Extracts from an interview from the Mail on sunday Live Magazine.
"Thirty years of getting away with it" is how vocalist Suggs describes the pop career of Madness. Suggs is sitting in the boardroom of a London Radio Station alongside fellow band member Carl Smyth (aka Chas Smash).
"The only reason we do interviews together is that it gives us a chance to go for a beer afterwards." Says Suggs.
On the videos..."There was always a touch of Tommy Cooper about us" says Smyth. "In Terms of our world view, we were slightly to the left of stage. We might have appeared bonkers but, by writing about everyday subjects in a completely honest way, we connected with people."
On fame..."We were never the types to start hanging around on Duran Durans yacht, Says Suggs with the broadest of grins. "we had very little to do with famous people. I bumped into Bryan Ferry in a queue once. He was eating a cake. Another time I went into the Albert hall to see some band walked into the wrong box by accident and got stuck in Brian May and Anita Dobson's hair for two and a half weeks. It was quite an adventure, as I found all sorts of interesting stuff in there. but that's the full extent of my celebrity experience."
On the early days...As Suggs recalls, "It was a classic case of playing at being a pop band in those early days we'd rehearse around each other's houses with brooms and mirrors. More time was spent working on how we looked than how we sounded. We'd go round the shops nicking clothes then take pictures of ourselves with nicked cameras. Shoplifting played a big part in our formative stages."
"The only time I wrecked a hotel room it was an accident," Suggs says "I tripped on a vase and put my head through the TV screen. we'd done all that rock n roll mayhem before we formed the band. Groupies? We all had regular girlfriends. Drugs? We had out moments, like any other fun-loving chaps. But none of us ended up in the Betty Ford Clinic. Drinking was more our thing"
On the first Madstock...."Probably the proudest moment of our entire career." Suggs says "When we played One Step Beyond, the entire crowd performed the nutty dance and caused a tremor that measured 4.5 on the richter scale."
On the future..."we don't think of ourselves in terms of being one of the great bands." Says Smyth. "Besides we're old geezers now. We're at the age where all we need to do is please ourselves". Suggs Nods in agreement. Then, as though it's the most normal thing in the world to say, adds: "you know the great thing about getting older?" it gets even easier to ride a white bicycle down Camden High Street wearing a pink bowler hat, with one shoe off and one shoe one." At that, the two nutty boys burst out laughing, before announcing that it's time for them to be heading off down the pub. No change there. Pure Madness.
