Madness performed an electrifying performance at KOKO in Camden on Wednesday night to promote their new album Theater Of the Absurd Presents C’est La Vie.
With Madness as The Invaders and KOKO as The Music Machine no longer playing at the venue, the gig only gave 1,400 fans the chance to see them play songs from the new album and some familiar favorites for the very first time.
While fans loved the new material, one heckler couldn’t wait to hear some of their old material and started shouting the names of his favorite songs.
Frontman Suggs, 62, hit back: “Yes, we’ll get to that.” We play new songs from the new album, that’s how it works.
“You have to wait about 20 minutes and then we’ll make them. ‘All right?’ too much laughter from the crowd.’
You what? Madness performed an exciting homecoming show at KOKO in Camden on Wednesday to promote their new album, with frontman Suggs delivering the perfect response to a heckler in the audience
Oi! The heckler couldn’t wait to hear some of their old material, and Suggs hit back: “Yeah, we’ll get to that in a moment.” We play new songs from the new album, that’s how it works. “You have to wait about 20 minutes and then Let’s do them. ‘All right?’
Tour dates…
November
Thu 30 Aberdeen P&J Live
December
Fr. 1 Glasgow OVO Hydro
Sat 2 Newcastle Utilita Arena
Monday 4. Cardiff International Arena
Tuesday 5th Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
Thu, 7. Liverpool M&S Bank Arena
Fr. 8 Leeds First Direct Arena
Sat 9 Manchester AO Arena
Mon 11. Brighton Centre
Tuesday 12th Bournemouth International Centre
Thu, 14. Sheffield Utilita Arena
Fr. 15 London The O2
Sat 16 Birmingham Utilita Arena
Suggs wore a sharp black suit and his signature black sunglasses for his appearance.
They played cult hits like Our House, One Step Beyond, House Of Fun and Baggy Pants.
And they also thrilled the audience with the single “C’est La Vie”, which has an eerie space ska touch and expresses the dangers of everyday life.
According to composer/keyboardist Mike “Barso” Barson, the title track is “about these crazy times we’re living in and how I just want to stay on my boat and not be part of all this madness.” But of course I’m part of a group called Madness. Maybe we should have called ourselves Sanity
Madness formed in the back streets of Camden Town in the late 1970s and recently released a three-part original documentary series with television network AMC about the band’s early days in the area.
Before We Was We: Madness by Madness documents the rise of one of the most popular bands in British culture.
Over the course of their career, Madness released ten UK top ten albums and 15 top ten singles and won numerous awards including a prestigious Ivor Novello.
They performed on the roof of Buckingham Palace as part of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations and set the record for the largest ever audience for the BBC’s live New Year’s Eve broadcast – the most-watched TV music event of 2018.
Hit after hit: The band played cult hits like Our House, One Step Beyond, House Of Fun and Baggy Pants
There he is: Suggs wore a sharp black suit and his signature black sunglasses for his appearance