[total-madness] Un Paso Adelante...

[Zarjazz77]

Dear All

Madness played at Chris & Mary Gorman's party in Spain at the Babilonia on Thursday night. It is a beautiful Moroccan style venue, an out door restaurant in Puerto Banus in Marbella.

A run down on the trip will shortly appear on Chas Smash Online www.chassmash.com with photos. Mr Smash will give his report as promised next week.

With regard to the recent stem on Greatest Hits packages, if they didn't sell, Virgin wouldn't bother reproducing them! Don't know where it says that you have to buy the greatest hits each time they come out! Some of us buy them just because we like to have every single release, but its not mandatory you know!

And if each newly packaged item means an introduction to new fans to Madness...where's the harm?
It certainly has come up in the past how uncomfortable band members have felt about the constant repackaging, & it's also been mentioned many times that Virgin have the rights to the back catalogue & they have the undeniable right to repackage the same thing in any way they see fit, that's all there is to it. The how's & why's are old news & don't need to be repeated here.

I think there'd be far more reason to complain if Virgin forgot that they have the catalogue of the greatest band to ever grace the listening world. Will we complain if Divine & Take It Or Leave It come out on DVD? They've already come out on video, so will folk moan that now they have to buy a DVD player? Perhaps not...

It is perhaps a little destructive on Virgin's part, as with the constant re-releasing of old material the impression is given to the public that Madness are a 'past' band, which quite simply is not true. They are stronger as a band now than perhaps they ever were, & the reason for not doing more Madstocks every year is that they don't want to be seen as some 80's band just doing the same old same old, they are a 'today' band, they are writing, creating & performing together.

Mike left the band, then the band left the band because they were so damn tired. Physically & emotionally drained, from years of constant touring, rehearsing, recording travelling & promoting. The great entity that is Madness stopped being fun. They stopped enjoying it. And in conversations & interviews in the years since, they have all said that when Mike left, that they should have stopped, should have rested, taken their time & gotten off the treadmill.

The comeback in 92 was a gift to all, I personally am still immensely grateful that they took such a big chance. But the number one rule in getting back together, was that Madness, this 'thing', this living creature that they all love just as much as we do, remain that fun & beloved animal. Everyone said if it stops being fun, its time to go.

Most of the 'complaints' that have come up, seem to suggest that folk would rather see the boys leap back into the ratrace & work Madness into the ground again.
No, they don't play as regularly as perhaps we'd like, but hell if they did they'd be playing 365 days a year!

They are now in the happy & very well deserved position of being able to pick & choose what they do. It's not selfish, its fair. They can turn down the big gigs in Finsbury Park & accept smaller gigs for far less money such as the Electric Ballroom gig, or 3 nights in Rotterdam or this weeks jaunt into Spain.

A comment that for me really rankled was: 'They'll obviously do anything for cash now!'

The trip to Spain was an offer that, well who could refuse it? An opportunity to get together and socialise as friends with their families, lie by the pool, eat out together, relax & have some fun. Then get to do the thing that all seven enjoy doing most...play! And all this in a beautiful setting, gorgeous climate & paid for! Well wouldn't you?
Who could possibly turn down such an opportunity?
It was such a relaxed & enjoyable event that afterwards, Woody was saying how he'd really got into it & was sorry it was over...a sentiment echoed by all the band.
The irony of playing, not a wedding but a wedding vow renewal was not lost, & many jokes were made on having accepted an offer to play a Bar Mitzvah next week.

Maybe Im really selfish, I want them to play forever. I'll be happy if they only play once a year, because as long as they are still enjoying it, then they'll still be doing it, & what is more enjoyable than seeing your 7 favourite artists doing what they do best, doing it better than anyone has a right to & loving every moment?

Long long live the gladness that is Madness.

Adele