A FEZ fashion fest took over Plymouth last night as Madness fans joined in the party atmosphere for the latest Summer Sessions concert on the Hoe last night.
Frontman Suggs recognised that fans had made the effort by dressing up in Ska style in Doc Martins, fezzes, pork pie hats, tartan-lined jackets and generally looking sharp.
Madness responded with a typically energetic set of classic favourites, age has not slowed them down over their decades of success, even though they had even just returned from the US. There was a true family occasion with fans of all ages, youngsters with their parents and grandparents alike could not help but wave and jump and stamp and pump their arms and legs in a frenzy of dancing.
Suggs didn’t have to do much to win over his fans, but he recognised the acclaim and put his heart and soul into the show. He paid tribute to the Plymouth heritage of the US which went down well. A lot of creativity had gone into the visuals on the Madness animation screens, including the Thunderbirds theme tune and graphics which welcomed them onto the stage with One Step Beyond getting the audience leaping around from the off.
If you weren’t into the atmosphere immediately then the infectious humour and jaunty dancing of the audience carried you along with the cockney humour of Suggs. He said to forget Taylor Swift and Drake, Madness were the top sellers. And to prove it they performed more than 22 hits ovber 90 minutes without a breather and no one in the crowd needed a rest. Only Suggs took a brief rest when saxophonist Lee Thompson became lead singer for a rendition of AC/DC’s Highway to Hell - seamlessly the fans joined in.
Although everyone had fun, there were some not-so-familiar numbers which many not so die-hard fans might not have recognised, including Run for Your Life, C’est La Vie, old tune Bed and Breakfast Man and The Sun and the Moon, earlier on in the set. But was balanced by Embarassment.
The best was saved til last with the crowd rewarded with House of Fun, Our House, Baggy Trousers , It Must Be Love and Night Boat to Cairo - the latter included Suggs jokingly wearing his towel over his head Arab scarf-style. Needless to say everyone sang along to all these classic favourites.
Earlier the Zutons played to a thinning crowd who were not so familiar with their songs, except for the famous Valerie, prior to the Zutons were the Lightning Seeds who went down better with their big hit Football’s Coming Home stirring some heartfelt singing as the Euros begins - some joker yelled Green Army (Argyle’s own anthem) to laughter. The Seeds also entertained with Life of Riley and Lucky You. Perhaps a longer set from Madness and a shorter one from the Zutons would have been more welcome.
Sting is on tonight supported by Debbie Harry and Blondie to end this great series of the Summer Sessions which was very welcome in Plymouth which is often missed out by the bigger acts who do not usually venture this far west.
