They call it Madness - IcónicaFest

After the superb Pet Shop Boys concert a few weeks ago, Icónica Santalucía Sevilla Fest brought us Madness last Monday, 7 July.

I won’t repeat my fulsome praise for this festival, but please bear in mind that, while I think summer isn’t the best time of year to come to Seville, the ticket prices at this festival are so reasonable (Madness around 40 euros, PSBs 60 euros) that it would be foolish NOT to come and see a favourite band playing.

So… as someone who has spent plenty of time in Camden Town, north London, from whence they hail (though posterior to the height of their success), the Madness concert was a must-see. Wikipedia informs me that from 1980 to 1986, their songs spent a total of 214 weeks (that’s more than four years) on the UK singles chart.

As I arrived at Plaza de España, I saw plenty of people wearing black and white outfits – the checked ones tallied most accurately with the two-tone music genre, which fused Jamaican ska (more of which later), rocksteady and reggae.

Madness played hits including House of Fun. © Fiona Flores Watson

Two-tone was named after the record label founded by Jerry Dammers of The Specials, who wanted to quell racism in 1970s Britain. One of the other bands was Bad Manners, whom I hosted at Bristol University when I worked on the Ents team in the early 1990s. Singer Buster Bloodvessel (sic) was a delight, giving me a tequila slammer (I was in charge of their rider) and ensuring maximum effect by shaking my head for me. Those were the days.

As well as the monochrome theme in people’s clothing, there were porkpie hats, another Madness signature, and Fez hats too, in red with gold tassels.  I noticed plenty of people around my age (in their 50s and 60s) in the 4,500-strong crowd.

The opening number was One Step Beyond, with its minimal lyrics and unforgettable, soaring sax. This was in tribute to Prince Buster, who recorded the song originally. Prince Buster was a huge ska and reggae star in Jamaica, who came to London in the 1960s. Another of his songs was entitled They Call it Madness – hence the name of our band, who also covered that song.

Behind the band – Suggs on vocals, trim as ever in his dark suit and sunglasses, Lee Thompson bigging it up on sax, Mike Barson on his two-tone keyboard, plus three more of the original line-up, and supporting brass players – on the screen they showed the playlist of songs. This tour is called “The Hit Parade”, and banger after banger appeared, to let us know what we could expect, what we had to look forward to.

The screen was styled like an old-fashioned (1970s, for those that remember that far back) TV set. With nobs that you twiddled to tune in the signal. On this we could see old photos and videos, as the screen was divided into nine small sections, with the concert showed live on some of them. It set the scene nicely, showing the Britain of our youth. During other songs, we could see the page of the London A to Z street map which shows Camden Town and Mornington Crescent.

Suggs on vocals (left) and Lee Thompson on sax, complete with two-tone porkpie hat.. © Fiona Flores Watson

Suggs warbled a few lines from Help, and declared that John Lennon would be “turning in his grave”.

With his trademark stiff gait, Suggs was visibly enjoying himself as the band played classic, catchy tunes like Embarrassment, My Girl, and The Sun and The Rain. The audience happily sang along to the chorus of Wings of a Dove, before which Suggs quoted the Nick Lowe song [What’s so Funny ‘bout] Peace, Love and Understanding, and shouted “Free Palestine!”

One of the high points, for me at least, was a spirited rendition of the iconic Jimmy Cliff song, The Harder They Come. I remember watching the film, which was shown on the screen while the band played the song; I still have it on video somewhere. The lyrics are heavy with meaning: “the oppressors are trying to keep me down”. Reggae legend Cliff also wrote You Can Get it If You Really Want (featured in the movie) and Many Rivers to Cross.

Mike Barson on his two-tone keyboard. © Fiona Flores Watson

Some of Madness’ songs are about the grim reality of daily life, such as Grey Day (“so begins another weary day”), in minor keys, but always with an upbeat tempo.

Humour – or not taking life too seriously, anyway – was always an important part of Madness. Shut Up was introduced by Suggs declaring “I’m not saying our lives revolved around petty criminality. But you know when you borrow something, but forget to give it back.”. With its joyous piano riffs (“Now pass the blame and don’t blame me” – the title refers to criminals talking too much), this took on a slapstick feel, as a load of coppers (band members with police helmets, as seen in the song’s video) stormed the stage to “arrest” Lee, wrestling him to the ground.

Suggs is a familiar presence on British TV and radio, hosting programmes about topics such as Disappearing London. So we know he’s more than just a musician. He mentioned how nice the people here in Spain are, said how terrible the UK’s politicians were, that they were liars, and that Spanish ones were good by comparison. One music reviewer from a Seville daily newspaper questioned if Suggs was being ironic. Who knows?

Of course they saved the best for last, with the anthemic  House of Fun, Baggy Trousers, which saw the audience leaping about like aging deer, and Our House – as a mum (albeit of teenagers and living in a bungalow), the bit about “Mother’s tired she needs a rest, / the kids are playing up downstairs” had new resonance. This is music you can't help but dance to, the rhythms are subconsciously present in our bodies.

And after just over an hour, they left the stage, returning for an encore of Prince Buster’s aforementioned song Madness, and Night Boat to Cairo, again prefaced by a call to “Free Palestine”.

When the show was definitely over, to keep the mood up, what should come over the speakers but that masterpiece of British irony and irreverence, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life from the film Monty Python’s Life of Brian, an alternative take on Christ’s story. Instead of standing around feeling a little deflated at the concert ending, we all sang along heartily, whistling as appropriate. It was a frisson to join in with a song which is performed in the movie by figures - including the eponymous Brian (Jesus) - on rows of crucifixes, in such a religious city as Seville, where Semana Santa is so revered.

Icónica Santalucía Sevilla Festival

Contemporary music and dance festivals in Andalucia

The London "A to Z" street map page showing Camden Town/Mornington Crescent located us firmly in NW1. © Fiona Flores Watson