We begin this week’s MIS pleased that the recent streak of minimal news seems to have come to an end.
Our “Showtimes” section has been updated with a temporary “Miscellaneous” sub-section as we add details of the forthcoming Rock ‘n Roll Book Club evening at The Union. Featuring Terry Edwards and Mark Bedford who discuss the classic One Step Beyond album, this looks like an event not to be missed.
Also added to “Showtimes” is a brand new date for Madness as this week the band announced they’d be performing at The Winter Gardens, Margate on the 31st August. If that wasn’t enough, the second addition is 4th July where the band will be performing at the Noches del Botanico, Madrid, Spain. Our thanks go to Camp West for bringing that one to our attention.
Moving on, and the “Buy It” section has undergone a complete revamp. Long-runnng information has been removed, and in its place are several new items. Please check it out and do let us know if there’s something we’ve missed which you feel we should be talking about.
Before we let you get on with this week’s collection of articles we do have a final request to pass in your direction.
Do you have personal photographs of Madness or your fan self from 1979? The reason we ask is that earlier in the week we were contacted by Chrissy Boy who asked;
“Can you put out a shout for fan photos taken in 1979 for the Madness book, in this weeks MIS Please?”
Eagle eyed fans may have also noticed that the band have also been asking for submissions via the Madness news Twitter feed.
The official request reads;
“You may think you know us, but did you know us in 1979?
We are looking for your photographs of US or YOU from the year 1979 for inclusion in our book – Before We Was We.”
If you have any post and use the hashtag #BeforeWeWasWe before 15th March.”
So, get scanning those old snaps and photo booth snaps of your nutty selfs and especially any times you snapped the band in the early 2tone days of that first year. (The book’s origin years ends before the 80s begin.)
“Harry Wandsworth sent a picture of Barso and Thommo up the Eiffel Tower.”, Chris tells us.
We can forward any snaps you send to the MIS and we’ll pass on your name and contact details on to the band.
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.
24 – 26th – Tunes in the Dunes, Peranporth Beach, Cornwall. (Madness appear on the Sunday.)
31st – Docklands, Limerick
June
1st – Dublin
2nd – Waterford, Day Tripper Festival
7th – Market Rasen, Lincolnshire
8th — Chepstow racecourse
9th – Carlisle, Bits Park
15th – Kenwood House, Hampstead. This Massive North London home coming gig for Madness XL features a full scale orchestra with the band.
16th – June – Isle of Wight Festival
21st – New Market Racecourse
22nd – Lingfield Park
28th -Franklin Gardens, Northampton
29th – Newcastle Racecourse plate day
July
4th – Madrid, Noches del Botanico, Spain ** new **
5th – Port America, Galicia, Spain
6th – Vida Festival, Barcelona, Spain
12th- Taunton, Vivary Park
19th – Scarborough
20th – Doncaster Racecourse
24th – Sanddown Racecourse
August
17th – Newbury Racecourse
18th – Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh
20th – Belfast Custom Square
23rd – Inverness
24th – Montrose – East Links
26th – Clapham Common, XL South London festival. With “Special” Guests.
Friday 29th – Monday 2nd December – House of Fun Weekender 2019 Miscellaneous
March
Wednesday 27th – Rock ‘n Roll Book Club at The Union – Madness: One Step Beyond, The Union Club, London. Featuring Terry Edwards and Bedders ** new **
Buy It
One Step Beyond 40th Anniversary Single
Special release as part of 2019’s Record Store Day
Format: Shaped picture disc single
Label: BMG
Release date: 13th April 2019
More Info: 2019 marks the 40th anniversary of Madness, one of the most successful and best loved British bands of all time. Formed in Camden Town, North London, in 1976 they have gone onto to release dozens of massive hit singles and albums, selling millions of records in a career that spans five decades and is still going strong. To celebrate their “XL” year, the band are reissuing their first Top 10 hit, ‘ One Step Beyond’ .
As well as the original 7″ single and 2009 remastered version of the album track, this release also contains both the Italian and the Spanish version of the song. The single is presented as a very special, limited-edition shaped picture disc with the A side image of the band performing their iconic “Nutty Train” dance.
For more information and to find a participating store go to:
Before We Was We: The Making of Madness by Madness
The band’s first official book.
The story of how they became them. It’s a journey full of luck, skill and charm, as they duck and dive by day and make the name in London’s exploding music scene by night, zipping around the capital in their Morris Minor vans. Their formative years, 1970-79.
This is the riotous coming-of-age tale of seven unique individuals, whose collective graft, energy and talent took them from the sweaty depths of the Hope and Anchor basement to the Top of the Pops studio. In their own words, they each look back on their past and how during those shared adventures, they formed a bond that’s lasted forty years. Before We Was We is irreverent, funny and full of character. Just like them.
You can now buy a range of classic album design T shirts.
Absolutely returns to the official T shirt store since first appearing a decade ago as merchandise. Seven now joins the albums T-shirts range, only previously a promotional shirt. For the first time Rise & Fall (Following last year’s triumphant return of this album’s title track on tour) joins official shirt range.
Best of all, 10 years on from its box set release, The Liberty of Norton Folgate is purchasable. We are having a little bit of that!
Complete Madness. Total Madness hits albums join the range.
This range is also certainly a reaction to the continuing bullshit of bootleggers targeting social media with non licensed product not endorsed by the band and illegal.
Don’t be an idiot and buy from badly photoshopped pictures of Suggs holding a shirt up etc. Those are fake. The Madstore and official band website and gigs merchandise stands are all run by the same company with the band’s legal backing. You will only find a small number of charity shirts or some One Step Beyond shirts outside of buying from the official online store. Don’t give your money to the bootleggers exploiting you.
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: 774 – Sunday 9th March to Saturday 15th March 2014
We began with news that although it had been offline for several years, Adam Nicholls’ fantastic Nutty Forum would soon be back online. Originally planned to re-open on the 28th February we had been informed that the relaunch had been delayed slightly, but it would launch soon.
In gig news it was nice to see two new Madness concerts added to the band’s line-up for the year. On June 28th they were now booked for Night in the Park and on the 29th at Tivoli Utrecht, both in the Netherlands.
Next, we moved into “Live Intensified”, which this week was absolutely huge? Why, well this covered a review of the first ever Magic Brothers’ first live gig at the legendary Dublin Castle in Camden Town. The final write-up had contributions from Jonathan Young, Darren West, Paul Rodgers and Looby Loo.
Our “MIS Feature” this week covered a new Morris Minor video. What did this have to do with Madness? Well, the only and only Mike Barson had been interviewed and appeared in the documentary which could be viewed on YouTube.
Over in “Sign of the Times” Suggs was speaking to the Camden New Journal about the proposed HS2 work and stated that he was extremely concerned about the impact it would have on Camden Town.
We brought this issue to a close with the news that on the 1st March Darren Fordham of the Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra and Ray Gudge of Swagga were interviewed by Mixcloud user bhr1287. The fellas talked about their current projects and what influenced them.
10 years ago…
Issue 514 – Sunday 8th March to Saturday 13th March 2009
No, your eyes weren’t deceiving you. This was indeed a Saturday and an issue of the MIS was landing in your mailbox. Why? Well, this evening Suggs and Zoe Ball would be taking to the dancefloor for the semi-final of Comic Relief’s “Let’s Dance for Comic Relief”, and we wanted you to show your support, either by voting or by making a donation.
Didn’t have all the details? No problem. We had all the information you needed in this very issue. You had absolutely no excuse!
We were hoping to bring you the lowdown on the all singing, all dancing revamped Madness web site this week, but we were unable to as the new site had yet to go live. With very little other Madness news to report on the rest of the issue consisted of the usual lookback and confirmation that Madness would indeed be appearing at the 39th Pinkpop Fesitval, which was due to take place in Landgraaf, near the city of Heerlen, situated in the most South bound province of Limburg, 134 miles from Amsterdam. Madness were down as performing on Saturday the 31st of June.
15 years ago…
Issue 252 – Sunday 7th February to Saturday 13th March 2004
We started this week’s issue with news in from Richard over at Remember The Eighties.com informing us that Neville Staple of The Specials would shortly be releasing his ‘Rude Boy Returns’ DVD. The release would feature performance material from 2003’s Ben Sherman 40th Anniversary party featuring Chas Smash and The Beat’s Ranking Roger. Neville Staple would also be playing a one-off show at the Theatre Royal Stratford East on Saturday March 20.
This month was also four years since Ian Dury lost his life to cancer. The subject of his life and death still continued to generate column inches in newspapers up and down the country in tribute to the man and his music. This week excerpts of the recently published Blockhead’s book “Song by Song” appeared in the Western Mail. Here, the final chapter of Ian’s life was described by the band and those who knew him.
Moving on, and reported that those kind people over on The Madness Trading Ring had been kind enough to upload two rare tracks for the rest of us to download. The came in the form of a live version of ‘Moondance’, and ‘My Mum’s Roses’, which saw Cathal perform the main vocals.
We finished off this week’s issue with a warning to all those who had received emails entitled ‘Please see the attached’, which looked as if they had come from the MIS mailing list. There weren’t sent out by ourselves, and the emails had actually gone out when our computers weren’t even on. We advised those subscribed to the MIS to ensure they had an up-to-date set of virus definitions.
Rob Hazelby
Live Intensified
Rock ‘N’ Roll Book Club At The Union. Madness : One Step Beyond
Rock ‘N’ Roll Book Club At The Union- Following a great run of Rock ‘N’ Roll Book Club events at the uber iconic Dublin Castle in Camden Town, Bugbear and Julie Hamill are very pleased to bring their literary and musical collaboration to The Union in Soho as part of The Union Sessions. What better environment for an urbane and erudite evening of author interaction, Q and A and book signing with some remarkable writers?
Published author and expertly attuned interviewer Julie Hamill will be posing the questions, plus there will be select performances and mindfully fashioned DJ sets by Tony Gleed (Soho Radio, Boogaloo Radio) .
Our second Union Sessions presentation features revered British pop institution, the legends that are Madness, and the 33 1/3rd book of ‘One Step Beyond’ Author Terry Edwards is the multi instrumentalist renaissance man of head spinning multiple musical machinations…starting in pithy punk funk indie peasants The Higsons back in the early 1980s thru Gallon Drunk, Tony Visconti’s Holy Holy, Madness, PJ Harvey, Lydia Lunch, The Near Jazz Experience, The Scapegoats and really, really tooooo many more to mention!
“One Step Beyond” isn’t the best album in the world it’s not even the best album by Madness. It is, however, a great record and an exceptional debut album”. Arriving fully formed despite half the band still being in their teens, it remains as exhilarating, inspiring and as much fun as when people first heard it nearly 30 years ago.
Through extensive interviews with the band, as well as producers Clive Langer & Alan Winstanley, Terry Edwards tells the inside story of how Madness rose to be the most successful singles band of the 1980s in the UK charts.
Terry faces the white hot Q and A of our resident scribe Ms Julie Hamill tonight alongside Mark ‘Bedders’ Bedford, bass maestro and sometime songwriter from yer actual Madness with bespoke musical illustrations care of DJ Tony Bugbear and a Madness roots, shoots and fruits set featuring a complete play through of this classic LP..let’s see if we can’t get a Nutty Train going all the way down Greek Street tonite…
Madness go XL for 2019 – Victos Viderent Venerunt!
Friends, mad heads and countrymen. Lend me your ears. This year be the 40th anniversary of the groupus maximus MADNESS XL. And to celebrate the country will be witness to celebrations of Romanesque proportions!
Madness today unveil plans for another jam packed year, as 2019 shapes up to be one of the biggest yet for the legendary, evergreen, band. Fresher of face and fleeter of foot than ever, it’s hard to believe 2019 will mark forty years since a rag tag of self-proclaimed ‘hoolies and urchins’ first emerged, gloriously unreconstructed from the back streets of Camden Town fusing reggae, punk and pop on their classic album ‘One Step Beyond’.
Now entering the 40th year of their near Imperial reign over popular music, 2019 sees a raft of activity, with a very special newly-added show announced today. On August 31st, Madness will play the Winter Gardens in the seaside town of Margate – a fitting setting for a celebration of one of the nation’s best loved songbooks.
Away from the live arena, a typically busy twelve months awaits, with Madness currently beavering away in the studio on new material for release later this year.
2019 also sees autobiography ‘Before We Was We’ emerging over the horizon. Released on 26th September on Virgin Books ‘Before We Was We’ tells the story of how Madness became Madness, how seven unlikely lads become one of the most successful British Pop bands of all time, tracing the bands’ individual stories up to the start of their meteoric rise in 1979. The story of how they became them. You’ll meet a loose gang of misfits and outsiders, travelling round in their Morris Minors, ducking and diving by day, and making their way in London’s exploding music scene by night.
This year of celebrations is the simply the latest stop in what has proven to be an astonishing few years for the resurgent British icons – 2016’s ‘Can’t Touch Us Now’ become the band’s tenth UK top 10 album, racing though gold status in the UK, carrying a raft of rave reviews aloft in the process. They sold more tickets than you could wave a stick at. They played more festivals than they can remember, including the main stage at Glastonbury. Suggs took his One Man ‘What a King Cnut’ stand up show up and down the country, raconteuring to the masses as only he can. Legendary documentary maker Julian Temple bought Suggs’ life story to the big screen with ‘My life Story’, and Lee Thompson skanked down memory lane with his cinematic documentary ‘One Man’s Madness’.
Tightly knit into the very fabric of British life, making like somewhere between the Krays and Monty Python, lies the unparalleled story of Madness. One of the most successful pop groups ever. And as today’s announcement shows once again, one that continues to defy expectations, trends and the ageing process.
MIS Feature
Jimmy Cliff for House of Common
BREAKING NEWS.
Suggs appeared In Camden Town this week with a billboard advertising the line up for the big south London House of Common III. And you can see the ITN news spoof video now on Madness news twitter.
House of Common Festival lineup revealed:
Madness Headline once again with hits and surprises.
Jimmy Cliff
Second on the bill, for this years third House of Common. Is the reggae legend Jimmy Cliff. At MIS we are massively excited to see him join the line up. This sets up House of Common III to be as exciting if not more so, for our money, than the Mighty Return of Toots at the first south London bash.
From Vietnam to wonderful world beautiful people, and the harder they come, Madness have consistently placed Jimmy Cliff as second only to Prince Buster as the most influential black artist they have covered and been inspired by. We hope he will guest on a song with Madness. How fitting an echo of Madstock would it be, to hear the harder they come performed together during madness XL set this year at Clapham.
Thommo covered the man further with wild world and many rivers to cross being performed by the Silencerz or the ska orchestra.
Lion king hakuna matata Will Please Disney kids too! Jimmys amazing show really has wide sing a long appeal.
Ziggy Marley
David Nesta “Ziggy” Marley is a Jamaican musician and leader of the band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, and the son of reggae icon Bob Marley and Rita Marley
Craig Charles
Returns with his Funk And Soul DJ show for those good vibes in the later afternoon. Brilliant crowd pleasing fun main stage last time out on the common.
David Rodigan
The DJ and vocal historian once again curates the second stage in the big top presenting acts of roots and dub music.
Horace Andy
The voice of many massive attack songs, fans of the dangermen may know Horace Andy from the original release of Sky Larking.
Akala
Kingslee James McLean Daley, better known by the stage name Akala, is a British rapper, journalist, author, poet, and political activist. Originally from Kentish Town, London he is the younger brother of rapper/vocalist Ms. Dynamite.
Jah9
Jah9 was born in Montego Bay in Saint James, Jamaica. Her vocals have been compared to Nina Simone. Her album New Name came out in 2013.
Children Of Zeus
Soulfood band from Manchester. Konny Kon & Tyler Daley
Don Letts
Donovan Letts is a British film director, DJ and musician. Letts first came to prominence as the videographer for The Clash, directing several of their music videos
Papa Face
Since the 80s in Brixton Papa Face has been an MC and releasing dub reggae on the label from the dub vendor record shop label.
Chris Peckings
Soul and reggae music from London based label peckings records.
More to be announced…
Time
As this week’s edition of the MIS was getting ready to send we were emailed by Keith Finch (Ex dance brigade).
JA13, his current act and label, are getting ready to posthumously release an album by Rico Rodriguez. The album features a certain Lee Thompson. All being well, we’ll have a feature in our next issue on Rico – Order of Destruction.
