The Madness Central Blog

The new Audio Bullys album “Higher Than Eiffel” was released this past Monday (29th March), and it’s well worth the 10 quid if you’re a fan of their ska-and-punk-driven house beats. Their third album out and they’ve found a groove diverse and unique for sure.

Of course, as Madness fans, it doesn’t hurt that Suggs and Barzo feature on the album, on the two songs “Twist Me Up” and “Goodbye”. This makes the 10 quid all the better spent.

We’re holding a contest for three lucky winners who will each receive a copy of “Higher Than Eiffel”. You can enter the contest here:

http://www.madness-central.com/interactive/feature/feature.html

The contest runs until 5 pm GMT, 12 April 2010. So be sure to get your entry in if you want a chance at a free CD, courtesy of Cooking Vinyl Records and Audio Bullys Management.

You can hear the full album in stream at the Audio Bullys official MySpace page.

http://www.myspace.com/audiobullys

Good luck!

Footage From “Rock Palace” American TV Show Now Posted

Our season of USA Madness television continues by finally landing on Uncle Sam’s soil with live concert footage from 80’s LA. “Rock Palace” was a short-lived television show hosted by a comedian guest who presented footage from concerts filmed at the local Palace venue. Click here to view.

This performance was recorded on Leap Year Day, 29 February, 1984 which also happened to be the very same day that Lee Thompson married Debbie Fordham at the Hard Rock Cafe. A honeymoon gig of sorts.

Note also that Paul Carrack joins the band on keyboards, you’ll see him again in some of the forthcoming TV appearances, but he is playing live here with the band. After Mike Barson departed, Madness turned to Paul to step in for these US dates. A one-time Roxy Music keyboard session player who took over Jools Holland’s role in Squeeze was exactly the kind of pedigree musician that Madness were looking for on their West Coast tour.

The tracks performed are ‘The Sun And The Rain’, ‘Keep Moving’ and finally the American smash hit ‘Our House’.

There will be more to come from this 1984 US visit in the near future.

Here is the corresponding Tour Madness entry for this particular tour……

Madness Musical Gets Another Local Theatre Outing Courtesy Of Studio 7 Productions

Continuing our theme of bringing you news of the spate of local theatre group productions of “Our House – The Musical”, we’ve heard today that Studio 7 Productions are to perform the show at the Arthur Cotterell Theatre, Kingston Upon Thames from 13th to 17th April 2010, including a matinee performance on Saturday 17th April.

For more information and to view a promo video including rehearsals for the show and to book tickets priced at £14 each click here.

If you do go we’d love to hear your reviews at the Madness Central forums.

Band To Perform In Grounds Of Glastonbury Abbey – Steve Harley To Open

News in today that Madness have been confirmed to headline the “Glastonbury Abbey Extravaganza” on Saturday 7th August 2010 with Steve Harley And Cockney Rebel confirmed to open the show.

For more information click here

Tickets priced £30 for adults and £15 for children (aged 6-16 – 5 year olds and younger go free) are available here

In the words of the Glastonbury Extravaganza website:

“Since 1996 the Extravaganza has been an annual event staged at Glastonbury Abbey.

The regular ‘proms concerts’ have featured the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, soloists, choirs and choral societies, water fountain displays, fireworks, lighting and pyrotechnic special effects.

Over the years special guest performances have been given by such notable musicians as tenor Aled Jones, violinist Nigel Kennedy, percussionist Evelyn Glennie and pianists Jack Gibbons and Lang Lang.

Recent concerts featuring Status Quo, Bjorn Again, Squeeze, Lulu, Ray Davies, Jools Holland, Van Morrison, Joss Stone and the West End show “Rat Pack live from Las Vegas” have increased the variety of the programme of entertainment.

The beautiful grounds and special atmosphere of Glastonbury Abbey help make this one of the most memorable and successful outdoor events of its type.”

Madness Central YouTube Launches – Rare US Footage To Come.

Despite a joyous number of video’s of Madness on YouTube these days, what you don’t tend to see very often are the American TV appearances, which have become somewhat of a rarity amongst the Madness fanbase.

To start off our new Madness Central Youtube channel, we bring you a 40-minute documentary that was screened on US MTV in 1983.  Not only does this programme feature some wonderful interview footage with Carl, Suggs, Lee and Chris by the ‘Professor of Pop’ Paul Gambaccini, intertwined with it is rare live footage that was recorded on the ‘Rise and Fall’ tour, mainly at the Brighton Conference Centre gig on March 5th, 1983.  See ‘Madness (Is All the Mind)’ with a viola player in spotlight and ‘Blue Skinned Beast’ live with a back drop of footage from the Falklands War.  All brilliant stuff.

http://www.madnesstradingring.com/downloads/MCYouTube/MCYouTube.html

If you’ve got rare footage and need help putting it online please contact one of us on the Madness Central Team in the usual way.

Thanks and enjoy.

News reached us today that Suggs and Lee Thompson are to appear in two tribute shows to Deaf School singer and writer Sam Davis aka Eric Shark who sadly passed away in December 2009.

The shows, at Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre, both take place on Saturday 17th April 2010, one at 7pm and the other at 9.30pm. Also appearing on the night will be Kevin Rowland, Ian Broudie and Pete Wylie.

Tickets on sale now by calling 0151 709 4776 or click here.

Full details available below and here:

“Eric Shark holds a very special place in the hearts of the band and you, its fans – the tributes to Eric on the remembering Eric page say it all. What better way to celebrate his huge contribution to Deaf School than by the band and his friends singing Eric’s songs (and a few more!).

Liverpool, Everyman Theatre
Two shows, at 7.00pm AND 9.30pm
Tickets are now on sale –
Phone 0151 709 4776
Online: Click Here“

The Official Madness website has announced yet another gig for this summer concert season. 28th May, 2010, will see Madness returning to France to play the Festival Papillons de Nuit (Moths Festival) in St-Laurent de Cuves, Normandy.

http://www.papillonsdenuit.com

Boasting three stages and 35 acts, this is one of the biggest annual musical festivals in France drawing other noteworthy bands like Gossip and Gogol Bordello this year.

Tickets purchased by May 23 are:

1 Day Ticket: 27€
3  Day Ticket: 59€

Tickets purchased from May 24 until the day of the show (including at the venue) are:

1 Day Ticket: 32€
3 Day Ticket: 69€

Tickets can be purchased through the official Festival Papillons de Nuit website:

http://www.papillonsdenuit.com/sommaire.htm

Anglo Hannah Management & Union Square Music Jointly Nominated

News out today that the 2009 marketing campaign in support of the band has been nominated for the newly created “Independent Artist Marketing” category as part of the Music Week Awards, which are due to take place at the London Hilton on Park Lane on Thursday 15th April 2010.

The nomination is jointly accredited to Anglo Hannah Management (who are behind the marketing of “The Liberty Of Norton Folgate”) and Union Square Music (who are behind the marketing of “Total Madness” and the back catalogue).

More information about the award nominees can be found if you click here

Our congratulations go to all at Anglo Hannah Management and Union Square Music.

Music Week is released weekly and is the UK’s music industry trade journal.

Band To Play Weston Park, Staffordshire on 21st August and Hylands Park, Chelmsford on 22nd August

In what is shaping up to be a busier summer for the band than last year, and following on from last weeks “T In The Park” announcement. It’s been confirmed on the V Festival official site today that Madness are to make an appearance at the festivals 15th anniversary.

The festival which sees bands playing two gigs over one weekend – one at each site (Hylands Park and Weston Park) on alternate nights, has grown to become one of the highlights of the summer alongside T In The Park and Glastonbury.

Also announced to appear are Kasabian (who like at T In The Park will headline the Madness gigs), Faithless, Pet Shop Boys, Cheryl Cole, Kings Of Leon (who headline the opposite night to Madness), Paolo Nutini, Paul Weller, The Prodigy and many more.

Tickets go on sale on Friday 5th March at 0900GMT from all the usual outlets (see the V Festival site for full details.

Be warned this one always sells out very fast so have your mouse poised on Friday morning to be in with a chance!!