Madness

So, tonight was Madness in Glasgow. Not generally, there's some of that every night. Specifically, Madness, the band, were playing at the SECC.

Unlike most gigs I go to, I was at this one early. A good ten-fifteen minutes before the doors even opened in fact. I don't much like being that early, but my mate gave me a ticket and he wanted to be there, so it would have been rude to say no.

Jerry Dammers from The Specials was on warm up duty, playing a selection of ska & reggae records. Set the mood well.
Support came from an American band who I'd never heard of until Monday, The Aggrolites. They too were good.

Bit of a weird crowd. It's to be expected with a band like Madness though. Loads of couples and blokes in their mid forties who clearly only get to a gig once or twice a year. I'm fairly convinced I was one of the youngest people there without parental supervision. The make up of the crowd being what it was, it was at times very odd when you'd be down the front, trying to get a good spot of jumping around done, and would be met with disapproving looks from a woman standing in the pit with her husband, wondering what the hell is going on. In other places, a gaggle of the aforementioned 40-something would be horrifically drunk, falling over, and generally getting in the way. At one point I came across 4 men holding hands, because it was the only way they could stand up.

There was a good fifteen minute spell where I failed miserablely to pay attention to the band. The reason? Not one, but two fights broke out. First, some kind of disagreement & shouting match between a man & woman, then mere moments later, a full on 4 girl cat fight. Cat fights are much better in specialty videos than in real life at a concert, incidentally... Both happened right behind me. At one point the catfight was going on right in my left ear, hence, being able to pay attention to Madness was near impossible.

Madness themselves were in fine form, sounding pretty tight. As with most of the crowd, they are a bit older and fatter, but still fun.
Suggs & Chas Smash did a great job getting a party atmosphere going - no mean feat in the SECC, which is a soulless cavern with bad sound in the main.
All in all, not a show you'd want to see frequently, but once a year around Christmas, when the old and infirm get to come out and have fun and crazy women get to scream obscene words at random strangers and their friends, it was great fun.

Alcohol consumed tonight - one solitary pint of weak lager. Hence, this report is far more lucid than any other I've written

There's a bootleg coming, but it's two CDs with no setlist, and I can barely hear, so it'll have to wait till tomorrow for me to rip it.

The Pogues - Glasgow Carling Academy - 11.12.06

I've been neglecting Channel D, but since no one reads it, thats OK.

Anyway, here's a half arsed review of the gig I was at tonight.

Missed the support, as usual for most gigs I go to.
I only just had my first pint in the venue in my hand when The clash's "Straight To Hell" kicked in, which for the uninitiated is The Pogues' entrance music.

Quick charge into a good position and the band opened with Streams Of Whisky. Shane was looking good. Well, for Shane. I've seen him much worse, this time he at least looked healthy.
The bastard did get round Scotland's smoking ban though, by mostly ignoring it. He had a fan fairly near him on stage, which was apparently enough to let him smoke.
As a smoker in the crowd, this annoyed me immensly, until eventually myself and my brother decided to ignore that particular law. Given the stench of farts and B.O. from the people just in front of us, no one complained at a couple of ciggies being lit.
Oh yeah, there was a band on, wasn't there?

For the most part the set was the same as last year, which was no great surprise. [At this point, chronology may get the better of me] They did throw in a few songs that haven't been played the last few years though, most memorably Kitty.
Encore was of course Fairytale (with Jem Finner's daughter Ella, looking and sounding lovely, just like last year) and Fiesta .

All in all, a f*cking great gig. I'll be back tomorrow to tell you what I thought of Madness.
(I may also be posting an official bootleg of Madness, if anyone is interested.)