Bournemouth International Centre
Since their first visit to Dorset on the now famous Two Tone Tour with The Specials and The Selector at the The Stateside Club Bournemouth in October 1979, Madness have been frequent visitors to the area with a series of gigs at the Poole Arts Centre and the now annual trip to the Bournemouth International Centre. In recent weeks the TV has been full of appearances by the band, touting their brand new thirteenth studio album “Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’est la Vie”. The sound of Madness has found its way onto BBC Breakfast, Later with Jools Holland, This Morning and even a performance on Stictly Come Dancing. The band’s hard work has clearly paid off as the album has triumphantly hit the top spot, which is not bad for a band that formed in in 1976. Tonight they return to Bournemouth part way through a tour of UK arenas.
Before the headliners we have a little Christmas treat in store in the form of Scouse songwriting legend Ian Broudie’s band The Lightning Seeds. A band who over the years have scored plenty of chart hits themselves, with a host of great songs that chances are you would have heard on the radio quite a bit. The band open with “Marvellous” and the track grabs the attention of most of us in this large hall. Along with Ian’s son Riley on guitar, the Liverpudlians power their way through a fine set full of highlights that features some great tracks including “Sense” and “Emily Smiles” written with the late great Terry Hall. The six-piece band that feature additional saxophone and keyboards provide great backing. They play a notable cover of The Byrds “You Showed Me” that features a nod to the original fab four. “Lucky You” and “The Life of Riley” get plenty of positive reactions from the crowd before Ian and the band delight everyone with a crowd pleasing sing-a-long of “Three Lions” to end things on a high.
The lights go down and Suggs South of France neighbour Dame Helen Mirren provides a well spoken intro via a video link. As the elaborate multi-screen and neon lit stage set is revealed, the Morcombe & Wise style showbiz curtain drops to the floor and the Nutty Boys once again take to the stage with the opening number “Theatre of the Absurd”. Suggs reassuring vocal serenades us with quite a different opening to the raucous one the band usually provides. The dimly lit shadowy corners of the theatre, the bizarre, the unsettlingly and mysteriously derived black comedy for our entertainment – it stops you in your tracks and just once again shows the ongoing diversity that these six national treasures are capable of. (I would say seven if the sorely missed Chas Smash was still in the band)
“Buster; he sold the heat, with a rock-steady beat. An earthquake is erupting, but not in Orange street” brings us back to more familiar territory and the 6,500 crowd dutifully sing along, setting the momentum for the evening. The sextet are joined by a very capable four-piece brass section which bolsters their unique sound, to help fill these large style arenas. The band cleverly weave a mix of old and new tracks together with standout new tunes like “C’est La Vie” and the criminally palatable “Baby Burglar”. The ever present creative keys of Mike Barson; coupled with Lee Thompson’s unique Saxophone skills and Chrissy Boy’s unstated guitar licks, Woody and Bedders faithful rhythms provide the reliable foot-tapping backdrops to the band’s world famous infectious sound.
From the early days of the pubs and small theatres; to the wide open space of Finsbury Park’s Madstock, to the festival stages including Glastonbury and Isle of Wight the Madness legacy just keeps on giving and giving. Whether you are just a singles fan and enjoy a bit of Madness at a wedding reception or you faithfully hang on to every new release; devouring every bit of new material, this band have something for everyone and thankfully they like to evolve. Even older tracks like “Grey Day” and Prince Buster’s “One Step Beyond” get a live makeover to stop things going stale.
With the original band members now in their 60’s it is fair to say there’s still plenty left in the tank and they can still muster one hell of a show. Favourites like “House of Fun”, “Our House” and the educational institution “Baggy Trousers” gets the fez/pork pie hat-wearing crowd moving at quite a pace. Some of us older ones will regret it in the morning and up the cod liver oil and sanatogen doses. The band leave the stage and of course we want more, we paid for our ticket, and want value for ticket money in these financially difficult times.
A fitting tribute to the late great Two Tone icon Terry Hall comes in the form of popular b-side “Friday Night, Saturday Morning”. A popular track that The Specials themselves regularly played in their live set, typifying the joys of a boozy night out through Terry Hall’s eyes. “Madness, they call it Madness” and another of Prince Buster’s finest is bestowed on the crowd before the band unleash the wonderfully vivid and picturesque journey along the River Nile…….”Night Boat To Cairo” This is backed with some stupendously creative graphics to end on nothing short of brilliant audio and visual experience. Though most of us are out of breath it’s hard not to move to this wonderfully rollicking classic.
Make no bones about it, this show is beautifully crafted and it’s no fluke that the band’s new album is sitting at number one in the charts. I’m more than delighted to class myself as a fan of this contagiously compelling band and since my first Madness live experience in 1981, the journey continues at quite a pace.
Set Lists
Madness
Theatre of the Absurd
The Prince
Beginners 101
My Girl
Hour of Need
NW5
C’est La Vie
Embarrassment
Baby Burglar
Grey Day
Run For Your Life
Shut Up
Round We Go
Bed and Breakfast Man
The Law According to Dr. Kippah
Wings of a Dove
In My Street
One Step Beyond (Prince Buster cover)
House of Fun
Baggy Trousers
Our House
It Must Be Love (Labi Siffre cover)
Encore
Friday Night, Saturday Morning (The Specials cover)
Madness (Prince Buster cover)
Night Boat to Cairo
The Lightning Seeds
Marvellous
Change
Sense
Emily Smiles
Sugar Coated Iceberg
You Showed Me (The Byrds cover)
Lucky You
The Life of Riley
Pure
Three Lions
Videos
Links
https://www.madness.co.uk
https://lightningseeds.co.uk
Words & Media by David Chinery
Pictures by Lynn Burt
