Madness Information Service Online Newsletter Issue Number: 877 – Sunday 28th February to Saturday 5th March 2016
Those of you who signed-up to be amongst the first to receive news of the much-anticipated Summer gig should have found a link to a live version of ‘Blackbird’ (live from the House of Fun Weekender 2015) land in your mailbox during the week.
We’ve a feature on the tune, a parody mash-up and lyrics, all later is this issue.
The band were also kind enough to give us a gallery of photographs from the Dr. Strange Love video teaser, with the promise of revealing the big gig South London location and more on Monday (tomorrow!). We think that tomorrow’s news will also come with part two of their promotional video.
So, make sure you’re signed-up. Be poised and ready to book time from work and grab those early bird tickets to attend Operation M.A.D’s master plan.
http://www.madness.co.uk/London-Where-When/
In album news, we learned that The Lone Ranger will soon be less lonely as a it will be re-released in April alongside a second disc of remixes and B-sides from that era.
The bonus material includes the b/sides – ‘Bedazzled’, ‘Animal’, ‘When You Came’ and ‘I Feel Good’. The CD booklet features the original artwork, a UK Discography, lyrics of the original album tracks all in a 16 page colour booklet.
Pre-order here:
We wonder if The Three Pyramids Club will be next? If so, we hope for a disc of unreleased solo tunes which we know that collaborating songwriter Boo Hewerdine has.
Now, on with the issue!
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
May
Saturday 28th – Dauwpop Festival, Netherlands (headliners)
More info at: http://www.dauwpop.nl
July
Saturday 30th – Kendal Calling, Penrith http://www.kendalcalling.co.uk/information/ticket-info/
Sunday 31st – Y Not Festival, Matlock
http://www.ynotfestivals.co.uk
August
Thursday 4th – Edinburgh Corn Exchange *** Sold Out ***
More info at: http://m.whatsoninedinburgh.co.uk/event/028964-madness/
Friday 5th – Edinburgh Corn Exchange
More info at: http://m.whatsoninedinburgh.co.uk/event/028964-madness/
Saturday 6th –Tartan Heart Festival, Inverness, Scotland (headliners)
More info at www.tartanheartfestival.co.uk
Thursday 11th – Cropredy Festival, Oxfordshire. First day headliner
Saturday 13th – Boom Town Fair – Winchester
November
Friday 18th – Monday 21st – Madness Weekender 6, Minehead
Suggs
March
17th – An evening with Suggs and Friends for Pancreatic Cancer. The Emirates Stadium
April
22nd – Scarborough Spa Theatre
23rd – Lincoln Drill Hall
24th – Carlisle Sands Centre
25th – Ilkley King’s Hall
27th – Bournemouth Pavillion Theatre
28th – Bath The Forum
29th – Worcester Huntingdon Hall
30th – Wrexham William Aston Hall
May
1st – Crewe Lyceum Theatre
3rd – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
4th – Sheffield Lyceum
5th – 02 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra
April
Saturday 16th, Boisdale, Canary Wharf, London
July
Friday 22nd, Hampton Pool Picnic, Supporting The Selecter
Rhoda Dakar
Saturday 18th June – 100 Club London
(Also appearing at The London International Ska festival, Glastonbury, & European festivals this year)
WIN IT
Win Suggs Tickets
Like and share a post over on Suggs’ official Facebook page for a chance to win tickets to his One Man Show. At the same time you’ll will be helping the big man promote the forthcoming dates into the bargain.
https://www.facebook.com/thesuggsmcpherson/
Bid For Madness Tickets and Backstage Passes *** New ***
Press release from the National Literacy Trust…
Two top-price tickets to see Madness on their 2016 tour and the chance to meet the legendary band backstage at the London O2.
After rising to fame in the 1970s, the English ska group continue to sell out arenas. Tour dates to be announced. If a different city is preferred this can be arranged but meet and greet cannot be confirmed in advance, although every effort will be made so this can happen. Dates subject to availability and travel not included.
The auction url is here http://nlt-auction.co.uk/lite-ui/#home
The specific Madness lot is here http://nlt-auction.co.uk/lite-ui/#home
Open to bids until 10am Wednesday 2 March 2016. All bids placed will then be taken forward to a live auction at the National Literacy Trust’s gala dinner that evening. Bidders are strongly advised to bid their maximum amount in order to avoid disappointment. Winners will be notified on Thursday 3 March 2016.
BUY IT
Victorian Madness Lyrics
We originally covered the book if Victorian Madness Lyrics some years back. We’re certain many of you will have missed the heads-up on this the first time around, so here’s a quick re-cap…
For those with a sense of humour and the utterly ludicrous this is for you.
This may be mad, wacky and incomprehensible but life is all about the unusual and the absurd. This book is people who like their literature totally nonsensical. This is a book for people who like to think outside the box, a book is both challenging and fun. Above all this is the book for people who like to laugh and smile. It might even you leave you rolling around the floor with laughter and then again you may be completely baffled.
Whatever you think this is the book who just love the English language.
“At first glance, you’d take it to be a thick book of florid poetry, but closer inspection (and reading the dedication to the band Madness) reveals it to be a collection of Madness lyrics translated into Victorian-style language. The author has clearly had great fun “translating” these well-known lyrics into 19th century English (“Our House” becomes “One’s Abode”, “House of Fun” becomes “Establishment of Amusement”, etc).”
Check out the book over on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1908147709
MIS FEATURE
Blackbird
Teaser
To get the full track make sure you’re subscribed to the Summer concert email list over at madness.co.uk
LYRICS…
(spoken intro)
I was walking down Dean Street
Heading nowhere at all
Aimlessly strolling through Soho
When the rain began to fall
…
“Alright? Nutty Boy” she said
Passing me on Dean Street
Striding through the puddles
On black stilettoed feet
Guitar over one shoulder
A swirling swagger in her stride
And a well appointed pencil skirt
Well maybe oh just maybe maybe
18 inches wide
The voice of fallen angels
Lost lovers in the night
A Blackbird on the wing
Now only fallen angels sing
Well…
She looked back at me and smiled
One deep black mascara eye
I narrowly missed that lamp post
As I meant to make my reply
Black taxi
Splashes
Diesel
Rainbows
Through the neon air
Beehive
Fishnets stockings
Hydrolic derrière
The voice of fallen angels
Lost lovers in the night
Blackbird on the wing
Now only fallen angels sing
Guitar over one shoulder
A glimpse of pink Le Perla bra
Glowin’ in the mist around Ronnie Scott’s
There she goes, Sur le trottoir
We briefly faced each other
But then She turned and walked away
And the rain lashed down on Dean Street
On that black and mournful day
Hey…
The voice of fallen angels
Lost lovers in the night
A Blackbird on the wing
Now only fallen angels sing
(saxophone)
Blackbird on the wing
Now only fallen angels sing
…fallen angels sing
…fallen angels sing
…
The new live download is an autobiographical brief encounter, with Amy Winehouse now reflected as a poetic memory noir in a breathy sultry manner akin to bands like Deaf School & Pulp. Taking place between Dean street, probably old Compton and Frith street in London’s Soho community. Passing The French house mentioned before by Suggs in lyrics but here name checking the famous jazz club.
Low key musically the song begins
In talking and sharply builds to thumping drums and later classic saxophone. Rain fXs aren’t that clear on this recording but come a studio version could complete the metaphor of sadness for a lost talent. European branding and phrasing feature in the song (the phrase means “on the pavement” while the songs low key nature washed over some at House of fun. Now this sound desk giveaway exists its reaching strong grower levels amongst fans.
Jonathan Young
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 616 – Sunday 27th February – Saturday 5th March 2011
Did you know that 2011 marked the 10th anniversary of the very first Madness Weekender, which took place in Blackpool way back in 2001.
We hinted in this issue that something special was being planned, and that you were advised to keep an eye on your mailboxes and the official Madness web site. Some exciting news may be surfacing at some point the day after this issue went out. We also had a feeling that you’d like what was about to be revealed.
Moving on, and with your bank accounts hopefully recovered after all that Christmas present buying we suggested that you treat yourself to a couple of discounted goodies currently on sale over on the Official Madness store.
Current offers on the site were:
– Wonderful Double CD Album and booklet – £4.99
– Keep Moving Double CD Album and booklet – £4.99
– The Rise and Fall Double CD Album and booklet – £4.99
– Absolutely Double CD Album and booklet – £4.99
– 7 Double CD Album and booklet – £4.99
– One Step Beyond Double CD Album and booklet – £4.99
– Paris and Amsterdam tour clothing – £12.00
– Total Madness CD and DVD – £6.99
It was on to re-issue news next as we reported that Union Square were planning to re-release the 1992 album “Madstock”. It turned out that this wouldn’t be a standalone release, but instead part of a box set compilation that the company had planned.
It may have only been February, but the band were already looking towards the latter part of the year. This week we learned that Madness were booked to headline the 2011 Jersey Festival on Saturday 3rd September. According to the report this was their first appearance on the island.
You’ll notice that in this week’s issue we’re giving the Victorian Madness Lyrics book a good plug, and it turns out that five years ago we were announcing the book for the very first time. How times flies.
We had more gig news next as we also reported that Madness had been booked to play the Whitehaven Festival on Saturday 10th June.
Suggs, told The Whitehaven News: “What better to look forward to then a weekend of traditional maritime fun and for added nuttiness a town we’ve never been lost in before!”
Festival organiser Gerard Richardson said it was a band they had been trying to secure for a number of years.
“After four years of trying, we have finally got the band we were determined to get from the outset,” he said. “We couldn’t be more delighted, and I think we would struggle to beat this one – they are one of the biggest and best bands.”
We brought this issue to a close with the news that the latest issue of Mojo magazine were featuring Blue Skinned Beast as one of the tracks on their cover CD.
This is what the magazine had to say about it;
“Saxophonist and vocalist Lee ‘Kix’ Thompson, the man who co-wrote classic Madness tunes like The Prince and House Of Fun, is also the author of this scathing multi-layered tune.
Taken from 1982’s The Rise And Fall album – ostensibly a reflection on the lost innocence of childhood characterised by the single Our House – Thompson launches a thinly veiled attack on Margaret Thatcher’s Tory party and the foreign policy that led to the Falklands War which began in April of that year”.
10 years ago…
Issue 356 – Sunday 26th February to Saturday 4th march 2006
We got this issue underway by revealing that this was a special tour edition of the MIS, as the UK and European tour dates had just been revealed, and were featured in this very edition.
It was also an exciting time for the MIS editorial team, as we had just discovered that the readership had now passed the 800 mark.
On to the articles, and naturally, we started with the full mainland Europe tour dates, which would commence on the 6th of July in Munich, Germany, before rounding off on the 9th of August in illustrious Monaco.
UK-based fans would have to wait longer for their slice of Madness (unless they were willing to travel to one of the 8 European gigs), as the UK tour dates were for the 2006 Christmas tour. This would see the band perform at eight UK venues, starting off at The Point in Dublin on the 10th of December, and coming to a close on the 20th at the Wembley Arena.
It was over to the official Madness messageboard for our next article, where Lee was being quizzed about the possibility of the band working on a new album. Lee revealed that they had a very enjoyable rehearsal a few months back, but that not all seven members of the band were present. He even commented that “The session players have now outnumbered the band”. Not the best of news.
Jonathan Young took the reigns for the next article, as he looked into the latest set of terrible TV crimes against Madness, this week thanks to Robson of “& Jerome” fame, Green and his current side kick Mark Benton on the ITV comedy Northern Lights.
The last episode of the show aired on Monday night and included a performance of House of Fun by the shows squabbling stars. Some Madness fans had already been pre warned by their appearance (and a short clip) on This Morning TV show before hand.
We rounded-off this issue with a retro lookback write-up from MIS subscriber ‘Craig’, who regaled us with the tale of his first Madness gig, which was back in 1981, at the Bridlington Spa. Crag’s first gig was also one of his most memorable, thanks to his chance meeting with Carl, Chris and Bedders at the merchandise stand.
15 years ago…
Issue 94 – Sunday 25th February to Saturday 3rd March 2001
We got this week’s issue off to a cracking start, with the news that a new Ian Dury album was in the works. Entitled ‘Brand New Boots and Panties’, this would be a Dury covers album, featuring contributions from a number of as yet un-named artists.
On to fanzine news, and Mad Not Mad editor, Ian Taylor, got in touch to announce that ‘The Best of Mad Not Mad – Volumes 1 and 2’ would soon be available to purchase.
As soon as they had been completed we promised to let the MIS readership know.
Now, who fancied a bit of a knees-up with the one and only Suggs? On Saturday 10th March the Hackney Empire would be hosting a special Centenary Cabaret Celebration, in aid of the Hackney Empire Appeal.
The event would feature Michelle Collins, Josie Lawerence, Warren Mitchell, Shaun Williamson, Carol Harrison, Gavin Richards, Chas ‘n’ Dave, Tony Whittle, Troy Titus Adams, Philip Herbert, Jono Coleman, John Bardon, Richard Frost, Graham Richards and Suggs.
Suggs aside, it wasn’t an exactly awe-inspiring line-up, but there you go.
On to this week’s collection of articles, and we started things off by passing the reigns over to the Madness Trading Ring’s Mike Hearne, who had decided that the best way to beat the bootlegger was to set up a free bootleg swapping ring on the internet. This would enable fans to swap recordings of live shows and radio interviews featuring the band, but without anyone profiting from it.
The important thing here was that no money was changing hands and no official releases would be listed or swapped via the ring.
It was over to Mark Adamson for the next article. Having had such a good night seeing tribute act ‘Badness’ in Huntingdon, he kindly put together a detailed and glowing account of the evening’s antics.
Anonymity was the name of the game for the next article, as we revealed that two Madness fans (who shall continue to remain nameless) had noticed the absence of ‘Wonderful’ in the jukebox at Camden’s Dublin Castle pub, and had decided to do something about it.
Thanks to the nagging of these two fans an engineer had been called out to get the new CD installed as soon as possible. At present the management had been encountering difficulty getting hold of him, but had promised to get the album in their within the next couple of weeks.
Next, we went over to Scatty, who, after recovering from a fantastic Crunch! gig at the 100 Club, kindly put together a blow-by-blow and track-by-track review of the night, which took place on the 16th of February.
Scatty finished his write-up by saying;
“So, to sum up, a class night. And as for crunch, they are so underrated. My own point of view is selfish. To get to see them in such a venue where the band are free to have a laugh and & enjoy themselves, and where you can talk to them after, and have fun with them on stage that ís 1000 of times better then Wembley any day!”
We rounded off this issue by thanking those who had contributed, and mentioned that 10 Madness fans had queued up for a gig that had actually taken place some 200 miles from where they were waiting.
Whoops!
Rob Hazelby
TIME…
That’s just about it from us. Like the majority of you we’ll be keeping an eye on our mailboxes and Madness’ social media channels to see just what this big summer announcement is.
If you’ve yet to sign up to their email list where you can be in with a chance of purchasing discounted presale tickets then point your web browser over to:
http://www.madness.co.uk/London-Where-When/
Until next week, take care,
The Author
