11th August 2010

REVIEW: Madness at Glastonbury Abbey

By James Coles

Live music and Glastonbury has been synonymous with one another ever since the first Pilton Pop Festival - as it was then known - back in 1970, but there is another event that’s taken place in the town every year since 1996.

The Glastonbury Extravaganza, now in it 15th year, takes place in the glorious surroundings of Glastonbury Abbey. This two-day family orientated event - with picnic hampers almost obligatory - is staged every August, with a pop/rock act headlining on the Saturday night and a classical concert on the Sunday.

The Extravaganza is organised by the same team as the Glastonbury Festival itself, with Michael Eavis very much at the forefront of this far more local event.

This year’s Saturday headliners were Madness - who played the Pyramid Stage at last year’s main festival - and I can’t think of a better band to tick all the boxes. Family friendly - check. Charismatic frontman - check. And a sack full of hit tunes - check.

After a well received support slot from Seventies stalwarts Steve Harley & The Cockney Rebel - including their number one smash ‘Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)’ and a sing-a-long version of George Harrison’s ‘Here Comes The Sun’ - the audience readied itself for the main attraction.

Hampers were packed away and the crowd got to its feet, with the area in front of the stage getting busier and busier as the sun went down and the ruins were floodlit in Technicolor.

The souvenir stand was doing a roaring trade in comedy fezs and inflatable saxophones, equally popular with children and grown-ups alike. And by the time Suggs & co hit the stage, it seemed the whole crowd were wearing a Madness ‘t’-shirt or sporting some sort of band related accessory.

Suggs, dressed in a very natty suit, had made a cameo appearance at the end of Steve Harley’s set, but was now ready for the spotlight to be very firmly on his band.

“Hey you, don’t watch that, watch this...” boomed Chas Smash, and so it began, with Madness launching the set with their first Top Ten hit, ‘One Step Beyond’. And the hits kept on coming, with ‘Embarrassment’ and a fantastic arrangement of ‘My Girl’.

The rest of the 90 minute plus set was a balanced mix of greatest hits, tracks from their fantastic latest album The Liberty of Norton Folgate, and a selection from their 2005 covers LP, The Dangermen Sessions.

Most of the individual members of the band got a chance to shine, with guitarist Chris Foreman trying his hand at stand-up comedy, sax player Lee Thompson scaling the heights of the stage rigging and even keyboard player Mike Barson getting the chance to come out of the shadows. Only drummer Dan Woodgate seemed happy holding things together out of the spotlight.

The crowd lapped up every tune, dancing and singing along with The Nutty Boys as if it was 1979. A great finale culminated in an encore of their theme tune - Prince Buster’s ‘Madness’ - and ‘Night Boat To Cairo’ from the 1980 Work Rest and Play EP.

The night was rounded off by an impressive fireworks display as a very happy crowd made their way home from the ancient ruins.

Picture: NUTTY TIME HAD BY ALL: Madness frontman Suggs