Madness bring their ‘Hits Parade’ tour to Birmingham
The iconic band brought their bag of tricks to the Midlands.
There aren’t many bands that leave me asking, ‘Have I seen this band too much?’ but Madness might just be one of them. Despite it being the fourth time I would come to witness One Step Beyond in the flesh, the saxophone somehow feels fresh and exciting each time. Paired with a whole brass section this time round, I see why the Royal Family love this band.
Impressively, despite doing this since the ‘70s, the Londoners still bring in a crowd — if the show wasn’t sold out, then it was teetering on the edge. In a rare sight, the crowd was already full when support act Squeeze had taken to the stage — a sight not often seen nowadays, especially not in the Utilita Arena.
Just like the previous show I had seen — Audley End in Essex — the band put lots of work into stage set-up and production, with finely crafted visuals that fit each song to a tee. No stone goes unturned at a Madness show, and it’s hard not to be sucked into their whacky world while trying to focus on saxophonist Lee Thompson.
As always, the stand-outs are clear; where The Prince and Wings of a Dove shine, some of the other songs take a backseat. Admittedly, at one point, I almost fell asleep during One Better Day, but I blame the week I had at work for my extreme exhaustion; this is the point in the night when I start dreaming about my bed.
Grabbing my attention once more, the beloved British band dove into one of my personal favourites, Mr. Apples, before a juggernaut of House of Fun, Baggy Trousers, Our House and metaphorical curtain closer It Must Be Love ended the night.
Of course, it’s never truly over — and the band bounded back on stage to perform I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday, to which I responded with a swift exit. Fortunately for Madness, I was probably the only one there who didn’t do Christmas songs, but, in reality, I just didn’t want to get stuck in that deathly traffic.
Setlist:
One Step Beyond (Prince Buster cover)
Embarrassment
The Prince
NW5
My Girl
Cardiac Arrest
Tomorrow’s (Just Another Day)
The Sun and the Rain
Return of the Los Palmas 7
Wings of a Dove
Lovestruck
Grey Day
Bed and Breakfast Man
Shut Up
One Better Day
Mr. Apples
House of Fun
Baggy Trousers
Our House
It Must Be Love (Labi Siffre cover)
Encore:
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (Wizzard cover)
Madness (Prince Buster cover)
Night Boat to Cairo
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Monty Python song)
