1 – THIS IS WHERE THE MADNESS BEGINS – The obligatory intro.

2 – MADNESS AT TELEVISION CENTER FROM HELLO TO GOODBYE – It’s 1979 and
a bunch of young lads, chancers, have formed a band, and it’s lead
to a pop single. A 7 inch record has been pressed with their name
on it. It’s their dream come true. But it’s about to get better.
The record is selling well, and there is a lot of interest in the
record label and the style of music it’s a tribute to. The boys
are sitting in a room above a boot shop in Camden Town waiting for
a telephone call. Will they be high enough in the chart to be
asked to go and perform it on the biggest of the UK’s three
television channels? Will they get to be on TV? Here’s Jonathan
Young.

3 – THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS – This week MIS co-editor, Rob Hazelby
goes back 5 years to issue number 464, and the week of Sunday 23rd
March to Saturday 29th March 2008, and then back 10 years
to issue number 202 and the week of Sunday 23rd March to
Saturday 29th March 2003.

4 – HOLD UP! COCKNEY SUGGS SAYS: ‘MY MUM WAS A MANC!’ – Graham
McPherson – aka Suggs – proves he’s more than just a little
bit Manc, it turns out… From: The Manchester Evening News
web site. Written by Dianne Bourne

5 – MADNESS AT THE PALACE – The band have already got a packed year
of gigs ahead of them, and this week they added yet another date
to their ever growing list, with the announcement that they’d be
performing at Alexandra Palace on Saturday 28th September.

6 – MIS AT THE CASTLE – One of the highlights of a Madness concert is
the obligatory Madmeet, and for this September’s Ally Pally gig
things will be no different. Rob Hazelby has the details

7 – PAUL RODGERS MADNESS STATS, FACTS AND FIGURES – Mr. Rodgers
returns to the bits and bytes of the MIS with his latest lowdown
of all things Madchart.

8 – SUGGS ON SUNDAY BRUNCH – Suggs appeared on Channel 4’s Sunday
Brunch show with Tim Lovejoy today. You can watch again on 4OD,
but here are the main points. Jonathan Young reports

9 – THE BAND ON THE BEEB – With Madness’ appearance at the BBC gaining
so much coverage, we’ve got a selection of tidbits that we
couldn’t fit in anywhere else…

10 – THAT’S YER LOT – A few last minute bits and pieces before we
finish for the week.

[1] – THIS IS WHERE THE MADNESS BEGINS

Evening all,

It’s been a busy seven days in the Madness world. Near the start of the week the band announced their “Madness at The Palace” gig, which will see them appear at the legendary Alexandra Palace on Saturday 28th September, and then on Friday they performed outside at the BBC Television Studios as part of the celebrations to mark the sad closure of BBC Television Centre.

If you’ve not yet ordered your Ally Pally tickets don’t fret. We have the information you need in section five of this very issue. If, on the other hand you’re already paid-up, then check out section six where we have the full lowdown on the accompanying Madmeet.

Before all that though, it’s over to Jonathan for his lowdown on the BBC Studios Farewell evening celebrations/commemorations.

Enjoy the read,

Simon Roberts, Rob Hazelby, Jonathan Young, Liz Maher
Email us at: simon, robert, jonathan, liz @mis-online.net

[2] – MADNESS AT TELEVISION CENTER FROM HELLO TO GOODBYE

It’s 1979 and a bunch of young lads, chancers, have formed a band, and it’s lead to a pop single. A 7 inch record has been pressed with their name on it. It’s their dream come true. But it’s about to get better.
The record is selling well, and there is a lot of interest in the record label and the style of music it’s a tribute to. The boys are sitting in a room above a boot shop in Camden Town waiting for a telephone call. Will they be high enough in the chart to be asked to go and perform it on the biggest of the UK’s three television channels? Will they get to be on TV?

Elsewhere in Shepard’s Bush, producers of a television show, Top of The Pops, are walking around the upper circular corridors of BBC TV Centre. Unaware that the new to television pop group Madness, they are now about to plan to launch onto the nation’s goggleboxes as a three minute segment of their next broadcast will be a band that will outlast both the television show (give or take Christmas specials) and the BBC ownership of the very building they are currently navigating.

Madness will be back many times in the following 34 years. Eventually to play on a channel that in the 70’s was 2 numbers away from existing, to host a farewell live TV concert to the building. It will be broadcast on 2 channels, re-edited for HD broadcast repeats, and available over the internet on iPlayer, to pads, computers, and mobile phones.

5th of September 1979 was the recording of The Prince, airing the next day. The appearance of course became their first video, and they would be back in late September to perform it again, and later in the year One Step Beyond. Only the holidaying Thommo will make the performance of The Prince anything slightly less than an amazing full circle at the concert in 2013, but it comes pretty close to my favourite moment of the night I was lucky enough allowed to attend.

The old grey whistle test may have been their first live BBCTV broadcast, as the album based show turned towards punk with new presenter Annie Nightinggale, musical credibility on TV screens began here, they then appeared on Swap Shop in the 70’s too, which were the beginnings of their appeal to kids. No doubt about it, but BBC television at TV Centre began the band’s shift from pub room and ska wave local heroes written about in music papers, towards a persona of a loveable gang big on pop hits and cheeky moments. With the tuxedo appearance of My Girl on Top of the Pops just inside 1980, Madness had now done popularist hit single prime time ska tributes, a niche late night album showcase, Saturday morning kids personal appeal, and teenage girl hearthrob moments. The template of success had it’s four roots set to grow.

So many memorable television shows from BBC TV Centre would also shape the future of the band through their influence upon them. The musical side of Madness has embraced so many styles. These music shows would bring the band their own treasured viewing moments by the myriad of varied artists. Roxy Music’s space age appeal at the time being just one mentioned reference. While the long association of great comedy, from Monty Python, Tommy Cooper, Morcambe and Wise, Two Ronnies, Spike Milligan and more, would be one big set of influences in the band’s formation of the pop video, stage banter, interview technique and even song references. Without BBC TV Centre. No 34 years of Madness and beyond as we know it.

The band would straddle music shows, comedy shows, chat shows, Saturday shows, presenting, live TV concerts, news coverage, and more at TV Centre. Kenny Everrett, The Young Ones, Noel Edmonds shows, Wogan, The Kumars, Catherine Tate, Jim’ll Fix It, Saturday Superstore, The One Show, broadcasts feeds of a live new year’s eve Whistle Test concert and Glastonbury coverage to Moscow and Japan satellite link ups. While they would go on to appear at BBC manchester programmes (Cheggars Plays Pop), or Birmingham’s Pebble Mill (Anne and Nick) etc and embrace ITV and Channel 4 too, and multitude digital channels to come. A vast amount of band TV history took place at TV Center or through it, right up to Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da’s Later appearance shows, and broadcast links of the Jubilee and Olympics, that turned their long journey into one of closing the doors as the BBC move out.

So I find myself wandering the corridor’s of the buildings basement, with Owen Collins. We pressed the wrong button in the lift on the way from the BBC bar, and are now up and down dressing room areas snooping. Ronnie Corbet is telling us a long drawn out story about some of the stupid things he used to dress up as in these studios.
Terry Wogan and Bruce Forysth are reminiscing by a now empty water cooler about what a great entertainment institution this used to be in their day. John Cleese passes by with a smile, seeing us as tourists he quips “good riddance to the interfering bureaucratic bastards” and turns his lofty head, and his long legs carry him off.
Sylvester Mcoy, the late 80’s Dr Who is pushing a Dalek back to the packing up props department, cus his allocated microphoned young girl BBC assistant has gone missing on a coffee errand somewhere or been eaten by a morlock. The ghosts of Morcambe and Wise waft out of a dressing room now allocated to Chris Ramsey for filming 8 out of 10 cats which is filmed here for Channel 4, which just isn’t the same as expectations really is it, and they start singing “Bring me Sunshine”
for one last time before finding somewhere else to go haunt.

“It would be great if you could bring us some sunshine guys” replies Owen. “It’s looking like the gig will be rather wet tonight in reality.”

“Who needs reality, in a dream factory” I say to Owen, and we witness Miranda Heart being escorted off site by security who’ve realised she’s not supposed to be here.

I open a studio door marked “The past” and it’s the band performing on Top of the Pops in 1992. My Girl, on the tube train set. The re-appearance of the band and the excitement BBC television brought me that day floods back into my memory as we join the audience for it, and later nick the trendy skeleton that was in the van or cut out tube car, before jumping back in the lift and up to audience holding area.
Genuinely today Vic and Bob’s sitcom is ticketing here and might be the last comedy show therefore of this BBC era, though it’s a non broadcast pilot in 2 stagings.

BBC TV Centre is closing. There is now very little left. Its empty offices, all the equipement removed from varied places. It’s spartan and feels more like a hospital or school out of term time, and while the bar had been still active, indeed it’s heaving, this isn’t a place where TV stars live. That place is forever in your head. Where all good things happen. Tonight prevalently so, against the rain and the wind (did you see Wogan’s hair on The One Show! Best way to end 53 years of entertainment!) people cheered because it’s Madness. And because the warm up man taught them to. And because Carl hit the nail on the head when he said “he could see the memories on people’s faces in the crowd.” I’ve been in cold gigs at Edinburgh or wet gigs in Doncaster before and found myself not enjoying Madness so much, but in full rain and wind, and only standing around in some car park really for not even a full set, I’m having the time of my life, history and occasion are palpable tonight and I’m well in the mode of the location and event staging.

The band are clearly suffering the open plan stage design and yet not one iota are they anything short of up for it. The only non music world person we met at the BBC was a BBC 24 news presenter that Owen informed me was his era’s John Craven cus of Newsround in his youth.

The reality is between all the amazing showbiz over the years has been all the waiting around for technical setup reasons. How strange to witness a dalek, and live chat show taking place at a gig with Wogan and Chris Evans, and then the band to come on stage and just stand about waiting for a cue. No build up intro, “the only performance” etc. As the lead in is simply the end of the One Show you saw. Straight into the song.

Then there is a gap between channels. Press your purple button now to watch the event from the MISTV1 broadcast hiding between BBC1 and BBC4.

Broadcasting has changed so much in 53 years. When fools with video camera are in the carpark of the BBC, on youtube it’s the death bell for studio based entertainment, and that’s perhaps why it’s not a sad gig. It’s celebration of the past, but a past already gone. And a future that might well see these remaining studio spaces re-leased back to BBC productions. So what’s to cry? We are awash with entertainment – always will be. The past is still viewable too, even if so much modern stuff is indeed utter shite. This is a cheer to great memories, in a time already well beyond them. This is just the moving of a lot of office space. The massive changes to broadcasting world already happened as the world continues to turn like a BBC1 ident. People will choose what BBC moments to enjoy, cherish or slag off next, like they always have.

Madness’ songs tonight lyrically, against the backdrop of some really great building window flashing synced up lighting, seem to take on relevance. “You’re not to come see us no more”… “I like to stay in and watch tv”… “I ended up alone”… “When you ran in your first race”… “the broken window tv set.” “I will love you all my life, without you in my life.”
backed up with some genuinely good anti weather and BBC past quips from Suggs made for a fitting service for the BBC and a great addition to programmes of our band from the nation’s broadcaster.

A choice of guests equally bridged time for this evening of event TV, with the sadly terminally ill Wilko Johnson from Dr Feelgood being added to Madness, the last time Bedders and Chris will line up alongside him. And the modern rap twist of Kano being added to rap London lyrics of grime crime to Shut Up’s solo area, set to bring in unexpected eyes, from modern music followers of his particular method to madness, while also bringing the more rap-ist amongst the fan base out in hives.

You can watch the show on BBC HD. i player. And youtube.

Shut Up Featuring Kano

Madness featuring wilko

Predominantly Madness braved the weather, and gave a good TV performance, marking time, to kick start an evening with a great documentary you should watch about the past of the building and it’s TV history.

As I was stood in Camden showing my friend Sharon where that old Holt’s Boots shop used to be, that Madness sat in before their TV debut, I mention it’s not branded Holt’s anymore. It’s the British Boot Company. But at the moment they still sell boots there. Maybe to some the boots might not be what they were in their heyday, but still a lot of interest in wearing them. From there we headed off to watch Madness perform at the BBC. Goodbye TV Centre. Thanks for another great night of Entertainment, and all the ones from across the years. But I’ve a feeling the studios they are keeping in the listed building will yet have some more moments worthy of tuning into, for both TV and this band, if the boot fits.

Jonathan Young

[3] – THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS

This week MIS co-editor, Rob Hazelby goes back 5 years to issue number 464, and the week of Sunday 23rd March to Saturday 29th March 2008, and then back 10 years to issue number 202 and the week of Sunday 23rd March to Saturday 29th March 2003.

5 years ago…

Issue 464 – Sunday 23rd March – Saturday 29th March 2008

We began by wishing all our readers a very happy Easter, and pointed out that while our readers had been busy nibbling all that chocolate we’d been hard at work putting the issue together.

Those hoping to catch the band live this year would no doubt be pleased to learn that this week Madness confirmed that they’d be performing at Sandown Park Racecourse in the coming August. We had all the details in this very issue. We suggested you took a look and then bought those tickets!

Elsewhere we had news on the planned demolition of the legendary Crown and Goose pub, and a transcription of Edwina McPherson’s appearance on the BBC’s “One Life” TV series which aired earlier in the week.

As well as that little lot, we had news in from Jean-Pierre Boutellier, who told us that after much work, he’d produced a new and extended version of the 1983 bootleg “Nutty Dread”.

Elsewhere, we had a massive transcript from a 2005 article taken from Mojo magazine, and if that wasn’t enough, we had our regular half decade lookback.

10 years ago…

Issue 202 – Sunday 23rd March – Saturday 29th March 2003

With Suggs appearing in a week long stint at the Cambridge Theatre, performing in the `Our House` musical, it probably come as no surprise to learn that this weeks MIS featured the Madness frontman quite heavily.

The MIS’ very own Jonathan Young was lucky enough to attend Suggs’
first performance, and upon his return, produced a brilliant lowdown of proceedings. With such a detailed report, Jonathan did have to warn those who had not yet seen the show, but were going to, that his write up contained numerous spoilers.

During Suggs’s short acting stint, and extra biog page was added to the program. Jonathan was kind enough to type it up for the rest of us who were unfortunately unable to attend and pick one up.

With Lee currently residing temporarily in Australia, one radio station down under took advantage of its special guest, and got our favourite saxophonist as a guest on Gold Coast radio Station 4zzzfm.

Rob Hazelby

[4] – HOLD UP! COCKNEY SUGGS SAYS: ‘MY MUM WAS A MANC!’

From: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/
Published: 20 Mar 2013 09:45
By: Dianne Bourne

Graham McPherson – aka Suggs – proves he’s more than just a little bit Manc, it turns out…

Cor blimey! Diary had imagined that national treasure Suggs of Madness fame was London to the core.

But Graham McPherson turns out to be more than a little bit Manc.

“My mum was born in Manchester and lived above a chip shop,” Suggs says. “She moved down to London when she was 18 or so.”

Before that, Edwina Gower had a colourful introduction to showbiz as a singer on the Manchester club scene of the 1950s.

“She was working in nightclubs for a guy called Bill ‘Man Mountain’
Benny, who was something to do with, I’m led to believe, the Quality Street Gang,” says Suggs. “There’s an amazing picture of him and he is a man mountain. He had a lot of clubs in Manchester and she would sing sometimes in three or four clubs a night.”

Bill Benny was indeed a night club owner, but also better known as a professional wrestler notorious for whipping the crowd into an indignant frenzy at his bad boy behaviour.

“He ended up dead on the floor of one of his nightclubs,” says Suggs.
“He had a heart attack. It was 20 minutes before they discovered the poor girl trapped beneath him.”

All of which makes Suggs, he says, a “right old hotch potch of Celtic/Mancunian/London”, his father contributing the Scottish surname.

But, a heroin addict, William McPherson left when young Graham was three, leaving him with no memories whatsoever of his dad.

It is this sorry tale which forms the basis of his latest show, Suggs:
My Life Story in Words and Music, which comes to the Lowry, Salford Quays on Sunday April 28 and Parr Hall, Warrington, on Thursday May 30. Having got on with life successfully and without much looking back, Suggs turned 50, saw the kids leave home and then saw his cat die – all of which got him thinking about fate, mortality and that missing father.

“I went to Birmingham, which is where he died, and got his death certificate, which was a shock, because this was someone who up to this point had just been a figment of my imagination,” says Suggs.

One surprise was that his father had died in 1975.

“I thought he died much earlier than that,”, says Suggs.

“So there was this strange point where I was just becoming Suggs in my middle to late teens, and had he been around a couple of years longer, who knows, we may have met, because I was just about to launch my career with the band. But he died just before that, which was a bit sad.’

Suggs: My Life Story in Words and Music, The Lowry Theatre, Salford Quays, April 28, suggslive.com

[5] – MADNESS AT THE PALACE

The band have already got a packed year of gigs ahead of them, and
this week they added yet another date to their ever growing list, with
the announcement that they’d be performing at Alexandra Palace on
Saturday 28th September.

From the official Madness Email list…

“Buckingham Palace didn’t have a slot for us this year
so we googled palaces and would you believe it there’s
one right round the corner from where we live. We
can’t play on the roof but we can certainly reign
supreme at Ally Pally”

Tickets are priced at £42.25, including booking fee, and can be
ordered from the Gigs and Tours web site at:

http://www.gigsandtours.com/event/madness/alexandra-palace/701159/
?pre=madness&src=madnesspresale

Rob Hazelby / The official Madness Email List

[6] – MIS AT THE CASTLE

One of the highlights of a Madness concert is the obligatory Madmeet,
and for this September’s Ally Pally gig things will be no different.

Hosted by Jonathan F Young and the one and only Owen Collins, the back
room of The Dublin Castle has been reserved from 1pm til 5pm on
Saturday 28th September.

Jonathan and Owen will be manning the DJ decks, churning out a
selection of fantastic Nutty Sounds to Pub-Step-Beyond.

For more information and to see who’s coming, get along to the
Facebook event page at:

https://www.facebook.com/events/230333307110466/

Rob Hazelby

[7] – PAUL RODGERS MADNESS STATS, FACTS AND FIGURES

Mr. Rodgers returns to the bits and bytes of the MIS with his latest
lowdown of all things Madchart…

I dunno, you wait ages for something to celebrate and then two come
along together… Last week I speculated that Complete Madness would
have completed its unbroken year on the top 200 albums chart. The
arrival in my inbox of the full chart on Thursday morning confirmed
this with Complete falling from 151 to 185. It was kept company by
Oui Oui, which dropped from 156 to 195. This means Oui Oui has racked
up 19 weeks on the top 200 in the UK.

This week’s chart gives us something else to celebrate as Complete
Madness leads the pack of Madness albums improving their chart
positions as a result of the live gig TV special broadcast by the BBC
on Friday evening. In the immediate aftermath of the TV broadcast the
iTunes charts showed Complete in their top 40 and both versions of
USM’s Total Madness and Oui Oui in their top 100. This pattern was
repeated at Amazon. It begins to look like Madness should try and get
on the telly more often. Of course these increases in sales would
only affect this week’s main charts for roughly 28 hours, but they
proved to be fairly influential.

I’ll keep you on tenterhooks no longer. Complete Madness re-enters
the top 100 this week at number 84. That’s its 53rd consecutive week
on the top 200 and its 98th in total. When combined with the
original Stiff and Virgin issues Complete has now managed 105 weeks
in the top 100 and 186 in the top 200 (remember there was no published
chart beyond number 100 when Complete was originally available. Time
and again it has proved to be Madness’ enduring compilation. There’s
loads more hits on Total Madness (including very notably Our House),
but fans seem to be pretty happy with the era up to House Of Fun. A
Complete Madness in full gig would no doubt be brilliant fun, but
you’d want loads more after it as well!

Over to the indie chart and Complete’s 101 place climb on the main
chart translates into a one place climb on the indie top 40. The
result is a number 25 placing on its 200th week on the indie top 100.
Seven rungs down Oui Oui meanders sedately from 29 to 32. Total
Madness makes a re-appearance in the top 40 at number 34, climbing
from last week’s number 80.

In the wonderful world of radio it would seem that my influence over
Absolute Radio grows and grows. For the last few weeks they have
played How Can I Tell You shortly after I’ve mentioned them not
playing it very much. It has worked a couple of times in this well
respected rag and also on the French MIS’ Facebook page. Anyway
Absolute have now added the single to their C playlist and have
played it 4 times since I last wrote. If they don’t play it again
tonight I will eat the single when it comes out. The single has also
risen to the B playlist at Radio 2.

The French are still listening to Never Knew Your Name, which drops 3
to 136 on the French airplay chart. That is on its 22nd week on the
chart.

Actually I’ve just thought: there’s a trio of things to celebrate
this week as Madness have announced a big gig in the BBC’s original
TV studio complex, Ally Pally. I’ve read a few comments on line about
it not being great for sound and I certainly noticed an element of
muddiness on the drums the one time I went there. The other thing that
kind of stuck in my memory is it is the only gig venue where I’ve been
struck on the head by warm urine chucked by some kind soul keen to
share the fruits of their micturition. After that any quibbles I had
with the sound dissolved away into the night…

Hopefully there will be more to write about in the coming weeks and
months, but until then a big big thank you to my guests for taking
part, to my wonderful studio audience and, as ever, a massive thank
you to you at home for watching.

Jeremy Kyle aka Paul Rodgers

[8] – SUGGS ON SUNDAY BRUNCH

Suggs appeared on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch show with Tim Lovejoy
today. You can watch again on 4OD, but here are the main points…

Watch again on 4OD
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/sunday-brunch/4od#3496639

On a Birthday show age was the early topic. Suggs told the Smash Hits
“When I’m 30 joke”. Later, after seeing the return of PJ and Duncan,
Tim ask Suggs if he would reunite with pop monkey and laughing, Suggs,
who was unable to remember when the tacky karaoke show ended on
Channel 5, said the last series of the show they did in Spain and no
one could read the karaoke screens due to the sun.

Asked about Friday’s show Suggs said in the horizontal sleet, and
everyone in lounge suits cus the audience didn’t know it was outside,
it couldn’t have been more British, with removal vans going and Terry
Wogan wailing in the corner. The brass players he said it was stuck to
their lips. And it was a survival thing, dancing to keep the blood
flowing. But he expressed sadness at the loss of the place, he had
been to 100’s of time for shows since TOTP’s and the Old Grey Whistle
Test.

As the cooking began, Suggs talked about cooking an Ostrich egg and
about winding up the BBC, with Lee wearing T-shirts.

Suggs plugged The Alexander Palace gig. Asked about nighthoods
following the Buckingham palace gig, Suggs joked they had a suit made
with 7 neck holes in case of a collective knighthood for the band.

They showed the special edition cover, with Suggs explaining the
album.

Then he plugged the one man show, saying it was writing that was hard,
being truthful with out being either sensational, or mean about
people.

Suggs talked about the racecourse gigs and said the band always try
and get a balance between the known hits that are wanted and new
tracks.

Taken from 40D.
Jonathan Young

[9] – THE BAND ON THE BEEB

With Madness’ appearance at the BBC gaining so much coverage, we’ve
got a selection of tidbits that we couldn’t fit in anywhere else…

Suggs and Woody being interviewed by BBC News 24, prior to the band’s
farewell Television Centre on Friday night…

Meanwhile, Bedders recently tweeted…

Asked, if he was on duty at TV center, he responded by tweeting

“Yes, I am issuing parking tickets in the car park”

Later, he followed-up with;

“The most poignant thing about this evening was that nobody
could actually tell me the reason why they were selling
the TV centre off?”

And after the performance he finished by saying;

“Had hand-warmers in my pockets but didn’t help. The strings
felt like ice pops.

…..just about thawed out. We seem to be getting a
reputation for closing things

Wilco was superb. A pleasure to share the stage with the man.
His playing turbo-charges any song”

And finally, much later;

“Home and just about thawed out. A bit surreal that we were
banned from the BBC on a number of occasions but played
the TV centre out?”

Chas, on the other hand, kept away from Twitter, but did post the
following message to Facebook once he’d got in front of a computer;

“The end of an Era, I Had such a wonderful time last night.

Whilst it was cold, wet and windy the atmosphere was warm,
enthusiastic and joyous. As everyone there was braving the
elements together it made for a determinedly merry and
infectious collective mood. I was looking out at all the
faces during the show and imagined all the memories that
were being triggered by the songs. That made me thoughtful
and it was something else seeing so many happy faces.

We in the band had an excellent time of it, it was really
quite moving, a special night. so much of our youth spent
in the building. I still am proud as punch when I think of
getting a Blue Peter badge, a prized and treasured
possession.

Crossed paths with some good friends & met some excellent
people. Have to thank Mark Cooper for help making it
happen. Have to big up Suggs for his hilarious and cracking
stage banter. Wish Mr Thompson had been with us as I think
it loses much with his absence and so pleased to have Mark
back on the bass. Proper.

What a privilege being in Madness, what a fantastic journey
and a massive thanks to those who came and made the night
with their support.

Love to all.

Chas x

ps. keep warm”

Jon Young / Rob Hazelby

[10] – THAT’S YER LOT

We’re almost done for this week’s issue, but before we go there’s
just one or two last minute bits for us to pass in your general
direction.

First-up it’s over to subscriber Peter MacLean;

“I thought to forward you a link to a BBC Radio Scotland
show broadcast on Wednesday 20th March 2013. ‘Suggs’
was interviewed during broadcaster Tom Morton’s
afternoon show.

The entertaining interview covered upcoming Madness
gigs, new album, Suggs tour and all manner of things.

I have copied the link from Tom Morton’s page on BBC
Radio Scotland; http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01r9s2p

The show is well worthy of listening. (The interview
starts around 39.40 into the programme). The link is
available for one week following the programme, please
check.

Tom Morton always plays a great variety of music, has
regular interviews and interesting input from
listeners. Highly recommended!”

Our thanks go to Peter for the above.

Next, here’s part of Madness’ soundcheck at the BBC on Friday night,
filmed by Sharon Staite. There are some interesting lyrics, with
Suggs singing Jimmy Cliff and Slade lyrics to the sleety/snowy
weather during My Girl II:

Moving on, and French radio station RTL recently aired a number of
Madness tracks from their performance on the 15th of March. You can
download the live tracks here:

http://www17.zippyshare.com/v/73638843/file.html

Our thanks to JP at The French MIS for the above.

And finally, Judge Fredd has been in touch to tell us that the French
MIS are currently celebrating 30 years since the Rise and Fall tour
dates.

You can find more info at:

http://newsdufrenchmis.blogspot.fr/2013/03/
1983-la-tournee-la-grande-classe.html

And with that, we’re done.

Until next week, take care,

Simon, Rob, Jonathan, Liz Maher
(With special thanks to Peter MacLean, Sharon Staite JP & The French
MIS team, Judge Fredd, and Paul Rodgers)