One step beyond a normal review of Madness at PRB
Madness at PRB-All Photos by ©dickslaughter.com
Introduction from dick slaughter:
Punk Rock Bowling (PRB) is a large festival showcasing performers of different genres, often including special reunions or performances. This year, the groundbreaking Ska band Madness performed. For their fans, Madness is much more than just a band - their music serves as a soundtrack for life-changing moments and holds a special place in their hearts. I wanted to find someone like that to write a review - someone who has loved the band their whole life, who would stake out a spot all day to make sure they saw Madness perform front and center - and made sure that Madness saw her. I found that person. Please allow me to introduce:
Vanessa Klauser Hildebrand.
Vanessa with her sign at PRB All Photos ©dickslaughter.com
The legendary band Madness opened their concert at PRB on Monday, May 28, 2024, with the iconic Star Wars theme by John Williams. My heart started to race, and, after a short technical delay, the day for which I have been waiting for over 43 years: Madness was about to take the stage! A group of us had been on the rail for over 7 hours, waiting for Madness. As I held onto the front row rail, I realized I was about to see my all-time favorite band, Madness. The intro ends, the lights dim, and the band begins to come out. The first song was a cover by a very talented old Jamaican ska artist by the name of Prince Buster. The song was ‘One Step Beyond’, the very tune that got me hooked on these nutty boys back in 1979. Prince Buster was a big influence on them, as they covered other songs and got their name from another one of their songs called ‘Madness’, also from 1963.
PRB brings people of different ages and backgrounds together, embodying the spirit of 2 Tone Records, one of the labels Madness was under. During Madness’s rendition of ‘One Step Beyond’, all ages and backgrounds at PRB began to dance and sing along with them (myself included), and I saw a sea of checkerboard patterns in the crowd and pure joy on everyone's faces. I was reminded of what this black & white pattern was meant to symbolize: racial harmony. The second song they performed was ‘Embarrassment’, by sax player Lee Thompson. Suggs told us the song was about Lee’s teenage sister becoming pregnant with a mixed-race baby, and how her family handled it at the time.
Madness at PRB-All Photo ©dickslaughter.com
As I watched them dance and sing on the stage, I was sent back to my youth, and they hadn't skipped a beat. They killed it up there! I was so grateful that PRB brought them back after having to cancel their appearance back in 2020 due to COVID, which crushed me as that would have been my first time seeing them. Why do I love Madness? It's simple: because Madness loves us, the fans. How do I know that? Because during the COVID lockdowns, I happened upon a post from Madness asking their “Madhead” fans to re-enact parts of their ‘Our House’ video. They would use fans' videos to reproduce the ‘Our House’ video. I waited for months to see if our videos made the cut, being included in parts of the video couldn't have come at a better time because the 3 Madness concerts I had tickets to had been canceled. Being the loyal, dedicated fans we are, we felt an obligation to participate in their request for fans to dress up in fancy Theatre of Absurd outfits, so I donned my top hat, and checkered absurd outfit along with my sister.
Madness at PRB-AllPhoto by ©dickslaughter.com
They paid further homage to the very talented Prince Buster with the third song in their set, ‘Prince’. Their brass and percussion section always brings out a dynamic energy to their music, you can't help but dance, skank, and sing.
The evening set list included three songs from their newest album, Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’est La Vie- ‘C’est la Vie’, ‘If I Go Mad’, and ‘Run for Your Life’. Their newest songs still have catchy, whimsical theatrical themes and tones. When Suggs sang, ‘If I Go Mad’, the lyrics, “We all miss the show,” brought me back to COVID times, as we all missed the live music and being together in venues. We were all going "mad,” lol. I sing the chorus as loud as I can: “If I go mad without you!” These seasoned lads can still produce and write incredible songs.
Madness at PRB-All Photos by ©dickslaughter.com
One of the highlights of the concert was when Mr. “CJ” Chris Foreman began to sing Bon Jovi’s ‘Livin on a Prayer’ and got everyone to sing along! What a moment: the energy of young and old punks, rockers, new wave, and Ska fans all as one! Then Graham “Suggs” McPherson came back on stage with the band to finish the set with more iconic songs: ‘House of Fun’, ‘Baggy Trousers’, ‘Our House’, ‘It Must Be Love’, ‘Madness’, and ‘Night Boat’. I loved seeing the talented Mike Barson playing on keyboards, especially during ‘House of Fun’ as he co-wrote it. Their comical antics and dancing on stage was just the best, and as always, they were looking sharp!
Madness at PRB-All Photos by ©dickslaughter.com
If you didn’t think they could finish the second set with more energy than the first, boy, were you wrong! In their mid to late-60s, the members of Madness definitely still have it! They had the atmosphere charged with electricity, the energetic vibe was contagious and brought the crowd together as one soulful family. We all sang, danced, skanked, moshed, and even had a few crowd surfers. Hearing PRB concertgoers sing along with Suggs during ‘It Must Be Love’ brought tears to my eyes. The show had to end, and after the show, I was fortunate to receive one of the setlists. I began to cry; this was the cherry on top! This was something totally unexpected and I received many hugs from other fans. Madness had the PRB atmosphere rocking off the charts. It was utter madness and a bonding experience for all old and new fans. What a great way to close out Punk Rock Bowling 2024!
Madness at PRB-All Photos by ©dickslaughter.com
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