MADNESS // BOURNEMOUTH INTERNATIONAL CENTRE, BOURNEMOUTH
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
madness bring their house of fun to the BIC
Madness @ FD Arena, Leeds. Photocredit John Hayhurst
It's pretty much Christmas time in Bournemouth, so having Madness arrive in all their booming glory, bells, and whistles only made the occasion more enjoyable. Few bands span generations as effortlessly as Madness, connecting five decades of fans. Be it those who grew up with them, who all seemed to have understood the unspoken dress code of Fez’s that were worn in droves and unintentionally made famous in the 1980s “Nightboat to Cairo” music video. The group have been across the country on their 13-date tour titled Hits Parade, and with just four shows left, the parade rolled into Bournemouth International Centre.
But first the night began with Squeeze. While support acts are there to set the mood and warm up the waiting audience, many choose to perhaps skip them. However, not this time. Every seat was occupied, and the standing crowd filled in and was ready. Playing the classics that got an already enthusiastic room ready with the likes of “Up The Junction” and, of course, “Cool for Cats”. “Goodbye Girl” for me was a standout experience; it was as if a rogue school music lesson had emerged. With every person onstage making sure to include every instrument possible – accordions, tambourines, triangles – instruments that feel like relics, yet it was fun, and joyous you could feel the serotonin pour from you watching.
Talking about their beginnings and having written songs about a fictional band, the Trixies, they’ve decided to release them now they’ve got the experience behind them. The album titled Trixies will be released in March 2026.
Now, for the main act, and what a show it was. With a catalogue as deep as Madness, they can easily pull from any track across any era, and they did so to perfection. Built around their latest album Hit Parade collection, home to an impressive 45 singles, the set consisted of crowd pleasers. Switching between fan favourites “One Step Beyond” and “My Girl”. The opening was nothing but a great fanfare of a magnitude of grandeur. The staging itself was dripping in old-school glitz and glamour. Which reflects how Madness is just with a touch of grittiness and that twinkly, cheeky Cockney charm.
That cockney charm was a key asset in narrating the evening. Smoothly transitioning between numbers with funny anecdotes that may or may not relate or perhaps even make much sense. But that felt like the point. With Suggs at the wheel it feels like fun is guaranteed, with playful quips and banter amongst the members. But beyond in-jokes and brief storytelling aside, the band operated as one well-oiled machine.
I like to think that age is just a number and that it's how you act and feel, and tonight Madness went above and beyond to cement that mantra. Each member delivered with a first-time energy, none more so than Lee Thompson, bringing a theatrical experience every time he played that saxophone with vigour. The second half was doused with massive hits such as “House of Fun” and “Our House”. Even after 50 years, one would think performing tracks like these would get dull or even sound monotonous. But that could be further from what was displayed onstage. Still loved as ever, if not more so now with a room belting word for word and in equal measure euphoric onstage as it was amongst the crowd.
Suggs addressed the audience throughout the night, delighted to see a few young faces, saying it’s good to see them enjoying themselves while intrigued about the state of today's education and if it's any good. Going on to say that's his one regret in life, to not be educated before launching into “Baggy Trousers”. Besides the younger fans, he acknowledged the presence and joy at seeing familiar faces in the crowd before cheekily quipping, “It’s nice to see you’re all still alive,” before adding that, “Actually, I’m surprised we’re all still alive too, to be fair.”
The encore was served as a delightful festive treat, with a reggae-ska version of Wizzard’s “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday”. This was topped with the addition of giant balloons that had the grown-ups eager to play along. Closing with “Night Boat to Cairo”, Suggs cheekily sent love to Bournemouth before asking “Can I buy your football club?” What both Squeeze and Madness displayed was that if you remain dedicated to your craft, and stay true to what works for you can reach such a momentous anniversary celebration. Kudos to them for celebrating a milestone anniversary rather than using tactics for people to buy tickets on the merit of it being labelled a farewell tour and the feat of not seeing them live again.
REVIEW BY: KIRSTY BRIGHT. PHOTOS BY: John Hayhurst
