MADNESS + HOT 8 BRASS BAND + DAVID RODIGAN + KID KAPICHI + DJ DUSTEE DU SOUL CASSEROLE – ‘ON THE BEACH’, BRIGHTON BEACH 24.7.26
The car trip from Hastings, the birthplace of some bloke affectionately known as Suggs, with my second born Izzy is an excitable one as we blast out Madness tunes in anticipation of what promises to be anything but a grey day for my first ever visit to Brighton’s ‘On The Beach’ festival.
Now if you don’t know at least one Madness song then it begs the question, just where have you been hiding for the past 47 years? Being a teenager growing up in the late seventies/early eighties, I still have a clear memory of seeing Madness playing ‘The Prince’ on ‘Top Of The Pops’ in 1979 for the very first time, just a week after The Specials had been on the BBC’s flagship music show, and those two performances being life-affirming and further broadening my musical outlook as a 15-year-old living in a small village in Scotland.
I had to wait until I moved to London before I got the opportunity to see them play live. I believe the first time was at a free CND concert in Brockwell Park in May 1983, a couple of times at Glastonbury in ‘85 and ’86, Hammersmith Odeon, etc., but by far the most memorable occasion was the Christmas Party of 1983 at The Lyceum, with excellent support provided by Ian Dury, for the princely sum of £5.
On first impressions it was terrifying for a young 19 year old and my friend Desmond arriving at the venue and being surrounded by loads of skinheads, especially as I had witnessed right-wing skinheads kicking off at the same venue previously when the Dead Kennedys had played. But once Madness arrived on stage the atmosphere truly turned into that of a party as Desmond and I were encouraged to skank with a skinhead as wide as he was tall and we had the time of our lives. That there for me was the essence of Madness in their heyday and the way they made everyone happy and united with their music and nutty boy outlook on life. I’m quite sure that others may not have had such a pleasant experience given that it was the eighties and racism was prevalent in inner London, but for us two teenagers skin colour was irrelevant.
Back to today and the moment we have all been waiting for rapidly approaches and you can sense the party atmosphere is about to explode. Everyone in attendance knows what to expect as Suggs bellows out “Hey you, don’t watch that, watch this……” accompanied by 10,000 people in the crowd, and we are off and bouncing, skanking, or whatever your choice of dance move is. It feels like a slower version than all those years ago but then again, the originals in the band (six out of seven) and crowd are considerably older so maybe it is understandable.
The visuals on the big screens are exceptional for those not so lucky to be close to the stage, with shots of the band playing live, clips from original videos of songs, and clever and imaginative special effects. They really do complement every song without taking anything away from the live performance.
It’s really not all about the music as Suggs, in particular, engages with the crowd. Who else would tell you a story about the Greek philosopher Mick Jagger! There are a variety of boats, including some kayaks, just offshore getting a freebie, which has Suggs demanding that someone go out there and charge them a fiver each. He even gives us a quick “come on, come on” before realising we can’t sing that one anymore!
He talks about ‘Madrophenia’ being a homage to ‘Quadrophenia’, as a lot of the film was set in Brighton, which is greeted with a cheer, but not so much when he mentions that he’s hired out some rockers with bike chains to make it more realistic and they will be waiting for us outside. There are plenty of laughs to be had at a Madness gig, and that is only a taster.
The introduction to ‘My Girl’ is a long back story from Monsieur Barso about his work colleague’s girlfriend, a job delivering bananas for Fyffes, giving the best bananas to special customers, and his colleague stealing his Christmas box. You get the gist! Suggs mentions seeing local favourites The Piranhas back in the day with acknowledgement of the late Bob Grover and gets the crowd singing the tune of ‘Tom Hark’ which is a nice touch.
‘The Sun And The Rain’ is uplifting with Suggs giving us a little sample of ‘Singing In The Rain.’ At this point I notice the look of pure enjoyment on Izzy’s face, and it makes my heart melt. ‘Wings Of A Dove’ has Suggs asking for peace in the world and he gives us a rousing “Free Palestine” mid-song which is greeted with cheers. I would so love to hear this sung live with a gospel choir but alas not tonight. The three-piece brass backing section and the percussionist do though help to add that bit extra to an already polished sound.
One of the best verbal introductions to a song is quite succinct as it’s described as waking up on a Monday morning in a graveyard with a kebab on your chest and a snail up your nose. It is of course the wonderful ‘Grey Day.’ This is the song that really gave me great admiration for Madness as it was the first darker single they released and made me realise there was so much more to this band. It’s a tough choice but ‘B&B Man’ is probably my favourite song of the set and its stark contrast to ‘Grey Day’ is genius setlist order.
‘Shut Up’ is preceded by Suggs surmising about people getting to the top through criminal activity. Another highlight with a tweaked reconstruction of the original video with Lee Thompson being chased around the stage by members of the constabulary, whilst the onscreen visuals show band members performing live from behind prison bars. If there is a world record for the amount of people counting to three in one space, then tonight must be pushing it.
‘Baggy Trousers’ is yet another highlight of the set as the crowd lap it up with some nutty dancing going on. Let’s hope the kids in the audience take on board the message about getting a good education from Suggs. Virtually every song is a singalong which just creates such a happy moment in time in a world full of unnecessary pressures. The music itself and the lyrics are still relatable to the audience with some subtle, and not so subtle, political statements.
It’s great to see Peacehaven local guitarist Chrissy Boy back in the fold after recent health issues and he is invited to talk to the audience. He talks emotionally about his family and also gives a hands off Peacehaven to Brighton as it looks to be swallowed up in the upcoming council restructure.
The icing on the (wedding) cake for the day was an onstage proposal made by Alfie to his partner Bianca, to which she thankfully gave a positive response as Suggs pointed out subtly with a “Thank f*ck she said yes!” He then jokes “it’ll never last,” but a big hug with the couple made it a truly wholesome moment. Predictably this is followed by an audience singalong, which gave me even more goosebumps, if that is humanly possible, to the wonderful cover of Labi Siffre’s ‘It Must Be Love.’ A certainty for their first wedding dance. Congratulations!
The two-song encore is of course ‘Madness’ followed by the moonstomping ‘Night Boat To Cairo’ to end the night. Given where I am standing, I have FOMO about not getting involved in any mosh pit activity, but it takes until the last song before a small one appears at the front, so I’m not disappointed in the slightest. This is the perfect end to a perfect day and I leave the venue with a big smile on my face to drive back to our house.
Madness setlist:
‘One Step Beyond’ (Prince Buster cover)
‘Embarrassment’
‘The Prince’
‘NW5’
‘My Girl’
‘The Sun And The Rain’
‘Return Of The Los Palmas 7’
‘Wings Of A Dove’
‘Lovestruck’
‘Grey Day’
‘Shut Up’
‘Mr. Apples’
‘Bed And Breakfast Man’
‘House Of Fun’
‘Baggy Trousers’
‘Our House’
‘It Must Be Love’ (Labi Siffre cover)
(encore)
‘Madness’ (Prince Buster cover)
‘Night Boat To Cairo’
Unfortunately, I missed a large chunk of the opening DJ set from DJ Dustee Du Soul Casserole, but you can find out more by visiting linktr.ee/soulcasserole1.
There were, however, three further support acts on show…
As a Hastings resident you can only imagine my joy when Kid Kapichi were announced relatively late as a support act on today’s bill. I do have some concerns as when I was out watching Inspiral Carpets last night I saw lead singer Jack Wilson trying to get his photo in The S*n, as he was in the bar at The Piper in St. Leonards-on-Sea rather drunk when I left at 11.30pm, whilst I’m sure his band mates bassist Eddie Lewis, guitarist Lee Martin, and drummer Miles Gill, were all tucked up in bed like the consummate professionals they are. Before anyone moans about me trying to be controversial just to get clicks, please let it be known that Jack requested this be put in the review during the conversation we had. He also promised to give me a shout out and when I hear him shout “Can you hear this, Andy?” twice during the soundcheck I instantly know it’s meant for me, even if it becomes apparent later on that there is a sound technician called Andy. Jack also mentions Andy after the first song, but I miss what he actually says, though I’m taking it as a win!
Opening the eleven-song set with the booming ‘Artillery’ and following it with the faster paced ‘Let’s Get To Work’ in the sunshine has Jack overheating in the sun, or maybe he has the sweats from last night’s sesh, and roadie Grant Dyer (admin for the Klub Kapichi Facebook page) is called upon early doors to take care of his black jacket. Having undergone a 50% change in band members last year, there was a change in musical direction, but the transition has been smooth. Confirmation of this is shown with a synchronised leg kick by bassist Eddie and guitarist Lee early on. I wonder what moves this boy band have lined up for future gigs?! Their onstage energy is key to making a Kid Kapichi gig a spectacle.
The prospect of seeing Suggs join the boys onstage for ‘Zombie Nation’ sadly doesn’t come to fruition. Jack mentions the collaboration which certainly helps to win over more fans, and he hopes that 50% of the crowd are having a good time and apologises to the other 50%. Personally, I am having a wonderful time, so much so that a young man standing next to me asks me if I am lead singer Jack’s dad as I am singing along to every song, wearing a Kid Kapichi t-shirt, sporting sunglasses and have little hair, none in my case!
There are plenty of fan’s favourites in the setlist with ‘Working Man’s Town’ about Hastings of course, ‘Rob The Supermarket’ because they can afford it, and what Jack describes as a crowd divider in the anti-Brexit song ‘Can EU Hear Me?’ I’m behind you Jack with your sentiments on this.
Jack also expresses his disdain at the boats watching from the sea and jokes that the band are being done out of at least an extra £30 on their appearance fee.
They play three songs from their latest long play offering ‘Fearless Nature’, inadvertently ending the set with ‘Rabbit Hole’ even though they still have time left and could possibly have squeezed in the three and half minute chaos of ‘Smash The Gaff’ which is the perfect set ending song. My only gripe of a wonderful day.
Still, it is an exceptional performance from Hastings most successful musical export who are really proving themselves on the big stage. If you liked what you saw, then there are still some tickets available HERE to see Kid Kapichi play an all-ages semi-acoustic set in a much smaller venue, the 200 capacity The Piper in St. Leonards at 3pm on September 26th, which is always a cracking intimate show.
Kid Kapichi setlist:
‘Artillery’
‘Let’s Get To Work’
‘Stainless Steel’
‘Working Man’s Town’
‘Zombie Nation’
‘If You’ve Got Legs’
‘New England’
‘Rob The Supermarket’
‘Can EU Hear Me?’
‘Get Down’
‘Rabbit Hole’
After busting a few moves during that energy sapping performance from Kid Kapichi, I am feeling rather peckish so venture to the food area to get some gluten free and vegan, double fried ‘Naked Chips’ topped with pickles (at least I’ve had one of my five a day) and smothered in nacho cheese sauce. Delicious and very filling.
Whilst in search of food I miss the start of the David Rodigan set, which bizarrely I can’t hear at the back of the arena, but maybe that’s a sign of years of abuse to my ears at gigs. I can honestly say that David Rodigan has never really been on my radar, and I never listened to KISS 100 on the wireless. He is though undoubtedly a legend in the Reggae world, and I am about to witness what he is all about for the first time.
Having negotiated my way back relatively unscathed apart from a slight iced latte spillage some ten yards from my destination as someone bumped into me, I am able to focus on the man himself. I must admit to being a bit sceptical about having a DJ on the support bill, but I’m nothing if not open to being convinced otherwise, and to be fair it doesn’t take long. At 75 years old he obviously has plenty of experience and the way he works the crowd is the sign of a true professional.
He doesn’t play the full song but just gives us snippets of many classics, including classics such as Jimmy Cliff’s ‘Beautiful World, Beautiful People,’ Desmond Dekker And The Aces with ‘The Israelites,’ and of course some Bob Marley and The Wailers with ‘Buffalo Soldier.’ By my reckoning the longest segment of a song he plays is Johnny Nash’s version of ‘Cupid.’ My musical highlights are the original 1967 recording of ‘A Message To You Rudy’ and ‘Ghost Town’ by The Specials when David ‘Ram Jam’ Rodigan invites Jerry Dammers onto the stage briefly for some well-deserved adulation from the crowd. This is my calling to track down Mr Dammers for a selfie which I accomplish.
In my opinion he would have been great to warm up the audience directly before Madness. He has the crowd eating out of his hand and there is audience participation throughout that you can’t help but smile. When he asks “If you are here with your dad let him know” the scream from Izzy is music to my ears! He lists some of the bad guys from TV in the eighties including Dirty Den and has the crowd concluding that JR Ewing would make a better US President than the current incumbent which says a lot about the state of their politics.
He ends the set with some Jungle which he recalls promoting on Kiss some 32 years ago and the bosses calling him straight into the office afterwards to question what he had just played. It is undoubtedly a great choice to end on given the crowd’s reaction.
The last support act on the bill is Hot 8 Brass Band all the way from Louisiana. They have been around since 1995, yet I haven’t heard of them until now. The only time I went to New Orleans was in 1994 so I would have just missed them, but they certainly fit the vibe that I encountered there and they have that bit extra about them as their brand of jazz is infused with hip-hop and R&B.
The clue to how many band members is in their name, and they most certainly fill the stage with their music and presence. The first song is ‘What’s My Name? (Rock With The Hot 8)’ which I’m presuming is the super extended party version as there appears no natural break in the song for 15 minutes, which shows great stamina and musicianship. Not half bad considering the band are still missing a sousaphone and bass drum from their journey to the UK, which are in the possession of BA, and saxophonist Andrew Calhoun Jnr lost his luggage, so it hasn’t been ideal preparation.
Again, they know how to play the crowd with their own inimitable version of ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ which is mightily impressive and I doth my cap to anyone daring to cover this classic. Their jazzed-up version of ‘Ghost Town’ is obviously the showstopper given the audience and Jerry Dammers gets another shout out. There are also funky covers of ‘Sexual Healing’ and ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ in their hour-long set. There is time for some audience dance participation with a simple left right, left right move, which I might have found easier if it was left left, left left, move given my dancing ability! If you like your jazz a bit different then do check this lot out.
This was my first experience of Brighton ‘On The Beach’ festival and I honestly give it a 10 out of 10. The atmosphere was friendly, the staff were accommodating and polite, and security were great and were certainly enjoying the music, so a big thank you to all involved. I will one hundred per cent be back in the future given the quality of the bands they attract.
