FESTIVAL REVIEW:The Fez hats bouncing around as the Sunsets over the Edinburgh skyline It’s MADNESS in Town for The Summer Sessions

MADNESS

with The Lightning Seeds 

Edinburgh Summer Sessions

18th August 2019

Madness at the Summer Sessions Edinburgh 18th August 2019
Madness at the Summer Sessions Edinburgh 18th August 2019 // Photo Credit: James Edmond

Review /Images: James Edmond

On a Summer’s night in Edinburgh and having the rain making an appearance throughout the day. This hasn’t dampened the mood of gig-goers as they’re ready wearing Fez hats 

Edinburgh Summer Sessions is Set in the Princess Street Gardens, of Edinburgh, this is just off Princess Street at the foot of Edinburgh Castle. A unique setting for a concert, but not as unique as THE NUTTY BOYS, aka MADNESS in the past had Buckingham Palace as a backdrop for their set at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee show.

The lightning Seeds Summer Sessions Edinburgh
The lightning Seeds Summer Sessions Edinburgh // Photo Credit: James Edmond

Support act for Summer Sessions is Liverpool’s Ian Brodie and The Lightning Seeds to kick the party off, and as soon as the opening chords with song  “Change”, they had the audience’s attention who were singing along.  Ian Brodie knows how to bring the crowd into the show, not your typical warm-up band, as showed during the set they weren’t here as a support band, they were here to entertain with old and new music to some of the older fans and to those who may not know them as well. 

The Lightning Seeds performed a back catalogue of hits including “Sense”, “Lucky You” and “All I Want”. Ian Brodie seemly enjoying the sing along with the Edinburgh audience. “Perfect” was the song seemed fitting for this amazing location for what’s been a well prepared and successful Summer Sessions not only here in Edinburgh but across the west in Glasgow.

At the end of their set, the crowd were treated to a sing-along with hits songs, “The Life of Riley” and to close the set there well known hit  “Pure”, with everyone dancing and singing you could see clearly how much they were enjoying the performance and not expecting to hear the band perform many of their hits.

The lightning Seeds Summer Sessions Edinburgh
The lightning Seeds Summer Sessions Edinburgh // Photo Credit: James Edmond

The Lightning Seeds, celebrating the 25th-anniversary re-issue of “Jollification” next month.  The current line up with main lead Ian Brodie – lead guitar, vocals, keyboards, Martyn Campbell – bass, backing vocals, Riley Broudie – rhythm guitar, Abi Harding – saxophone, keyboards, backing vocals and Jim Sharrock – drums, backing vocals. A Purely magical performance by The Lightning Seeds.

As the lights dimmed, this reflected on to a sea of Red Fez hats, into the large crowd and this resembled what you could say was like a red poppy field. 

Madness at the Summer Sessions Edinburgh 18th August 2019
Madness at the Summer Sessions Edinburgh 18th August 2019 // Photo Credit: James Edmond

As each member are walking on stage you could hear the opening chords to get the party underway, Suggs arrives on stage, greets the audience with “Hey You!”  the audience know exactly what’s coming next as Suggs with a short pause announces “Don’t Watch That, Watch This! This is the Heavy, Heavy Monster Sound of, One Step Beyond.”  The Nutty Boys aka Madness were now on stage. 

The crowd go into a frenzy, with bobbing Fez hats dancing away to the best of The Nutty Boys, and with four decades of the band the hits kept on flowing. With Embarrassment”, and then Lee Thompson’s sax tears into the intro of the Prince Buster cover of the same name and the tone is set for a bouncy, fun-filled evening  “The Prince”, followed by “NW5”, and the opening lyrics of  “Cause I Would Give You Everything”.

Madness at the Summer Sessions Edinburgh 18th August 2019
Lee Thompson // Madness at the Summer Sessions Edinburgh 18th August 2019 // Photo Credit: James Edmond

Madness performed many of their hits with one being from the 2009 “The Liberty of Norton Folgate” Album.  and performing a few newer songs with “My Girl 2” & “Bullingdon Boys” and “Can’t Touch Us Now”. 

Madness at the Summer Sessions Edinburgh 18th August 2019
Suggs // Madness at the Summer Sessions Edinburgh 18th August 2019// Photo Credit: James Edmond

Suggs on top form, singing song’s “Keep Moving “ to the beautiful song of “One Better Day”. Suggs was also bantering along with the crowd, strutting around whilst Lee Thompson raced from side to side of the stage as he’s done for over four decades of the band. The Fez hats still bouncing around as the sun-sets over the Edinburgh skyline. The party was in full swing with “The Sun And The Rain”, and fingers crossed it would only be the sun that was setting, as with a weekend of rain it was the last thing the Edinburgh audience would’ve needed. And to be honest, it wouldn’t have mattered to the crowd if it did rain, as Madness had the audience going Nutty for more just enjoying hit after hit.  with songs “Wings of a Dove”, “Driving in my Car” and “Bed and Breakfast Man”. The first single from “Can’t Touch us Now”, “Mr Apples”, and with the chorus, “Ooooooooooooh !!!!, Calm Down, Mr Apples“, being sung from the heart from the audience.

Madness at the Summer Sessions Edinburgh 18th August 2019
Madness at the Summer Sessions Edinburgh 18th August 2019 // Photo Credit: James Edmond

Bringing the set to a close Madness then performed classics, “House of Fun”, Baggy Trousers”, and  “Our House” finishing the set with “It must Be Love”. the crowd were in full voice, as the band left the stage. A small gap with them leaving the stage this gave the audience a chance to relax after and after an amazing workout to the Madness Catalogue of music. The band returned to a hero’s welcome, performing the Prince Buster cover, “Madness”, as the crowd sang along “Madness, Madness, They Call it Madness”.

Suggs and crew really know how to capture their audience and deliver a set to match playing old and new songs. As the skanking around was in full swing, to Prince Buster hit, it’s that time in the evening for the final show stopper “Night Boat To Cairo”, before sending the crowd off into the night tired and happy.

Madness at the Summer Sessions Edinburgh 18th August 2019
Madness at the Summer Sessions Edinburgh 18th August 2019 // Photo Credit: James Edmond

This was the perfect way to close the Summer Sessions in Edinburgh with cracking performances from The Lightning Seeds and Madness, Having noted the posters around town with an image on the poster providing a nostalgic trip back in time. This couldn’t have been further from the truth, as Ian Brodie’s Lightning Seeds performing like all their careers survived on it, taking every moment and making it their own.

Madness performing and bringing the house down with hit after hit along with new songs that belong in the Madness that’s Madness set. Madness sure know how to put a Fez hat on it, I’m sure Edinburgh Castle had its hat on during the set. The marvellous setting for a fantastic show, two landmarks in the one place.  Summer Session’s Festival perfect and well organised. 

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The Lightning Seeds

Website http://lightningseeds.co.uk/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheLightningSeeds

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lightningseedsofficial/

Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Lightning_Seeds

YouTube https://youtu.be/Kl2_hJ0DXDw

 

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Madness

Website http://www.madness.co.uk/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/madnessofficial

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/madnessband/

Twitter https://twitter.com/MadnessNews

YouTube https://youtu.be/0NKNGKNBYs0

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