Madness Information Service Online Newsletter Issue Number: 928 – Sunday 19th February to Saturday 25th February 2017
Hello, and a warm welcome to this week’s edition of the MIS Online newsletter.
While we don’t have any news Madness gigs to report in this issue we are pleased to announce two new Silencerz gigs taking place over the coming months, bringing their total to four. Check out the “Showtimes” section for further details.
Continuing on a Silencerz related note, and this week we bring you the fourth and final part of our Sounds of the Silencerz series in an special MIS feature. We hope you’ve enjoyed this collection of articles.
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
April 2017 – The Overseas Leg
Monday 3rd – Ex Theatre, Tokyo, Japan
Thursday 6th – Hong Kong, China, Rugby Seven’s Opening Concert.
Monday 10th – Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth, Australia
Thursday 13th – Festival Hall, Melbourne, Australia
Saturday 15th – Hordern Pavillion, Sydney, Australia
Sunday 16th – Byron Bay, Australia http://www.bluesfest.com.au/schedule/detail.aspx?ArtistID=873
May 2017 – Back in the UK
Friday 19th – Wirral Live, Tranmere Rovers stadium, Birkenhead
Sunday 28th – Bearded Theory Spring Gathering, (Pallet stage headline), Derbyshire
http://www.beardedtheory.co.uk/
June 2017 – The Cornish Leg
Friday 16th – Eden Sessions, Eden Project, st Austell, Cornwall ** SOLD OUT **
http://www.edensessions.com/lineup/madness/
July 2017
Saturday 29th July, Camp Bestival – Headliners
August 2017
Thursday 3rd – Scarborough Open Air Theatre
http://www.scarboroughopenairtheatre.com/
Friday 4th – Falkirk Football Stadium
http://www.falkirkfc.co.uk/madness-in-falkirk/
Saturday 5th – Lytham Festival, Lancashire
https://www.lythamfestival.com/events/madness/
Saturday 12th – Kent County Showground
https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Maidstone/The-Kent-County-Showground/Madness-in-Kent/12902396/
Friday 18th – Hardwick Hall
http://www.hardwicklive.co.uk/madness-live/
Friday 25th – Portsmouth – Victorious Festival Opening Party
https://www.victoriousfestival.co.uk/buy-tickets/
Monday 28th – House of Common, Clapham ** Tickets now on sale! ** More info here: http://www.madness.co.uk/houseofcommon/
November 2017
17th – 20th November – The House of Fun Weekender – Minehead
The Silencerz
Saturday 25th February – Saracens Rugby Ground – Note: Poster does not mention Lee Thompson at this event
Saturday 1st April – The Bull Theatre ** New! **
Friday 23rd June – Mill Hill Festival ** New! **
Saturday 22nd July – The 100 Club. Featuring Lee Thompson with support from The Skapones and MIS DJs ** Corrected details. We had this as Thursday 22nd June **
Near Jazz Experience
Thursday 23rd February – Kino-Teatr, Saint Leonards Square, East Sussex, TN38 0EQ – Supporting the band “Blurt”
BUY IT
Madness – New Album – You Can’t Touch Us Now
** Out Now! **
16 Track CD, 12 Track Vinyl
30 Track Box Set Edition (with demos) ** SOLD OUT **
Total Madness Cherry Red Vinyl ** Out Now! **
180 gram vinyl, gatefold sleeve. Limited edition: only 2,000 copies being released.
More info at: http://www.musiconvinyl.com/catalog/madness/total-madness#more
SIGN OF THE TIMES
It’s always nice to see our favourite band in the press, so below are just a few of the articles featuring Madness that have appeared over the past few weeks…
Financial Times Q and A
https://www.ft.com/content/4262613c-f23d-11e6-8758-6876151821a6
Q -What would you like to own that you don’t currently possess?
A – As a child, I always wanted a Rolls-Royce. I can see myself in my dotage touring the Med in my old open-top Silver Phantom.
Q – What’s your biggest extravagance?
A – Hospitality, when I think back!
Q – In what place are you happiest?
A – At the end of my garden, slightly out of earshot, doing a barbecue, with football on the radio.
Q – What ambitions do you still have?
A – I’m doing a one-man show, it’s leading to others, and I’m veering towards acting.
Q – What drives you on?
A- Every day brings something new. I’ve got 50 ideas on the go at any one moment.
Q – If you lost everything tomorrow, what would you do?
A – When I was a kid, you’d say of some people that they’d always have a tenner in their pocket, they’d always be OK. I think I’m one of them.
Q – Do you believe in an afterlife?
A – Not really, no.
The Blockheads to Headline Carlisle Gig
ONE of the biggest rock n roll bands from the seventies will visit Carlisle this month.
The Blockheads rose to fame with Ian Dury and released some of the biggest and most memorable singles of that time.
When the band formed to promote Ian Durys’ album ‘New Boots and Panties’ on the first Stiff Records tour of the U.K. Chaz Jankel, Norman Watt-Roy, Charlie Charles, John Turnbull and Mick Gallagher became known as ‘The Blockheads’ which was a reference to a song on Ian’s album.
The full article can be found at the above link.
MIS FEATURE – SONGS OF THE SILENCERZ PT. 4
We conclude our series talking to Nick the guitarist and songwriter in The Silencerz, and bring things up to date with details of the latest tune he’s written for the band.
Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
This is the most recent song I’ve brought to the band successfully. It’s a story – pretty linear and not impressionistic really – about a jewel thief who falls in love with the intended victim. Really built around the well-known phrase. That’s it. Another crime caper.
It doesn’t really have a chorus, just a second half of the verse has a tag-line of the title – so it becomes a technical exercise on how you can manufacture the stanzas to end with “between the devil and the deep blue sea”. Songs don’t have to have choruses, many don’t, and you only notice when it’s pointed out – you can Google it – Squeeze’s Up The Junction and Bowie’s Space Oddity are two that don’t, My Girl by Madness is another.
First time we played this was at the Bull in June and we were under-rehearsed really. Since then we’ve got Ian in on drums and that’s given us a more rootsy feel. He approached this more as a dance track and its benefitted from more rehearsal time.
Not all the songs I put up get accepted. Sometimes I send an email with a track and the silence is deafening. Like a Tumbleweed Moment on the Vic Reeves show. Or sometimes we try something out and it doesn’t feel right, so you have to take it on the chin, go away and write something else, something better. The Silencerz are the best band in the world.
Anyway hope to see at the next gig!
July 22nd 100 Club – On Sale Now. For Specialive.
With Support from The Skapones and MIS DJ’s Jon and Swanny.
Best Nick
DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA – Nick Godwin 2016
Verse 1
I saw the ring on your finger and the purple of your finery
My jewel-thief eyes would linger on the colour of the deep blue sea
While the jewels had winked at me, so your eyes had in symmetry
This was not how it was meant to be, between the devil & the deep blue sea
Verse 2
We jumped into a cab and went up west we were checking out the latest show
When a violin waiter with a pencil moustache persuaded me to buy a rose
It’s a battle inside my mind, an uphill struggle and I’m inclined to make a
Simple choice I think you’ll find between the devil and the deep blue sea
Verse 3
One step ahead with the local Feds, you showed them the contraband
Taking into account the other misdemeanours and the heist already planned
The judge says I’m crazy for loving you, the little gaps between the parts of you, like
The things you say and the things you do, between the devil and the deep blue sea
Verse 4
Will you leave me in misery?
Looking back at our history
How we got this far is a mystery
Between the devil and the deep blue sea
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 years, 10 and 15 years ago this week.
5 years ago…
Issue Number 667 – Sunday 19th February – Saturday 25th February 2012
This week’s issue of the MIS began with the sad news that MOT bassist Lanfranco Gaglione passed away at the age of 26
The MIS team and much of the readership had followed the progress of the band since their very early days. A North London band with a distinctly British sound coupled with a residency at Camden’s Dublin Castle pub had meant that there were many similarities to Madness.
Lanfranco was a big supporter of charities, so his family asked for charitable donations rather than flowers to be sent to to the funeral in his honour.
The charity selected to receive the donations was CALM. This charity was set up to help and support the young men under the age of 35 who were contemplating taking their own lives.
Moving on to a more happier note, and we were pleased to see that the Retro Madness team were keen to help you stay out of the cold this winter. How? Well, they were selling official Madness woollen socks and scarves for a mere £4.99 and £6.50 (including postage and packing), respectively.
Now, although lans for the 2012 House of Fun Weekender seem edto be at an early stage, the band were keen to help you re-live your memories of the 2011 event, or help raise a smile if you were unable to go.
How? Well, currently running (at the time of typing) over on the official Madness web site was a competition for you to win one of their limited edition House of Fun 2011 T-Shirts.
All you needed to do was pop along to www.madness.co.uk, scroll down the page, find the competition widget and then submit your email address.
You’d receive an email shortly after, asking you to confirm that it was you who signed-up. Confirm that, and you’d be in the running!
Next-up, we featured a transcription from a Neil McCormick article which was originally published in The Telegraph newspaper. The report looked at all those musicians who performed at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee concert, and just how many of them were OBEs. Madness also had a mention;
“As for Madness, well, the nutty boys have always had a streak of patriotism, though it’s hard to imagine them ever being offered official recognition for their ability to cheer up a nation in times of hardship with classic little England songs like Baggy Trousers, Our House and Embarrassment. It would be nice though, wouldn’t it, if only to hear the words ring out, “Arise, Sir Suggs!””
It was over to My Band T-Shirt for our next article, as we took a look at the blog where people post about favourite band T-shirts and the memories they evoke. Comedy TV’s Paul Putner contributed his memories relating to a Madness shirt from December 21st 1983!
We eventually brought this issue of the MIS to a close with the news that a video showing Suggs once again collaborating with the Audio Bullys had hit the internet. We weren’t not sure at this stage if it was for a forthcoming release or something from the archive. Only time would tell.
Finally, news had reached us that www.wiredstrings.com were reporting that one of the new Madness songs, first heard at Butlins, “Never knew your name”, had been recorded with their participation.
They same outfit were the string arrangers and session players who’d recently been featured on Coldplay’s number 1 album as well as Adele’s recent Grammy winning album, too. Stephen Street produced this track.
10 years ago…
Issue 407 – Sunday 18th February to Saturday 24th February 2007
We started this issue by explaining that the date for the much rumoured Madstock concert still seemed to be up in the air, especially now, since the date for the Live Earth concerts had been announced for 7/7/07.
Now, would you turn Suggs away from a party? Well, for many celebrities this year’s Brits turned out to be rather humiliating.
Why? Well, one after another they rolled up to the Oasis Brit’s aftershow party, only to be turned away in front of scores of photographers.
Among those sent packing were James Morrison (who’d just won a Brit!), Badly-Drawn Boy, Suggs, Alex Zane, Sadie Frost and Jamie Callum.
It was on to some gig news next, as we reported that Madness had been booked to play at the first ever Glastondale weekend, which was due to take place at Settle, North Yorkshire, on the weekend of the 31st Aug to the 2nd Sept.
Other bands booked included The Stranglers and The Levellers.
Unfortunately, after further digging around we found a press release from one of the organisers, which read;
“Unfortunately, that is a piece of mis-reporting from the craven herald .. we are in negotiations with the agent about Madness, but nothing is confirmed as yet !!”
The Settle Festival team promised to let us know if/when Madness were confirmed.
We passed things over to The Madness Trading Ring for the next article, as they announced that they’d been in talks with Chris Foreman, who had agreed to field questions sent in by MTR subscribers. All you had to do was send your questions in to the MTR team and within a week or two you should see your response up there in bits and bytes.
We brought this week’s issue of the MIS to a close with a look at Madness tribute bands, and listed the forthcoming gigs for each over the next couple of months.
With Madness still not confirming a Madstock, these mimics of our favourite band may have been your only option for some live nutty music over the summer months.
15 years ago…
Issue 145 – Sunday 17th to Saturday 23rd February 2002
After a number of busy weeks issue 145 was certainly a lot slimmer than the recent batch of issues that had gone out.
Rumours reached us hinting that a certain Like Father, Like Son had played a secret gig the previous Saturday somewhere in the Barnet area. We were desperate to find out if any of the MIS readership were able to confirm if there was any truth to this rumour, and if the gig did take place, what it was like?
Meanwhile, we received news that Suggs would be appearing on the Saturday 22nd of February edition of music quiz show ‘Never Mind The Buzzcocks’.
Towards the end of January, Madness Unsugged editor, Vince Carden joined resident DJ and ska fan JB on his regular show Ska Patrol.
Anyone who’d met Vince or read his fanzine would know that he was both well informed on Madness trivia and highly opinionated about all their projects which made this radio show an entertaining hour.
He recounted (not always favourably), Madness’ recent releases and gigs, covering all the small off shoots of the band and getting some Radio play for greater rarer tracks by the band.
Topics of discussion included: Ian Dury, The Madness, Crunch, Madness’ changing sound on albums, Meeting Madness last time they were in Dublin, The fanzine, The Musical, Wonderful coming too late, Lee’s bands, Mojo interview, Madstock, Ian Dury and John Turnbull, Zarjazz, Carl Solo, Gigs in Dublin, Madmeets & Chocolate Biscuits!
With rumours of a secret Like Father, Like Son gig still bouncing around the web, co-editor Jonathan Young gave readers the lowdown on the band’s recent charity gig at The Bull, on Barnet High Road.
The issue continued with a lowdown of all planned One Step Behind gigs for the remainder of February, and throughout March. An ideal night out, especially with another month or two of long, cold and dark evenings still ahead.
We finished off this week’s issue with news from subscriber Stevie D’Arbanville, who reported that a recent episode of “Gilmore Girls” featured a cheerleading squad performing a routine to non other than ‘One Step Beyond’.
Rob Hazelby
DANCE CRAZE SCREENINGS
Two exclusive screenings of 2Tone’s legendary film at The London International Ska Festival 2017
13 April – Prince Charles cinema, Leicester Sq
Screened from film cinematographer Joe Dunton’s own 70mm copy!
16 April – Islington Assembly Hall (gig screening)
+ Rhoda Dakar, Phoenix City All-stars (Dexys set), The Equators and more tba!
Tickets selling fast at www.buytickets.at/hotshotscorcher
TIME…
As we bring this week’s issue to a close we got a couple of last minute snippets to pass on…
First-up, and if you enjoyed “Offbeat Offensive” at The Dublin Castle show with MIS for Specialive last August the good news is that their album is out on Monday to download!
Let it grab your ears.
For more information pop over to the following Amazon location:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01MR8W49J?qid=1487416726&sr=8-1
Naturally, we’ll bring you more on this release in a later issue.
Moving on, and if you were one of the many people who ordered your copy of Total Madness on cherry red vinyl you should have received your copy in the post this week. If you haven’t it’s likely that it’ll be with you this coming week.
We’ve just visited the Music Vinyl web site to see if there are any of the 2,000 copies still for sale, and although specific numbers detailing availability aren’t there it is still for sale. Be quick!
Next, and MIS subscriber Rob Kasimier tells us that there’s that the Drip Fed Fred vinyl release which is being issued as part of Record Store Day can be pre-ordered for 17,79 EUR at the following online store:
http://www.wowhd.nl/drip-fed-fred-johnny-the-horse/4050538263374
And finally, some Madness “Fossart”” news. Skip over to Dan’s facebook page for details of his painstakingly laid out fan art project. The project involves the ransom note motif and lyrics….
https://www.facebook.com/danfossard
Until next week, take care!
Jon Young, Rob Hazelby, Simon Roberts, Paul Williams
(With thanks to Nick Godwin, Rob Kasimier and Dan Fossard)
The Author
