It’s been one heck of a Nutty week, readers.

Over in Spain, long term fan Harry Wandsworth, has just realised his dream of creating The Nutty Bar.  It opened on Thursday Night in Marbella, Spain, with DJ Rhoda Dakar reportedly “Rocking on the decks.”  Photographs have appeared on Facebook showing the detailed logo work on the white fixtures, along with a video of the staff dancing and enjoying themselves.

Harry reports that the soft opening event went well, and when he was told not to drink too much Harry replied (the next morning!), “Too late Amigos! Suffering today!”  He then went on to say;

“Maddie Boys have been very supportive, sending loads of goodies to put on the walls and Lee is doing his bit for official opening next Saturday! Rhoda did a great set last night and had a lot of locals who are Mad for it! Thanks for spreading the word Amigo!”

It’s great to see The Nutty bar finally open for The Business!

If all that wasn’t enough new nuts in a week, The Nutty Forum is back, open online now.  It comes with a nice stylish design with crowned M logos on black. It’s going to be a great place to read new topics and start discussions about the band, with perhaps just a little bit more insight, complimenting the more short soundbite and pictorial ways of the great social media instant reactions we get these days, on forever scrolling pages.

As the band is approaching it’s era of the next album we’ve been in there discussing the 12 date arena tour and the 2015 next record release plans that were mentioned in the blurb on the latest auction to be found online at cityrocks, where meet the band tickets were up for auction.

The forum has already been the first place to mention the Belgium festival gig in it’s first few posts, and there is an opening competition to win a 2007 live at the O2 CD which forum runner Adam tells us is running for another week.

Join up and enter here;

www.nuttyforum.info/

It’s very early days, but we remember Nutty Forum being both a warm and jokey environment, with knowledge and focus. We hope this little nut grows again from it’s re-established roots, back to the tall tree it once was.  We will certainly be watering it with news and support.

Adam himself confessed he met a lot of fans at the last Madstock who told him that it  just wouldn’t have been the same gig without the forum having been a part of it. It’s great to have The Nutty Forum back. Actually, isn’t great that there are so many places in the world to hang out now and be Nutty?

Now, here’s the rest of this weeks news

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

June 2014

June 28th, Night in the Park, Den Haagm Netherlands, http://www.nightatthepark.nl/
June 27th Jiwapop Festival, Montcada, Spain
June 29th, Tivoli Utrecht, Netherlands http://tivoli.nl/

August 2014

*** NEW *** August 2nd, Suikerrock, Belgium
August 12th Mallorca Rocks
August 13th Ibiza Rocks
August 18th, Kubana Festival, Krasnodar, Vesolovka

November 2014

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

Suggs Live

April 2014

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

June 2014

1st June, The Garrick, London

The Magic Brothers

Thursday 24th April, Dublin Castle, Camden, London

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

Magic Brother Friday Headline set:
November 14th.  The Big One 3.  Park Dean, Sandford Dorset.

The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra

May 2014

May 25 Strummer Camp Manchester

June 2014

June 1st, Wychwood Festival
June 29th Glastonbury Festival

July 2014

July 12th Lewisham’s People Day – Free!
July 26th Wickerman Festival

Note: The previously listed Swindon Breeze Festival is an event the band will no longer be appearing at.

August 2014

*** NEW *** (Unconfirmed) August 16th, Newham, Under The Stars – Free!
August 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

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

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

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

April 26th, The Black Horse, Barnet

Deaf School

August 10th, Rebellion Festival, Blackpool

For details of future gigs keep an eye on http://deafschoolmusic.com for more information.

Near Jazz Experience

April 29th, Indo, Whitechapel, London

BUY IT

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

LTSO, Bangarang, Featuring Dawn Penn & Sharon Shannon

*** Pre-Order Now Live *** Single release download date moved to April 27th. iTunes and Amazon links are now active.

itunes  http://tinyurl.com/p2bquak

Amazon http://tinyurl.com/pwg6du2

Check out the Bangarang-Anim-ad here…

Suggs “That Close”  – Audio Book

Having plugged Suggs’s first autobiography, for some weeks, since it’s release last year, we now change our focus to the audio book which we haven’t really touched on before. It’s available as a download, and also as a plastic cased CD set. So you physical collectors could do well at add it to you collections, and you modern gizmo ipad types or mp3 player on the go users etc can get it fairly instantly.

What’s brilliant about the audio edition is, it’s the closest version yet to the Live Suggs solo show being released. Suggs himself reads the text over seven hours and is as hilarious as he is in his one man show. The focus of humour within is brought out to the full. And the performed accents are so amusing to hear him do at times, that even the man himself has an Eddie Izzard moment, breaking down during the reading and chuckling at his own performance. That they left this in, is perfect, it’s like an old Hancock TV sitcom episode where live filming means no going back.

A nice subversive touch for an audiobook to take. The rest of the book is of course exactly what was in the printed version so our review of that remains pretty much the same, While pronounced lyrics that appear in the book are rendered into poetry here as a result of the spoken word approach.

No one can tell Suggs story better than Suggs. The audio book is ultimately more pleasing than the paperback. 7 hours of fun that has to be cut up into a couple of days to really get through it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/That-Close-Unabridged/dp/B00G7GTHRI

New Official Crunch Merchandise

Crunch! Magic Carpet Record Polo shirts. £17.99 large only (More sizes soon)

Crunch! Beanie hats one size £ 8.99 limited stock + £3 p&p on shirt – beanie free!

To get yours, send a message to the official band facebook page to order:

https://www.facebook.com/crunchbandofficial

LIVE AND INTENSIFIED

The Magic Brothers Residency At The Dublin Castle continues to hot up. So much so that they had an electric fan on stage!  Below are reviews of last two gigs…

“Three Is The Magic Number”

We’re now at gig 3 of the 5 night Dublin Castle residency. There is a good sized crowd here – not as many as the opening night but encouragingly more than last time. Tonight, I want to again get more familiar with the new stuff plus see how the band are evolving.

As before Magic Brothers kick off with Always Be With You, Downtown and Friday Night, Sunday Morning. It’s a really strong selection to begin with – usually bands like to leave their better considered tracks nearer the end of a gig. However I’m sure both Nick + Dan are both entirely comfortable knowing how great their roster of songs already is. This trio of tunes grabs your attention and you’re hooked in. As before the sound is of high quality.

Ami Tumake BhaloBashi  has been lifted from tonight’s set list: I hope it’s not on account of my remarks last time out. I’d stated that although I I thought the song didn’t quite work, I really wanted to hear it again. “No, definitely not, Daren”, Nick reassures me after the gig. He continued, “We’re working on a different arrangement and hope to have it ready to play next time”.

Back to the gig and I’m watching from different parts of the venue to see and hear how the band perform. I’m near to the bass and lead guitarist, who stand close to Nick so I’ve got all 3 guitars in view. The bass is great: gently played to keep each tune ticking over. The lead guitarist plays very well. These tunes have enough space and time to allow the songs to ‘breathe’. Whilst observing this I’m listening to The River and new song Something which has a ’60’s feel to it, almost a distant cousin of The Shadows in terms of the guitar sound. This is a really good song – Magic Brothers Woodgate proving themselves as great songsmiths. Onto Nick, his guitar playing more occasional than constant. I notice he’s wearing headphones. “It’s so I can hear my guitar playing above the band and that I’m playing at the right time”, he tells me afterwards. Nick is a competent guitarist, backed up by the bass and other guitarist who also adds some backing vocals and it all fits nicely.

I then move to pay attention to the brass section. These guys can also play and add a further layer to the pop sound Magic Brothers have created. Behind them is the keyboardist, who is near to Siobhan on backing vocals and tucked right in the corner – you can barely see him – yes, it’s Dan Woodgate, providing the backbone to each track on drums of course. Nevertheless at this venue we are just a few feet from the stage and it’s real privilege to see a band at such close quarters, especially so when it includes one of Madness.

Nick announces “We’re going to play another one of our 200 songs”. Blimey! Two hundred?! I know these guys are prolific writers but that’s going some!! Magic Train is a funk-fuelled track with a funky bass sound with distant echoes of the James Bond theme. The brass section leave the stage for this song; although clearly this strips down the band it still works well. The brass are also not present for Mother which again has a funky uplift.

Tonight’s encore is the mellowness of Smile. Although there are shouts for more, I wanted to hear Something again. Again wanting more is a further sign that the band are developing well. My mate Tony enjoyed the 2nd gig more “There were less people; it was more intimate”, he says. Personally, I think tonight it is a touch better.

Set List:

Always be with you

Downtown

Friday Night, Sunday Morning

The River

Something

In Your Mind

Tysea Hill

Come To Me

Magic Train

We’re All Going To Brighton

They Tell You

Mother

All Aboard The Train

You Don’t Have To Hide Your Love Away

Encore:

Smile

We’re All Going To Brighton (Worthing Mix)

So, as already mentioned, I get to chat to Nick after the show, we are soon joined by Dan who is listening intently.

“Another great gig although on 1st night you played 12 + 2 with the encore, 2nd night 11 + 2, and tonight 11 + 1. You’ve played less and feel cheated!” I say smiling jokingly. “No we play 16 songs. I know the set in order. That’s good value”, says Dan.  “I’m sure you played 12 each night plus the encore. I’ve got the set list written down here”, I reply. I start counting…whoops! It’s 16; 15 played tonight. “Sorry guys”, I panic, “See you at the next gig”. It’s great that both Nick and Dan are accessible even to fans like me who clearly need to learn to count!! I will be at the next Magic Brothers gig and I’ll be the one a holding a calculator…

Daren West

…

At the third gig I had the pleasure of watching the band with Mez Clough from the ska orchestra, and Mez was here to check out a fellow drummer. You could see his appreciation of Woody at the gig was of technical ability and a different kind of musicians ear to add to those heaping praise onto the band.

In the repeated encore at the second gig, the band played We’re All Going to Brighton at the loudly shouted request of Lynn who was celebrating her birthday. In fact the band had sung their version of Happy Birthday to her, earlier in the gig, as a nice touch for a known fan. In the encore Nick went one better responding to a request to sing the location as nearby Worthing Lynn’s home town!  Making this version a unique one…

We’re All Going To Brighton (Worthing)

“Sunshine, Smog & Song” – The Fourth Magic Brothers Gig & The April Fool’s Ale.

Ok, so we come clean. Magic Brothers Beer. Was just our  MIS April Fool Joke Issue and latest daft videos.  This year done with Woody’s co-operation and The Magic Brothers Blessing.

The video fake advert for Sunshine beer with Woody is here…

This was followed by the admittance video here, after 12 midday that it was all to promote the last two Magic Brothers gigs…

With the joke out the way we heading onward to April 3rd gig…

“It was a great ruse” Woody said as he came over to see us in the Dublin Castle bar on Thursday. Indeed while most viewers and readers were quick to tell us the date, we had a few orders in! who couldn’t wait to try half alcoholic beer. At the last March gig when we shot the video we even had Daley Thompson fooled giving him the bottle prop filled with strawberry water. He said he liked it. Before we tipped him off to the gag.

…

We’re at the Magic Brothers 4th gig night residency at the Dublin Castle, Camden. Pre-sales for tonight’s gig had not sold as many as hoped however there is a good ‘walk up’ for tonight making it a healthy-sized crowd for the gig.

There is definitely something in the air tonight and I’m not just talking about the smog and dust that is hovering around London town. There’s a sprinkling of Magic dust. Magic Brothers dust. Three gigs so far of the band working together and performing admirably all comes to a head tonight; it seems different, a touch louder and is their best gig to date.

So what’s different? Immediately the sound is a touch better to start with. Opening as usual with Always Be With You and everything immediately fits. Three songs in and we have the first really noticeable change from previous gigs. Nick’s guitar strings are broke. I’m no musician but I can see that the replacement guitar he is handed looks a bigger, better machine. The subtle guitar strokes are still there but we can now HEAR THEM. We can hear them above the rest of the band – it’s like when Dylan went from acoustic to electric. Wow! Can this boy play? You bet he can.

The entire band have upped their game though. Both guitarists are playing superbly; the harmonising between Siobhan and Nick although worked well anyway seems to be better with Siobhan singing just a few more lines here and there than before. The ever-reliable brass section again doing their bit. “They’re just great songs to play”, the trombonist informs me after the gig. The running order has slightly changed as well, all adding up to a fantastic gig experience.

It’s again the new songs that pull me in – In Your Mind, Something, Magic Train… it’s gonna be a great album when it comes out. Nick is getting constant encouragement from Dan – brotherly love if ever there was some. “Drink some more water, Nick” Dan reminds Nick constantly. Perhaps this smog and dust may have affected his vocal chords? No matter Nick’s in great form tonight, both his singing and guitar playing are the best to date.

Set List:

Always be with you

They Tell You

Friday Night, Sunday Morning

Come To Me

The River

In Your Mind

Tysea Hill

Smile

Magic Train

Mother

Something

We’re All Going To Brighton

All Aboard The Train

You Don’t Have To Hide Your Love Away

Encore:

Downtown

The door man and Magic Brothers management both state that ticket sales for the 5th and final night are selling well. Based on the evolving improvement of the band I recommend you give yourself a treat, book a ticket and get to see and hear for yourself just how good they are. London town is indeed sprinkled in Magic Dust right now.

….

Having witnessed three Magic Brothers gig’s now myself, I’m starting to become familiar with the wealth of new tunes, and I’m very happy that the residency treatment has once again been a platform for a band to improve across their time returning here.  “We are getting better aren’t we?” Woody asks coming off the stage at the end of the set, “Thanks for dancing” he adds.  “I don’t call that dancing!” I joke back. Tonight’s gig was very much missing the girly fans barrier hugging the front like at other gigs. Myself, Andy, Daren, Patrick and a Tom called cat! made a rather sad shuffling site like an old take that had gone line dancing or something I’m sure, from the bands eye view. But “yes”. I reply you have got better, “and it started pretty good from the off.”

Tonight’s gig being a little more intimate had better banter in it. Woody calling out from behind the drums. “it’s popular” is audience members reacted to a new song title at all.  Guitarist Tim jumping in when a string breaks, to sing and play “sometimes it’s hard to be a woman”, and then Siobhan’s looks to Woody as the on stage fan uplift blows her hair around like a rock video. She will later in the bar point to something you could politely call “the change” as it’s reasoning for being there, but even if it IS sometimes hard to be a woman, to me it just looked like a great stage effect to employ at gigs for rock and roll hairstyle reasons!  The point in reply is that when two brothers, one Mrs, took to the stage with a line up of session players roped in at that first gig, they performed well and over the course of these gigs and the rehearsals they have all found their space as a live band together, that makes a great team, and it’s showing now, the music is getting better, but the showmanship of the band is now all complimenting too.  Nick is looking cooler in shades, as the polite speaking front man, and the characters of the team around him are coming through and adding to the warmth in the room.  That’s magic for sure.

Songs I’ve not commented on so much as yet, are Mother which is a really rocking out track that’s almost a little head moshable.  Come to Me. Is a beckoning love song it sounds like.

“Something” I think has emerged my favourite to re-hear. It’s brass is just killer tuneage, it’s rapid, It’s more non stop than a song like Embarrassment is. Both Nick and Siobhan’s vocals work as a team on the chorus, I love the track. Second is Magic Train. It’s funk and it’s chorus are so-catchy if the song perhaps doesn’t much go anywhere else than that making it only my second favourite of the new ones when it could really be top from the chorus vibe, both of these outstrip the single for me in the live show even though that track on record is the best thing they have done to date, these new ones showcase the bands rock side that’s coming through all the more.  Not so sure on the track all aboard the train, repetition of lyrics and title, feels a bit samey.  Both We’re all going to Brighton and In Your Mind are happy sing-a-longs.  The albums title track just nudges ahead on that front for my money.

Downtown failed a bit as an encore. Although it’s upbeat, was played well, it’s an arrival song to me. Something I might play before going out. I don’t think arrival songs can end a set, you need climactic themes in the sound. If any track does have to come after the big and obvious crowd pleasing single that is the most known and loved of this bands songs and clearly the most obvious last track, then I would try Mother out in the encore and maybe really rock it out to a crescendo, if they want to end on a rocker like that. The River carries a lot of gravitas as a song if a mellower ending was desired, but one with impressive bow to it. Really looking forward to the next album though. All these songs including the currently being reworked one, sound like the next record is going to be better than the first.  And the last residency gig I’ve a feeling is being marked out by fans as “the one to go” for a while now, as it might have a celebratory feel to it by a band that is now well bedded in. One last Magic Train is due out of The Dublin Castle’s platform one. Catch it. Last call for boarding. Before the band are off on a couple of Magic journeys beyond London.

Daren West / Jonathan Young

MIS FEATURE – GORGEOUS GEORGE – GIRL’S NIGHT OUT

We bring you news from the video shoot of the band Chris is currently involved with as a mentor.

Gorgeous George are a modern London band, comparable to acts like The Streets mixed with Dexy’s, Chas and Dave and Gypsy folk elements.

“I was at their video shoot on Monday night. Chrissy Boy was there. He’ll be in the video.”

[I] had to go to pub in deepest North West London for it. [Great] pub…sh*t area. The Paradise bar. Kensall Rise. Chrissy boy even came up and said hello. He’ll be playing the piano in the vid. “

Yeah I was an extra for the bar scene.. probably blink and you’ll miss me.”

[I] have to say the band’s new single is the dog’s bollox…Girls Night Out. Brilliant!!!!!

Bit laddish…but that’s what I like. They’re a [great] band. Chrissy Boy said that he really likes what they do. That’s a massive complement coming from him.

I’ve recorded some footage, of CB on piano…recording his bit for the vid, and the band performing.

(note: this footage wont be put anywhere until the official video has been and gone online etc.)

The video for the song will be uploaded when complete to the band’s YouTube channel, here. We will let you know when it does.

https://www.youtube.com/user/only1gorgeousgeorge

Andy Shoultz

SIGN OF THE TIMES

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

Liverpool Echo on the Return of the Touring Live Suggs Show

Source: The Liverpool Echo

Whether it’s a play, stand-up or music hall is really immaterial. Just expect a great evening’s entertainment as Suggs goes on to “stumble and plummet through the trap door of failure, then trampoline back up to catch the passing trapeze of show business success.”
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/liverpool-philharmonic-royal-court-theatre-6914775

SPECIALIZED – HEAR A TRACK & MEET MORE ARTISTS

Just heard the track ” Lose a good thing” for Specialized 3 by The Originals legends of ska n reggae……BLOWN AWAY
Here meanwhile is a taster for the forthcoming album Mad Not Cancer here is Big Head with their version of Embarrassment

Specialized are extremely chuffed to announce that THE SIMMERTONES will be performing on Specialized 3 Mad n Not Cancer! The guys who have just …duetted with Doris day on their new release “Perhaps”, will be appearing on “Drip Fed Fred”.
The Simmertones have been together since 2007 and have quickly become festival favourites in their native South West UK, building a strong following across the region’s music venues. 

The band’s first album “Presenting the Simmertones, Volume 1”, featuring a wild reworking of the Dr Who theme tune was recorded under the guidance of Richard Digby Smith who has previously worked with the likes of Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, Sparks and Free at Island Records. 
The album picked up great reviews and airplay throughout 2010 in the UK, Europe and beyond, including plays on Mikey Davies’ show on BBC Radio 1 and Mark Lamarr’s “God’s Jukebox” on Radio 2.
The band returned to the studio in early 2011 to record a new EP. Made up of 2 new Simmertones originals and 2 classic covers, this recording also features guitar contributions from Steve Cradock of Ocean Colour Scene/Paul Weller fame and solo performer in his own right
…
I think we’ve lost count of Meet the Artists now- but heres another!

 Specialized are very pleased to announce that the act “UPforitNESS” will be performing on Specialized 3 Mad Not Cancer!
The guys will be appearing on their version of “Burning The Boats”. This will be far removed from the Indeed version that will be appearing so you will be able to sample 2 fabulous tracks.
Darren ‘Fordie’ Fordham, is best known as the dancing, percussion playing, backing vocalist with The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra, but here, he goes it alone, to bring you his very own take on Burning The Boats. 
After Lee Thompson’s effort, with his version of the classic track Madness on Specialized I, and Fordie himself adding vocals to Swagga’s take on Jackpot for Specialized II, it was only a matter of time before he threw in a track of his own and Burning The Boats was a song he was keen to put his stamp on. 

By enlisting the musical talent of the Ska Orchestra’s very own Louis Vause (piano), Andy Neal (guitar), Mez Clough (drums), Steve White (trumpet), Bob Dowell (trombone) and Paul Tadman (bass) under the guise of ‘UPforitNess’, you may be forgiven for believing you’ll have an idea of how this track is going to sound. Prepare yourself to be very wrong. Prepare yourself for something very different. See more
….
Specialized are very chuffed to announce our lovely friends at WolfMan Radio,the official Specialized will be closing the Specialized 3- Mad Not Cancer !!! The WMR Allstars – featuring the station DJs Wolfman, Lee madge,… David Crane, Gerrit louwsma, Four-fingers lightning, Buzz Wilson & skitzo Joel will be performing “Chipmunks Are Go”

The WMR presenters have come together to produce chipmunks for Specialized from a diverse range of radio shows covering Soul, Blues, classic Rock, Psychobilly, Mod, Dub and of course, Ska! Wolfman Radio are 4 years old this year, and have actively supported the Specialized project from year 1 as a non-profit station. Everything they raise goes to the project. Once again this year, they will be broadcasting from the Big One with live Stagecam too for anyone not able to attend the main event! They thought it was a great way to get involved with the Mad Not cancer album, and introduce a more diverse range of listeners to the project.
…
It is with great pride we announce the inclusion of Dublin’s finest THE BIONIC RATS at The BIG ONE 3!!! 

The guys will be flying over from Eire to play on Saturday 15th November at Parkdean Sandford Dors…et. The lads are also recording ” In The Rain” for Specialized 3- Mad Not Cancer and that happens next week. A fantastic live ska and reggae act! Specialized continues to deliver not just the norm!
Remember their track “Dear John”, which was used by Dr Martens in an Ad campaign? Expect that sort of quality….

The Bionic Rats formed out of the ashes of Dublin reggae outfit Kingsativa .They mix the rhythms of Ska, 2tone, Reggae & Rocksteady into their own special brew of Jamaican beats and Irish soul and feature band members from Ireland, Poland, Italy & Brazil.
Since forming they’ve shared the stage with many of their musical influences, opening up for the likes of MADNESS, BAD MANNERS, Bob Marley’s mentor LEE ‘SCRATCH’ PERRY, HORACE ANDY (of Massive Attack fame), ISRAEL VIBRATION, JOHNNY CLARKE, THE JOLLY BOYS, IMELDA MAY, DAMIEN DEMPSEY & THE INFOMATICS to name but a few
….
Returning by extra demand is the man who recorded one of the “Beat Teenage Cancer” album.
Specialized are very pleased to announce that ED ROME will be appearing on Specialized 3- …Mad Not Cancer! Ed wil be wrapping his multi talent around that Madness classic “The Prince”  Ed is a multi instrumentalist, producer and versatile songwriter penning music in many genres concentrating on Reggae, Ska, Acoustic, World and Blues. Reviews of late have been- 

’An Excellent Album’ Steve Lamacq BBC Radio 2 
’Really Interesting Stuff, Unique & Individual’ David Rodigan BBC Radio 1 Extra
…
The Iconics romp home with “You Said”.

I REMEMBER WAY BACK WHEN

This week, MIS co-editor Rob Hazelby, goes back 5 years to issue 518, and the week of Sunday 5th April to Saturday 11th April 2009, and then back 10 years to issue 256 and the week of Sunday 4th April to Saturday 10th April 2004.

5 years ago…

Issue 518 – Sunday 5th April to Saturday 11th April 2009

With Madness touring Down Under for the first time in over 20 years, it came as little surprise to see that much of this week’s issue was dedicated to the Australian tour. Coverage came in from magazine, newspaper and fan reviews of the gigs, so a wide spectrum of sources were covered.

In just 7 issues time it would be 10 years since the first issue of the MIS went out, and we mentioned that during the month of May we’d be having a number of special celebration articles, one of which would reveal the winner of a special box set price. All you had to do was read through the next 7 issues of the MIS, which would contain an MIS 10 Birthday Bingo. As well as the main prize a number of smaller prizes were also up for grabs.

On to the articles themselves, and we brought news that the much anticipated Madness box set was finally landing on the door mats of Stateside fans, while a couple of other fans had been busy transcribing (and correcting!) the lyrics to the entire compilation. How was that for dedication?

We brought this issue to a close with a mass of YouTube links all containing footage of the Australian tour.

10 years ago…

Issue 255 – Sunday 4th April to Saturday 10th April 2004

Last week, thanks to our mystery printer, we reported that 13,000 copies of the booklet for “The Business” were being printed. Would this lead to a re-issued and re-packaged re-release, or was the print run being made to simply bump up stocks of `The Business` which were now running low? Unfortunately, aside from some reader speculation were were no nearer to an answer.

On to the articles, and Mark Charlesworth reported that the registration plate M40NSS was back on Ebay, and the price had now gone up from £5000 to an eye watering £10000! Well, two days prior to this issue of the MIS going out the plate was back on the auction site, this time with a price of £15000!

Naturally, there were no bids!

Last week we ended the issue with details of how you could download a collection of MP3s taken from Hammersmith Palais gig, from 19th December 1981.

Well, it turned out that this collection of MP3’s had been mis-labeled, and it came down to Jermaine of Tour Madness to correct us, and explain that this gig was from The Hammersmith Odeon from the 23rd December 1980. This was further backed up by Andy Clayden, who also emailed in with the correction.

Whoops!

A number of times in previous years we at MIS Online had run some kind of April Fools joke. This time is was the turn of Madness themselves to have a bit of a laugh, as Stav and Steve Bringe of The Madness Trading Ring pointed out.

The band had claimed that they’d received honours from The Queen, and that the award ceremony would be covered on BBC7 TV on the 31st April 2004!

We brought this issue to a close with news that students of Burnt Mill would be holding an evening of Madness as a tribute to our favourite band. Featuring fantastic live music, dance routines to die for, crazy costumes and lovely lighting, we were told that we’d be mad to miss it.

Finally, just before we finished we urged you to get over to the official Madness web site each band member’s own area, which you could reach by opening a door, had now been updated.

Rob Hazelby

TWEETS OF A DOVE & THAT FACEBOOK

Recent nutty posting from Twitter, Facebook and other online sources.

Madness Official Twitter (@MadnessNews)

Brush up on your dance moves, watch this: http://youtu.be/gFZu-lWJ6V0

Selected T-Shirts, £10 each in the MadStore for a limited time: http://www.madstore.co.uk  pic.twitter.com/WD7WNuocIf

Chris Foreman (@CBoyForeman)

Apr 5 (On the grand national…)

Yahoo! 2 out of 3! Pity I only had 5p each way. CB http://1drv.ms/1hNjJwi

MARK BEDFORD (@I_be_MarkB)

I simply must have one of these! One for @CBoyForeman I think? pic.twitter.com/6RSFbrVH57

SUGGS (@SuggsMcPherson)

Make up @makeupscarlett come on boys the girls are taking theirs off &getyourslapon Text ‘PCUK14 £3’ to 70070 pic.twitter.com/97ua9DjrAE

Apr5

Yeah thanks to all in Wakefield. Great night! Off to sunny? Southport!

TLTSO (@ leethopmsonska)

Mar 24

Bangarang release date now 28th April.  B nice to d/load a freebie Dub version from TBOSMI. Rub-a-Dub style…Dicker! Where RU? x KiX

Mar 25

I just updated my Weebly website. ‪http://www.tltso.com  via ‪@weebly

Mar 26

I have a blue tick. Forget the Queen’s roof and the Olympics…Now I have made it!

Suggs McPherson Facebook

It’s competition time!  To mark this year’s Suggs tour we’re giving you the chance to WIN one of five signed tour posters when you buy anything in store between now and 30.04.14.

Let’s Get Shopping

http://www.suggsmcpherson.co.uk/goodies

TIME…

That’s almost it for this packed issue, but before we go we’ve just got one last thing to say.

We’ve named Madness fan Lucy Moore “Miss MIS”.  Well, she’s trying to win Miss Durham, actually.

Regardless, please vote for Lucy Moore by clicking here:

http://www.sedgefield-racecourse.co.uk/miss-durham/

We want Lucy for our pin up. Lucy is a girl of class.  Good Luck Our Girl.

Until next week, take care,

Jon Young, Rob Hazelby, Simon Roberts, Paul Williams

(With thank to Darren West and Andy Shoultz)