Madness makes Englefield a House of Fun

Heritage Live: Madness, The Lightning Seeds, Old Time Sailors

at Englefield House

on Friday, July 19

Review by AMANDA HOLLIDAY

Pictures by PHIL HOLLIDAY

From Cornwall to Camden via Liverpool

The sun was well over the yardarm when the Old Time Sailors dropped anchor at Englefield. Fresh from their Glasto appearance, this cheerful band of 20 musicians gave us an exuberant performance. An appreciative audience joined in with songs like Dirty Old Town, Fisherman’s Blues and an exhilarating rendition of Yellow Submarine.

It’s difficult to believe that Lightning Seeds are celebrating their 35th anniversary this year. Marvellous kicked off proceedings with energy and a sense of optimism and other old favourites like Change and Lucky You reminded us of Broudie’s song writing talent. The appropriately named Sunshine brought us a more recent offering and thanks to Lightning Seeds, every little thing felt fine in the sunshine on Friday evening.

Madness must be doing something right because, according to Suggs, at the end of last year their 13th studio album Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’est la Vie knocked Taylor Swift off the number one spot in the UK.

I’m pleased to report that the Nutty Boys from Camden Town were on excellent form at this Heritage Live event where they performed 21 songs to a loving and enthusiastic audience.

The opening chords of Embarrassment immediately transported me back to the 1980s. Its driving melody and affecting lyrics have lost none of their power over the years: It sounds as fresh today as it did on my cassette player back then.

Their most recent single, Hour of Need, is a thoughtful piece written in response to the pandemic and was well received by the crowd. The anthemic Run for Your Life speaks of a troubled world, providing opportunities for reflection perhaps, but Baggy Trousers and Our House served to convince the crowd that tonight at least, all was well.

The spectacle of so many fez-topped middle-aged men singing and dancing to It Must be Love was strangely touching. And that is the power of Madness.

At the end of a wonderful night of music, under the mollifying presence of a full moon, the London lads took their leave.