Madness Information Service Online Newsletter Issue Number: 882 – Sunday 3rd April to Saturday 9th April 2016
We begin this week’s issue with the news that Madness are once again confirmed to appear on the main stage at the (usually) annual Glastonbury Festival. This will be the band’s third appearance on a main stage, and a whopping twenty years since 1986, their first appearance.
Following their ’86 Glasto performance the band eventually returned to the festival back in 2009, although they did secretly appear on the outskirts in the Lost vagueness tent in 2007 for a raucous burlesque backdropped show and web stream.
Commenting on the booking earlier this week, Chrissy Boy stated “We are on Pyramid stage Saturday “4th from top”, allegedly. CB”.
Our thanks go to Chris Carter-Pegg for much of the above.
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 21st – Hastings, The Pier
Saturday 28th – Dauwpop Festival, Netherlands (headliners)
More info at: http://www.dauwpop.nl
June
Saturday 25th – Glastonbury Festival, Main Stage *** New ***
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
Friday 19th August – Cyfartha Castle, Merthyr Tydfil
http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/event/37005067CAE570E4?tpab=-1
Monday 29th – House of Common, Clapham Common
More info at: http://www.madness.co.uk/houseofcommon/
September
Sunday 4th September -Jersey Live Festival, Jersey
November
Friday 18th – Monday 21st – Madness Weekender 6, Minehead
Suggs
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
June
Saturday 18th – 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/
BUY IT
Deluxe edition of The Lone Ranger.
https://www.discogs.com/Suggs-The-Lone-Ranger/release/8172245
A Deluxe Edition release of Suggs’ first solo album “The Lone Ranger”.
Originally released in 1995 this much requested reissue is the most comprehensive collection available of the original album and all the related bonus material.
Other 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.
Out April 22nd
Buy it if you don’t have the original classic album or want those original collected B-sides together or if you want Suggs to consider another solo album in future support this release, but if you want it for all the remixes please stop taking e and consult a dr. Some were as dreadful as the Macarena.
SIGN OF THE TIMES
We Have no Plans to Retire – Fans can Expect a new Album This Year
Madness frontman Suggs has revealed the band have no plans to retire and could have an album out by the end of the year.
The frontman – real name Graham McPherson – said the band have been busy working on a follow up to 2012’s Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da.
Speaking to the Standard Online he said: “We are working on some new material. We’ll hopefully have a new album out this year – that’s the plan.”
(Full article available at above link)
MIS FEATURE
Hastings Beyond the Pier
This year our annual April Fooling once again took place over on the facebook group “All Things Madness”
Along with an altered building spec diagram for Hastings pier redevelopment, we claimed concert extensions were thusly happening….
…
Work begins tomorrow on Hastings beach to construct a second platform into the sea, to extend the capacity of the forthcoming re-opening ceremony event and Madness concert taking place in celebration of the restored historical landmark.
Such was the demand for tickets to the gala evening with the nutty boys end of peir show, the popular band who wrote hits such as Baggy Trousers, Our House and It Must Be Love in their heyday, that now another thousand tickets will shortly go on sale at 12 midday.
Making this extension possible is a planned adjacent floating securely tethered walkway built using left over lottery money the HPC restoration committee still have for contingencies. The temporary sea platform is being erected now in time for the concert. Madness have also announced a signing event for the day. But reportedly the band aren’t100 percent happy at the new building extension happening “Its a crazy idea,” commented front man Graham Suggs McPherson “I don’t really like the second structure idea, how it will look on the coast line. It’s an eyesore. It’s going to be a weird day now… I mean… fans filled with autographs, seaside full of echoed laughs, and now Suggs here to diss-a-pier.”
Tickets go on sale later today at Sea tickets website mid day.
….
As usual a few fans were fooled by the mock news report, many more weren’t and played along or called out the date in response. Then more surprisingly some fans shared it to a local interest in Hastings page which took it viral, and it climbed to over 150 shares as locals that like a chuckle or indeed a good moan about the runnings of their town all piled into the fray replying and sharing throughout the day. Many called for a pier at nearby Leonard’s instead!
The genuine extension of the sold out Madness gig in May may be a beach party though. Check out this plan shaping up from Steve Hall, that might even see the beach dance a new elongated train of fans.
The Madness Nutty Mile
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=986915621344062
Jonathan Young / Steve Hall
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 621 – Sunday 3rd April – Saturday 9th April 2011
“The band whore is back” announced our first article, as we advised you to get ready for the Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra.
Talking to us at the time, Lee said “The Ska Orchestra were formed recently in the back streets, just off the Hackney Rd. They live in different parts of N.E.W & Sth. London.
Their common denominator being music & particularly them good old Ska & Reggae Riddums that burst out of Jamaica in the mid to late 60s”
The band’s first big headline gig was planned for The Regal in Oxford on Saturday 16th April.
So, who was in this band? Lee explained “The line up consists of 10,sometimes 11 or 12! I say ‘The more the merrier’ provided there’s enough room on stage! Hold very Tighten Up please!”
Suggs news next, and this week we learned that our favourite frontman had officially opened a new daycare centre for adults with learning disabilities and autism in Northampton.
The new facility had a gym, computer room, dance studio and would be a place where adults with autism and complex needs could socialise and make new friends.
Suggs said: “It is phenomenal in the current climate that this would happen at all and it is a fantastic space. It is a very heart warming tale”.
Moving on, and we went over to Penny Conlon and son Henry, landlords of Camden’s Dublin Castle. The two had been presented with lifetime services to music awards.
Speaking exclusively to the MIS, Peggy told us directly that it was something she wasn’t sure about attending but that she went along, and they put up a photograph of her and now departed husband Alo behind her as she went up to collect the award.
She said it was nice as it felt like Alo was also there, being honoured, too.
With the start of Suggs’ One Man Show a few months off the press were all starting to cover the accompanying tour, so this week we featured just a few of the articles covering forthcoming event.
We brough this issue to a close with a small snippet from Big 10 drummer Dan Fossard. Dan explained that he’s been asked to help Madness tribute band Utter Madness, who were playing down in Devon.
Dan told us at the time;
“It was great and I got to play loads of songs which I’d never actually played on the drums before like Uncle Sam, Wings of a Dove, Sun and the Rain, Driving in my Car etc. i.e. all the non Ska stuff.
So I was literally thrown in at the deep end in front of a crowd of 100s of people”.
10 years ago…
Issue number 361 – Sunday 2nd April to Saturday 8th April 2006
It seemed that no matter how daft our annual April Fools jokes were, there were always one or two people who were taken in, and our ‘Dangermen Sessions Volume 2’ wind-up for this year proved to be no exception.
Getting in with April 1st antics were Madness themselves, who, in the early house of Saturday morning issued a wind-up email to all of their mailing list subscribers announcing the cancellation of both the European and UK tours planned for 2006.
On to this week’s articles, and we got underway with the news that Pama International would be appearing for two nights in Camden Town.
Next, it was over to Steve Bringe of the Madness Trading Ring where he’d managed to get some insights into Nick Woodgate’s contributions to the track ‘No Money’, by the man himself, Nick Woodgate. Nick took us through the whole writing and production steps of the song, and admitted that even after all the time and effort that had gone into the track he still wasn’t sure if it would make it on to the album.
It was on to Mr. Smash for the next article, as we revealed that on Monday 10th of April, the man himself would be entertaining in the Covent Garden area. The short press release from ChasSmash.com read as follows;
“Looking ahead, our next An Evening With…takes place on Monday 10th April. We are delighted to welcome Cathal Smyth, aka Chas Smash, musician and member of Madness. Expect an evening of entertainment, music and Q&A. Please call reception to book your place on the night”
Unfortunately us fans were told not to get our hopes up, as the venue was a members only club, and as such, not open to the public.
If you wanted to become a member, here was the criteria;
“Membership Criteria. Members have to be proposed and approved by the Committee, which has been selected on the basis of their talent in comedy and other creative fields such as music, screenwriting and juggling.
Membership Fee £500″
It was unlikely that any fans would actually be making this one!
Moving on, and we re-produced the full transcript of the April Fool’s joke which was originally posted on the official Madness web site.
The whole message featured some completely unbelievable story, and if you were still unsure as to its authenticity, it finished by reminding you that today’s date was the 1st of April.
Ben Sherman was the topic of conversation next, as the legendary clothing manufacturer announced that it was going back to the roots for its spring 2006 catalogue – its 2Tone Roots, by releasing a batch of 2Tone inspired clothes.
We rounded off this week’s issue by explaining that MIS subscriber ‘Tony’ was currently running a campaign (again) to try and get St. George’s Day (or the nearest working day to it) declared a public holiday. All folk need to do was click on the supplied link.
15 years ago…
Issue number 99 – Sunday 1st April to Saturday 7th April 2001
This issue of the MIS landed in subscriber mailboxes one year on from the sad passing of the great Ian Dury, and to celebrate Ian’s life a number of events had been organised. Ian may have gone, but he was certainly not forgotten. This issue was packed full of coverage of Ian and his Blockheads.
Did you fancy adding a smashed-up guitar to your collection of Madness goodies? Well, here was your chance. MIS Online subscriber Chris Carter-Pegg reported that Bedders’ smashed guitar from last year’s Ian Dury tribute gig was being auctioned on the Blockheads website. Bids started at a minimum of £200. The guitar was in two pieces and was fully signed by all members of Madness.
Chris also reported that this week on Ebay the standard printed sheet music for `Baggy Trousers` sold for a whopping £43!! Either someone had money to burn or it’s something they REALLY had to have!
Mr. Carter-Pegg seemed to be on somewhat of a roll this week, as he got our articles underway by revealing that Spain wasn’t the only country to include It Must be Love on the Seven LP, as it also appeared on the Seven LP in Australia, along with Never Ask Twice, but without Day on The Town.
Anyway, for all the spotters out there, these are the countries where the track listing varied to that of the standard UK LP. Chris was sure there were that he’d omitted…
Spain + Australia: Includes ‘It Must Be Love’ + ‘Never Ask Twice’, omits ‘Day on the Town’
Japan: Includes ‘In the City’ + ‘Never Ask Twice’, omits ‘Day on the Town’
Germany: Includes ‘Airplane’, omits ‘Day on the Town’
Italy: Includes ‘Never Ask Twice’, omits ‘Day on the Town’
France: Credits ‘Day on the Town’ as ‘A Place in the City’ !!!
Greece: Album itself renamed as ‘Take it or Leave it’ !!!, omits ‘Day on the Town’
Belgium + Holland + New Zealand + South Africa: All omit ‘Day on the Town’
Although the majority of the rest of the issue was full of Ian Dury and Blockhead related coverage, we still found time to give a lowdown on the latest batch of gigs from tribute outfit The Los Palmas 6, how the cover of The Rise and Fall came about, and the latest news on the forthcoming Blackpool Madness Weekender, which revealed that tribute act Badness had been booked to appear at the event.
Organisers Chris and Cheryl finished off by revealing that the pair were already making plans for next year’s weekender!
Rob Hazelby
TIME…
That almost brings this issue of the MIS to a close, but before we go there are a couple of last minute snippets to pass in your direction.
First-up, and this week just gone, Embarrassment was used on the BBC TV show “You Can’t Touch This”. Unsurprisingly, the wipe out style game show used it in a literal title sense over footage of some failing contestants falling into water.
And finally, our congratulations go to Mark “Bow” Bowen for winning the ballot on the spare pair of pier tickets we featured in last week’s issue. Here’s hoping that the weather’s good for all who attend!
Until next week, take care,
Jon Young, Rob Hazelby, Simon Roberts, Paul Williams
(With thanks to Chris Carter-Pegg)
The Author
