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They’ve got a string of hits to their credit - the most recent being Embarrassment - a couple of top ten albums neatly tucked under their belt, and a dedicated following of fans right across the country. It’s all thanks to a type of music they’ve christened the ‘nutty sound’ and they are, of course …
ABSOLUTELY MADNESS
Bass guitarist Mark ‘Bedders’ Bedford and lead singer Suggs spoke recently to Look-in’s TERRY TATNELL about themselves, the band and what they’ve been doing.
”We were doing a tour of Europe in October and November,” explained Mark, ”but then Chas, our MC, had to go to hospital to have his tonsils taken out because he’d been having trouble with his throat. That meant we had to come off the road while he was away and convalescing.”
How did Madness go down in Europe? ”Really well,” answered Mark. ”It was quite surprising because in places like Scandinavia, such as Oslo, we didn’t really imagine that the people would take much interest in music. But they really enjoyed the concerts.
”We went to Italy for the first time which was great. The people are really mad – I really enjoyed that country.”
Suggs said he enjoyed the tour, too – although they all find touring extremely tiring – but he liked Amsterdam best:
”It was very good there because there’s lots to do – in most places there’s nothing to do after the concert but that’s when you really feel like going somewhere because you’re ‘buzzing’ - whereas before the show you usually feel tired.”
Mark explained about the tiredness they feel on tour:
”On a long day you can work maybe twenty hours,” he said. ”That’s travelling to the venue, doing the gig, then travelling again to a hotel. You get really run down and can get ill very easily. You can go through so many climate changes – for instance, in Italy it was very warm, shirt-sleeve weather, and by the end of the tour, in Oslo, the temperature was minus whatever, really freezing cold. It lowers your resistance.”
In spite of being an extremely busy band, each member of Madness actually managed to get away for a holiday - in America. Suggs went to New York:
”I liked it there for the same reason I liked Amsterdam - there’s lots to do there during the day, or alternatively, you can dance all night and sleep all day! I know a lot of people in New York too – it’s a bit like being in London, really.
”None of us went anywhere really relaxing – it’s very hard to go and sit in the sun when you’ve been touring and working non-stop for ten months, running about all the time.”
Does this mean that they find it difficult to ‘wind down’?
”Yes, definitely,” replied Suggs. ”It’s difficult to even try – to go somewhere where there’s little to do. You find yourself pulling your hair out!”
Does this mean that Suggs never relaxes? ”No, never. I’ve even been getting these nervous rashes on my face.”
You’d think that with all the rushing about he does, Suggs wouldn’t have the time – or, indeed, the inclination – for hobbies. But not so.
”I do have quite a few hobbies,” he explained. ”I like reading, writing - I have to be doing something all the time, I can’t just sit and do nothing. I write words for songs, stories, letters and things. I like drawing, too.”
Is there any chance that we might see stories by Suggs in the bookshops? ”No,” he replied, ”They’re my stories. For my own pleasure.”
Mark said that he’d never really thought about having hobbies:
”I suppose when you’re involved in music, it’s all part and parcel,” he explained. ”I mean, being in a band is like a hobby really, it’s something you enjoy doing, but it’s a job, too. I think that Madness was like a hobby that got out of hand, the way it took off, I used to practice with the band – that was my hobby and for the rest of the time I was a screen printer.”
The success that Madness has achieved must obviously have brought them a reasonable amount of money. Had they bought anything that they’d always wanted but thought they’d never be able to afford?
”Yes,” answered Mark. ”I bought a good stereo which I’ve always wanted, but I think that’s the main thing really.” And Suggs?
”Well, funnily enough, no,” he said. ”You get the money and it isn’t the same at all. You used to think what you’d do with a thousand pounds, but when you actually get it you don’t think about it that way. I have bought a house which I’m doing up and I’ve got two large rooms downstairs which I’d like to put some studio equipment in. But I don’t really want anything else.”
Madness, of course, are noted for their special attention to younger fans. They’ve done several concerts for under 16-year-olds and they’re pleased with the way they were received by them. Said Mark: ”I think kids are getting more into music these days. I think possibly they’re the ones who go out and buy the singles every week. I mean, they don’t buy albums much because I think they can’t really afford them, but I like to think that they generally like your music, like your band and the sort of clothes you wear, which they often follow. I think it’s a great thing.
”We played a concert at Hammersmith Odeon last year for under 16’s and it went really well, they really enjoyed it. That’s what made us decide to do more things like that – it was a success and we felt, well, why not? I mean, they usually can’t go to gigs but they probably buy the records so we thought let’s do some more!”
We couldn’t let Look-in’s tenth birthday go by without asking Mark and Suggs what they were doing ten years ago.
Mark: ”All I can remember from then, music-wise, is listening to Tony Blackburn playing Motown on the radio. That’s about my earliest memory. I was at primary school – I was nine – and I used to read The Beano and follow the adventures of Roy Of The Rovers!”
Suggs: ”I was at primary school, too, aged about 9 or 10, and probably being really naughty! I can’t remember exactly what I was doing, I expect just the normal sort of things that kids do. Planning my world domination and all that! I just liked pop music in general – Cockney Rebel became one of my favourites though that was slightly less than ten years ago. I wasn’t really an avid music fan – I liked toy cars better!”
Moving on to the future, are there any new singles or albums we can look forward to?
”We’re all writing at the moment,” said Suggs. ”it would be nice to have no more singles from Absolutely but there are no definite plans yet. We’re probably going to do some recording soon, and we’ll probably be doing a bit of experimenting, I think.”
A change of direction perhaps? ”Maybe, I don’t know. I can’t see it yet, we’ll just have to see what happens!”
That’s Madness for you!
- Contributed by Lee "Loobyloo" Buckley
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