Girls/Boys/Smells/Noise: An Audience with Madness

 

  

Illustration by : Matt Macabre

As we all know, Ben Sherman promotes so much more than looking great, its about an attitude, a lifestyle; its as much about the clothes on your back as records in your jukebox and followers of the brand will be familiar with recent collaborations between Ben Sherman and iconic British musicians including David Bowie and the Beatles. Well this year is no exception and the latest addition to the Ben Sherman Alumni is London’s own giants of two-tone, Madness.

On May 5^th, to celebrate their union with the ‘Nutty Boys’ Ben Sherman threw an exclusive party at Flowerpot in the heart of Camden Town, perhaps one of the most intimate venues the band has played since they first formed over 30 years ago. Oh… and did I mention I got invited?

I was absolutely ecstatic to receive the email from the team, I knew something was on the cards because the Ben Sherman/Madness alliance had been mentioned at the January conference that the other Brand Ambassadors and myself had attended (all three of us already plotting how we could possibly weasel our way in to a gig) but to be invited without any sulking, hinting, or bribery at all and to be part of such a small audience for such a huge band… I was over the moon!

As part of my trip to the big smoke, Ben Sherman had also asked me to put my drawing skills to good use in the venue, decorating the chalk boards behind Flowerpot’s bar for the event.  I jumped at the chance to get involved and despite a very hurried performance to get finished on a tight schedule, I had a fantastic time being part of the behind the scenes bustle (I even got heckled by Suggs during their sound check)

As the evening rolled around the doors opened and crowds eagerly appeared: a collection of employees, special guests, photographers, fanatics, press, and competition winners; all very excited and equally aware of the privilege of attending such a cosy gig. By the time Madness made for the stage Flowerpot was crammed wall to wall and shoulder to shoulder with rude-boys and girls, the band had to form a conga-line through the audience reminiscent of the Mad-train in order to make it to the front but were encouraged along by their fans’ elated applause. Whether it was gratitude for the warm welcome, or more likely, that they don’t perform any other way - the boys played a magnificent set of 17 songs including all the big hits, rousing the audience into a euphoric sing-a-long. As I took a moment to look around the room united amidst the swaying, smiling mass, it became even more apparent how and why Madness have managed to stay at the top of their game over the course of 3 decades… It must be love.

 

 

 

 

 

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