The older, the bigger. This somewhat homely proverb became the motto of the tour of the London ska band Madness, which ended at the weekend and performed twice in a row in Berlin’s multifunctional building “Tempodrom”.
Nine men around 60 (band plus brass and percussion) are in a good mood, make finely dosed jokes and show – instead of the opening act – almost educational videos from the decade from the 1970s to the 1980s:
Pixelated film snippets from the early bluebeat and ska era, when Caribbean immigrants came to Britain and the black “rude boy” became a role model for white teenagers too. In addition, punk with The Jam, The Clash and also Bob Marley invited to the party. So Madness wanted to say to the few younger ones in the audience: “Very long ago, children, that’s how THAT was back then!”
The history cabinet was then closed at around 9 p.m. A red curtain was projected onto the backstage screen – and the fun could begin.
Singer Suggs (61) came on stage with sunglasses and a suit and rang in the “heavy, heavy monster sound” with a lot of echo in his voice. A bit fuller in his 40+ year career, he appeared from the back rows like Leonardo DiCaprio in a Scorsese film adaptation on the Coventry label Two-Tone.
The usual charming entertainer Suggs chats from the tour sewing box. “I have no idea how last night ended. Beer is still dripping from my forehead.” After the first Berlin concert, the crew let it rip like an Englishman.
However, zero hangover. The rhythmic entries are precise, the timing is right. A mix of the early ska era and the later pop era from the mid 80’s. The line “waiting for the train that never comes” from “Ghost Train” has long since entered UK slang.
Suggs jokes about the Spice Girls’ 25th anniversary; and not only the graphically chic designed background films reminded of the anarcho-comedy troupe Monty Python.
“We’re so happy you’re still around…but to be honest… we’re even happier that WE’re still here,” said Suggs to the audience, who were equipped with all the trappings of former youth and subcultures. There was a lot of action going on across the hall.
Suggs allows himself two breather breaks, in which he leaves the microphone to his colleagues in a good mood, and for the grand finale “Nightboat to Cairo”, original video snippets from earlier videos are faded in, which today you probably wouldn’t turn on SO anymore. Back then, people still marched through a fantasy Egypt with pith helmets and desert boots and made silly colonial jokes – is that “cultural appropriation”?
This closing number, which the audience eagerly jumped and danced to, was countered with scenes from the Hollywood mega-Schmonzette “Cleopatra”. This disarming sense of humour, paired with a skillful joie de vivre, would be warmly recommended to some combat discourse colleagues.
“One Step Beyond” into the Berlin night!