Unveiled earlier this week was the fantastic new video from the one and only Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra. The video in question is for the Bangarang single mix, and is a visual promo featuring Dawn Penn and Sharon Shannon.

Once again this features Lee in dual roles, this time as a taxi driving everyman as well as his Madness pop star self.

It’s just over a week until the Bangarang launch gig at Camden’s Dingwalls, and the single is out later this month.

Check the video out at http://youtu.be/ntG85H7ywJg. It’s a fantastic piece of work, stylish and rather fun.

Enjoy the read,

Jon Young, Rob Hazelby, Simon Roberts, Paul Williams

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

July 5th 2014, en Normandie au Festival Beauregard

July 13th 2014 Festival Musilac, France http://www.musilac.com/

July 29th 2014, Theatre Jean Deschamps, 1100 Carcassonne City, Festival De Carcassonne

November 21st – 24th 2014 – Minehead – Earlybird tickets can be ordered here: http://www.bigweekends.com/splash-pages/madness2014.aspx

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

Our thanks go to the French MIS team for the Normandie and Carcassonne dates: https://www.facebook.com/groups/frenchmis

Suggs Live

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
15th – Eastbourne – Royal Hippodrome
16th – Leamington Royal Spa Centre
17th – Jersey Opera House
19th – Milton Keynes The Stables
20th – Winchester Theatre Royal
21st – Epsom Playhouse
22nd – Kettering Lighthouse Theatre
23rd May at Cardiff College of Music and Drama
27th May at Bury St Edmunds The Apex
29th May at Derry Millennium Forum
30th May at Belfast Ulster Hall

The Magic Brothers

Monday 3rd March, Dublin Castle, Camden, London
Tuesday 11th March, Dublin Castle, Camden, London
Thursday 27th March, Dublin Castle, Camden, London
Thursday 3rd April, Dublin Castle, Camden, London
Thursday 24th April, Dublin Castle, Camden, London

Ticket info at: http://www.bugbearbookings.com/dublin-castle/

Suggs and Friends

The charity fund raising evening “Suggs and Friends” makes a welcome return this coming March.  The 2014 fundraiser takes place on March 20th at 6.30pm, with champagne reception and auction.

The £150 donation tickets for pancreatic cancer gain entry to the Porchester Hall event in London W2. There’s no announcement yet as to who is joining Suggs at the exclusive event.

Roger Daltrey has been added to the line-up of this evening.

The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra

Thursday 13th March, Dingwalls, Camden Town, London
More info regarding the above on Facebook at: http://on.fb.me/1mKWGkX

*** New *** August 29th – 31st, The Big Feastival, Alex James’ Farm, Cotswolds

More festival dates to follow.

Ska Orchestra web site: www.ltso.mis-online.net

Lee Thompson DJ

*** New *** Saturday 5th April, Ska Night, Guest DJ Lee Thompson, Wilsons, Runcorn, Cheshire

The Lee Thompson Band (Lee’s other band, with Daley)

*** Date Corrected **** April 25th.  The Hop Poles. Enfield
https://www.facebook.com/events/1387868218100592/

Deaf School

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

Near Jazz Experience

*** New *** The NJE will be back at the Indo Bar, Whitechapel Road. March 11th.

BUY IT

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

The Specialized EP Featuring Lee Thompson

A 4 track vinyl EP featuring Lee’s track from the first specialized album and tracks by the Valves, Rhoda Dakar and Nick Welsh.

Should be in stock this coming week.

Thanks go to Chuck Wren and Jump Up Records, Stan from A&R Texas (pressing plant), and Mike Schneider of Indigo Iguana (design).

LOOK SO GOOD YA COULD LICK EM…. Will be available via

www.specializedproject.co.uk

The Specialized Big One 2. Live DVD.

For those wanting a copy of the DVD of the Big One 2 event we can reveal that you can now pre-order your copy. This will be limited edition and available into the new year. As is the normal spec with Specialized, all proceeds go to the Teenage Cancer Trust.

*** Update *** We are very pleased to say that the Specialized Big One 2 DVD has gone to production! So, those of you have ordered a copy, yours will be with you very shortly. Thanks for your patience. The film makers did it all for free, including the editing of over 60 hours of footage. There will be also a small bonus DVD included

Welcome to Specialized Project official website

LTSO, Bangarang, Featuring Dawn Penn

Single release date March 24th.

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

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

SPECIALIZED – MEET THE ARTISTS

Meet the Artists

We are very pleased to announce that for the second time in February, Specialized are very pleased to develop the links between France and the U.K.

This next band loves Madness. Absolutely. They’re called “IndEeD” and they will be performing on Specialized 3 – Mad Not Cancer ! They’ll cover “Burning the Boats” from the underrated 6th album “Mad Not Mad”.

[…] Ska/Oi act SKOISTERS will [also] be performing on Specialized 3 – Mad Not Cancer!

The guys will be performing ” BENNY BULLFROG” with a bit of an Oi Oomph mixed with a sprinkling of ska. We have heard it and it’s different! But you’ll love it.

Skoisters are a 4 piece band based in Bournemouth, Dorset, with a love of ska/oi/punk who describe themselves as “GOOD TIME SKA & GOOD TIME OI, IN YOUR FACE STREET MUSIC”

This is FABULOUS from The Specials/Kingsize JONATHAN READ!-

Support and help out where you can-

Jonathan Read-

Going to be doing a charity motorbike ride from Land’s End to John O Groats straight after my last gig for The Specials (IOW). Starting Monday June 16th. All money raised will be split equally between Teenage Cancer Trust via Specialized and Riders for Health (a charity supporting he…alth workers in Africa who use motorbikes to get around).

I’m covering all the costs of the trip so all donations will go to the two charities.

Proposed route..

Day one: Land’s End-Bristol-Hereford-Wrexham

Day two: Wrexham-Lancaster-Carlise-Glasgow-Fort William

Day three: Fort William-Inverness-John O’Groats

I’ll have my trumpet with me so anyone who needs a trumpet player in Wrexham on the 16th June, Fort William 17th June, or John O Groats on the 18th let me know.

On the way back will stop around Perth 19th and Newcastle 20th.

I will post up links to Just Giving website in the next few weeks for donations.

Anyone who wants to tag along for any part of the trip would be welcome. I don’t ride fast so that includes scooters ..

Cheers Big man!

TWEETS OF A DOVE

Random Madness-related musings from the Twittersphere.

Bedders

“No to Thatcher Day.

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-naming-the-august-bank-holiday-as-margaret-thatcher-day?source=twitter-share-button”

“Had a lovely day recording in the Essex countryside with Terry Edwards and Dylan Howe.”

(Fruits of their labour to be revealed later watch this space)”

CHRISSY BOY

Tweeted the tour dates for the band he is producing for. Gorgeous George

https://twitter.com/1gorgeousgeorge/status/437171101802983425/photo/1

SUGGS

“THIS IS IT!

BARSO

“Just went to see Deer Tick, great band!”

WOODY

Feb 25th

“Up early tomorrow for the 1st Magic Brothers rehearsal. Mustn’t forget to pack my drum kit.”

Feb 22nd

“Doing an album running order is a pig of a job. 14 great songs, but ideally 12 songs makes for a more dynamic album. We’ll get there.”

SIGN OF THE TIMES

A collection of articles that have caught our eye over the course of the past week or so.

A Uniquely London-Irish Gathering

Source: Vince Carden, www.camdenirish.blogspot.ie

Given their first chance by a son of Mayo, signed and mentored by a Dubliner and convinced to reform by a Waterford man Madness have all the Irish links needed to headline the festival that brings to a close a year-long celebration of all things Irish. Here we look at the numerous ties that Camden Town’s favourite sons hold with the Emerald Isle.

So here we are at New Year’s Eve 2013 looking forward to improving economic Irish fortunes in 2014 and saying goodbye to The Gathering. The last event of this celebration is Dublin’s New Year’s Eve party. It all sounds so exciting…..except something doesn’t make sense. The Gathering’s website states that The Gathering is “an exciting year-long celebration of Ireland and its people”.

Full article here: http://camdenirish.blogspot.ie/2013/12/a-uniquely-london-irish-gathering.html

I REMEMBER WAY BACK WHEN

This week, MIS co-editor Rob Hazelby, goes back 5 years to issue 513, and the week of Sunday 1st March to Saturday 7th March 2009, and then back 10 years to issue 251 and the week of Sunday 29th February to Saturday 6th February 2004.

5 years ago…

Issue 513 – Sunday 1st March to Saturday 7th March 2009

Those of you who’d stumped up the cash for box sets and/or golden circle Madstock tickets were no doubt feeling a lot more relaxed, following the news that both box set and ticket orders would be honoured, despite the collapse of Trinity Music.

The articles got underway with a transcript of a wonderful interview with Lee Thomson. With this year being not only the 30th anniversary of 2-Tone, but also Madness themselves, the Madness Central team thought it was time to interview our favourite saxophonist, and what a fantastic interview it was.

Next we looked at new releases and re-issues, and gave you the heads-up on how to pre-order the Folgate box set, plus the re-issues of Complete Madness and One Step Beyond. No doubt most MIS subscribers already had the latter two albums, so perhaps it was time to pick up one of these re-issues and give one to a friend who needed some Madness in their life.

Moving on, and when Bristol based ska band, The Communicators, recently released their first album a few weeks back the boys were kind enough to send us in a copy for review purposes. It wasn’t until we plonked the CD on that we realised just what a treat we were in for.

Weighing in at over an hour, and consisting of a whopping 16 tracks, the £11.50 price tag (including postage and packing) made it real value for money – important in these cash-starved times. (even if 10 minutes was ‘hidden track’ silence).

We finished the review by commenting that the album was “an absolute cracker”, and stating that “If you want to support a band that’s trying to make a real name for itself, then you could do a lot worse with your £11.50 than spend it on this album”.

Oz-based Madness news was the subject for our next article, as we reported that tickets were starting to go on sale for the Australian tour, which would kick off towards the end of March, and run into April. Tickets were bound to sell out fast!

On to Madness tribute album news now, and with the release of the French Madness 30th Anniversary album getting that bit closer Jean-Pierre Boutellier got in touch to reveal the (almost!) finilised track listing. Roll on the release date!

We brough this issue to a close with the news that Bristol based Ska band The Communicators, were looking for a replacement trombone player to join their ranks. If you thought you had it you were urged to get in touch.

10 years ago…

Issue 251 – Sunday 29th February to Saturday 6th March 2004

We started off the issue with reminder from Jermaine of Tour Madness, that 20 years today was when a certain Lee Thompson tied the knot with his girlfriend Debbie.

Jermaine also had a request for all MIS readers. Keen to flesh out the Crunch!/Nuttyboys section of Tour Madness, he was after any reviews of their gigs – particularly gigs at The Dublin Castle which took place on Saint Patrick’s Day 1996, and March 15th and May the 3rd 1997.

Moving on, and we had news in from the official Jools Holland web site, informing us that on Thursday the 1st of April Suggs would be taking to the stage of the Royal Albert Hall, in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust. Artists performing with Mr. Holland included David Gilmore, Mica Paris, Marc Almond, Terri Walker, Solomon Burke, Ronnie Wood, Sam Brown, Ruby Turner, Chris Difford, SUGGS, John Cale, Paul Weller, Shane Macgowan & Jamiroquai.

Next-up we had an article from issue three of “Aloah” magazine, which was kindly sent in to us by Tour Madness’ Jermaine. Jermaine pointed out that the article was full of mistakes, so we advised readers to keep their eyes peeled when reading.

Keen to keep readers up-to-date on what North London band, MOT, were up to, we gave a heads-up on their next forthcoming gig, which was at The Bull and Gate. Kentish Town, on Saturday the 6th of March. With tickets priced at a mere £5 it was a real bargain.

We finished of this issue with news of the next ‘Ska Surgery’ sessions, which were due to take place on Thursday the 25th of March and Thursday the 15th of April, at Camden’s famous Electric Ballroom.

Rob Hazelby

TIME…

Before we go we’d like to announce a return of the M section to the official Madness web site, which you can find at: http://m-section.madness.co.uk/m_login.aspx

Yes, those of you who bought the Norton Folgate box set can rejoice as your own private section of www.madness.co.uk is back.

Delights include “Extra Practice Makes Perfect” tracks from the Liberty era, “Dad’s Desk” live albums from classic year, and the Axecam motion pictures from Madness on “Later…”, before the BBC moved! It’s all there for those of us in the M circle who have the log-in details from the box sets.

There are even the “Do not Adjust Your Nut Tour “ live downloads archived there, too. You’ll also find the “Behind the Scenes” of the “Sugar and Spice” video and Ambers mix of “On The Town”, from the original download album.

So, log in and party like it’s 2009.

And finally, don’t forget that Magic Monday’s Mad Meet starts at about 4 to 5pm-ish at The Dublin Castle. This is before the live debut of the Magic Brothers tomorrow evening.

The rehearsal, we are told, went well, so we’re looking forward to the first live gig. Come along and support with us.

The MIS will be there, and we are also in the East End Monday for a project from 2pm. Contact us if you are free earlier on the Monday and want to join us all for a little Folgate fun. Email Jonsmad@hotmail.com

Until next week, take care,

Jon Young, Rob Hazelby, Simon Roberts, Paul Williams