggers targeting social media with non licensed product not endorsed by the band and illegal.
Don’t be an idiot and buy from badly photoshopped pictures of Suggs holding a shirt up etc. Those are fake. The Madstore and official band website and gigs merchandise stands are all run by the same company with the band’s legal backing. You will only find a small number of charity shirts or some One Step Beyond shirts outside of buying from the official online store. Don’t give your money to the bootleggers exploiting you.
I Remember Way Back When
This week, MIS co-editor Rob Hazelby goes back in time to report on what was going on in the world of Madness 5, 10, 15 and 20 years ago this week.
5 years ago…
Issue Number: 792 – Sunday 13th July to Saturday 19th July 2014
We began with some news from Dave Robinson that cheered us up this week when he commented;
“Really Great news. Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra’s “BANGARANG” Ft Dawn Penn & Sharron Shannon has been added to the BBC Radio 2 Playlist.”
Then, the news for the following week got even better;
“Bangarang has gone up to B List on BBC Radio 2. Daytime Plays !!! We are on a rooooooooooooooooooooooll”
Elsewhere, Mike and Madness had been busy taste testing bottled versions of Night Boat (Porter), and the (bitter) Lovestruck (seen previously on tap at the Newark gig).
As the recently re-purchased Growler brewery revamps and rebrands back to it’s Neathergate roots, Madness beers prepare to go beyond. We advised you to look for the supermarket with a big M. You nutty drinkers and collectors would have a new excuse to bring home bottles later in the summer, and sup a Madhead of foaming beer.
Speaking of Summer, a batch of cool new T-shirts had been added to the Madstore. Our regular Buy It section brought details of these new additions and we suggested you checked them out.
Our big feature this week was the news that Lee Swandale had completed his work on putting together and uploading an all singing all dancing official Crunch! web site. And what a site it was!
10 years ago…
Issue 532 – Sunday 12th July – Saturday 18th July 2009
We kicked things off by advising those who had ordered a ticket or Golden Circle wristband for the forthcoming Madstock 5 concert and were still waiting for it, to get along to our first article right away. For those who were now in possession of theirs we suggested they went on to section 3 where we had all the meet details for them.
Elsewhere in this issue we had the latest Madness chart lowdown from the one and only Paul Rodgers, and the first in a three part series from Chris Carter-Pegg, charting the bands’ three appearances at the Glastonbury music festival.
If that wasn’t enough, we also took another one of our weekly lookbacks, to find out what was going on in the world of Madness five and ten years ago that week.
15 years ago…
Issue 270 – Sunday 11th July – Saturday 17th July 2004
Cold and grey, those are probably a few words many Madness fans would have used to describe the weather they encountered at Thursday’s opening day of Manchester’s Move Festival.
The weather may have been poor, but from reading the reviews that came in following the event it seemed as if those who went had a cracking time.
With the lads on as the main act it came as no surprise to many that this issue featured detailed write-ups of their performance, and actually very little else (due to the lack of other Madness news doing the rounds). If you were unable to get along to see their slot, this edition of the MIS would give you some idea as to what went on.
Subscriber, Sarah Beamish produced the most detailed report of the week, and this became the lead article for the issue, as it was just so well put together.
We’re sure that even now Sarah remembers that day so clearly…
“the BEST moment of my entire life was when I, Sarah Beamish, had LeeKix come off stage and ‘duet’ with me. Let me explain…
Earlier in the day, I met a lovely guy who was dressed à la Lee from Baggy Trousers. I forget his name, but I think it was Mark or Matt or something. I told him about TMML so he should be reading this!!!
Anyway, he had as part of his costume, a red plastic blow-up saxophone. I borrowed this every so often to ‘play’ along to sax solos. During one of these escapades, I saw Lee watching me and he joked around, trying to ‘duel’ with me with exaggerated sax-playing.
I played along with the joke, and soon Lee told the cameraman filming him to turn around and point the camera on me!!! The cameraman did so, and soon I was being broadcast to the ENTIRE crowd on two screens approx 30 foot by 20 foot!
A little while later, Lee then went bananas and jumped off the stage and played around the front of the crowd. He came up to me, with the camera following, and squatted next to me and we both played our own ‘saxes’!! That had to be one of the best moments of my life!!!”
We finished off this week’s issue of the MIS with a heads-up from Madness Trading Ring co-maintainer, Steve Bringe. Steve was kindly passing on a message from Chrissy Boy, who had asked fans who had concerns over what versions of tracks would be used in the Madness Single Box Set V2 to get in touch.
20 years ago…
Issue 8 – Sunday 11th July – Saturday 17th July 1999
We started this issue off by thanking subscriber Chris Byrne for getting the set list from the band’s Hyde Park gig to us in time for the last issue of the MIS, and commented that unfortunately it was impossible for us to also get a review in time.
The lack of review the previous week was certainly more than made up for this week, as Total Madness Mailing List subscriber Adele Hargreaves had put together one of the longest and most detailed gig reviews we’d ever seen. Originally appearing in chunks over on the TMML, we printed it in its entirety in this issue of the MIS.
After weeks of putting the new MIS site together it was pleasing to find that people were starting to visit the new pages, and new subscriptions were beginning to crop-up. Our thanks went to Simon Roberts who had been providing help and support with the new site build, but at this present moment in time wasn’t on the MIS team.
Well, it couldn’t have all been good news this issue, as we had to sadly announce that the ongoing talks between Madness’ band management, the BBC and The Hackney Empire had unfortunately fallen through and as such, the Empire gigs for August had had to be cancelled.
With the Lovestruck single, and Wonderful album about to hit the stores (single – 19th July, album – September) we featured a single review from Channel Four’s Teletext site, and an interview with the band from The Independant. However, the promotional value of both these write ups would pale into insignificance compared to the forthcoming Madness Day (Thurs 15th July) on VH1. Consisting of over 12 hours of Madness, we were treated to band videos, specially recorded commentaries and much, much more.
This issue finished off with a lowdown of forthcoming gigs by Madness tribute veterans One Step Behind, courtesy of keyboardist Brendan Phipps.
Rob Hazelby
MIS Competition
MIS XX
We have already given away tickets to Kenwood in our MIS XX competition.
Those of you who both registered and are qualified as contributors…
There will be an item drawn in August. That is from the 1980s Madness era. If you’re the winner you will be contacted for an address.
We also have 2 tickets to see Paul Putners Comedy show. Embarrassment. All about his fandom of Madness.
Highbury Hen & Chickens London. Saturday night from 8.30pm. Email jonsmad@hotmail.com to apply. Must be able to meet us 8.30pm. Winners will be notified next week
Jonathan Young
Live Intensified
Barcelona Review, Saturday 6th July 2019
I would never have thought about going to Barcelona if Madness hadn’t been playing there. I’m not a fan of the sun (more on the side of the rain). I was grateful to find out that Vida festival in Vilanova was during the night and Madness would be on stage about 12.30am. It was still bloomin’ hot though.
The festival was cute. Not too big, not too small. Set in a forest, well lit by fairy lights and lined with little market stalls in wooden huts. The second stage was diagonally opposite the main stage and while one stage was hosting a band, the other was being set up for the next act. Whilst Madness’ stage was being prepared, I was able to watch The Charlatans which was an added bonus for me being a fan of the Britpop era.
Having been at a local bar earlier in the day with David Gilabert and his friends, I know how excited they were to see the boys. Telling stories of how they got in to Madness, times they’d seen them both in Barcelona and travelling to London. When Madness took to the stage, their excitement (and mine) peaked for sure. The crowd’s enthusiasm didn’t waiver throughout the whole set, even for Bullingdon Boys and In My Street, which for the majority would be the first time they’d heard them. From House of Fun to NBTC, the crowd moshed and danced better than any crowd I’ve seen for a long time.
I may have seen the band a few times and I could tell they were having a good day at the office. Suggs mentioned a couple of times how much he was enjoying himself and it didn’t feel just like stage banter or going through the motions.
The set list was the same as recent gigs (excluding Kenwood). No Mez on this occasion although I believe he had been at the earlier Spanish gigs.
It was awesome to see this gig through Catalonian eyes. The enthusiasm and excitement were easy to see, more so than when seeing the band on home turf. Maybe because it is such a rare treat for them. I will definitely be taking this spirit with me the next time I see them.
Thanks to David Gilabert and his wonderful friends for putting up with me for the day.
Vicki Lee
Sign of the Times
Madness concert in Vivary Park, Taunton
TAUNTON’S summer of fun continued last night with thousands of people cramming into Vivary Park for the first of three days of concerts.
Madness headed the bill and were joined by Chris Difford and The Lightning Seeds.
Spectators got into the groove with the first two performances before letting up a huge cheer when Madness appeared on stage.
They let rip their well known numbers including House of Fun, Driving in My Car, It Must Be Love, Our House and Baggy Trousers as young and old fans joined in.
Tonight features musical duo Bananarama with special guests Jason Donovan, Hazell Dean, Doctor and the Medics and Aswad.
The triple nights of concert will be rounded off on Sunday with Sir Tom Jones, along with The Dunwells and Megan O’Neill.
We’re almost done for this week, but before we go we have a couple of last minute bits to pass in your general direction…
Happy 10th Wedding anniversary to Allie & Pete Mayor. Ten years after their special day celebrated at the last Madstock, Madness came to their home town of Taunton for a great all day show. Thommo gave them a shout out and turned the set list into a paper plane aimed at reaching them in the crowd. (Nearly, it was a good shot, a security guard passed it on!) Happy Tin you two!
And finally…
The 40th anniversary of The Prince single is looming in less than a month. We’ve some news next week from the man who wrote the first Madness single (Kix). He’s heading to Camden on the day to celebrate. Move your feet if you fancy it.
