Madness Live at Cliffs Pavillion, Southend 5th December 2009
As we set off for Southend on a cold and dreary December morning, I could not wait to see Madness, a band I have admired for years and surely one of the most consistent and best singles bands in the history of British Music.
Hundreds of fans, some from the original ‘nutty boys’ era, were clutching onto their pork pie hats and fezzes as they queued in the South Coast wind, while some fans were enjoying there first gig experience dressed to impress in attire their fathers would probably of worn back in the bands hey-day.
The bands latest album, The Liberty of Norton Folgate, has been widely acclaimed as their best since their debut LP 30 years ago, and this Christmas UK Tour is bearing the fruits of a long and productive career, and something we needed to warm us up in the winter chills.
Madness have always come across to me as cool wacky Uncles and this was the first time I was seeing them live, and I wasn’t disappointed.
As the crowd waited in anticipation for the gig to start, we were treated to a short film ‘15 Steps to Making It in the Music Business’, which charted the bands formation and how they rose to fame.
The band arrived on stage a little later than billed the magic flowed through the packed venue and Suggs lowered his sunglasses revealing the twinkling eyes that sparks mayhem in the crowd as the band launch into they’re trademark hit ‘One Step Beyond’.
One notable absentee on stage was bassist Mark Bedford who is taking a break from the band for the foreseeable future, and he was missed on tracks like ‘One Step Beyond’ and ‘Bed and Breakfast Man’, otherwise the ‘full’ line-up was on top form with saxophonist Lee Thompson doing his best to put his band mates off.
After classic hits came a slow building version of ‘My Girl’, Madness continued their strong set, and they could even afford to leave out hits such as ‘Driving in my Car’, ‘Cardiac Arrest’, ‘Tomorrows Just Another Day’ and ‘Grey Day’.
During the performance the band played 5 songs from the new album, which went down well with the crowd but lacked the punch of the classics and Suggs dedicated the new single ‘Forever Young’ to: “All the young people everywhere” and to his daughter who was in the audience.
The single, like all of the songs on the set list, were accompanied by short films on the giant screen projected behind the band and for ‘Forever Young’, images and clips of Madness in they’re youth portrayed a poignant scene to the dads in the crowd.
‘House of Fun’ was greeted by a huge roar from the crowd who were kicked into life all around the venue, including everybody on the balcony who didn’t stop dancing until the end of the gig.
Suggs made another dedication to the fans and thanked them for supporting them throughout the years before the 1981 single ‘It Must Be Love’.
The Band returned to the stage for a two song encore, ‘Madness’ and ‘Night Boat To Cairo’ before leaving the crowd with a sunny disposition as we left Cliffs Pavillion in the pouring rain with smiles on our faces.
Madness have indeed kept the sense of fun in the songs that fans have been chanting like football anthems for so long now, and long may they continue.
Set List
One Step Beyond
Embarrassment
The Prince
NW5
My Girl
Dust Devil
The Sun and the Rain
Sugar and Spice
Clerkenwell Polka
Bed and Breakfast Man
Shut Up
Forever Young
House of Fun
Wings of a Dove
Baggy Trousers
Our House
It Must Be Love
Madness
Night Boat to
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