QTheMusic.com

Last Friday, Qthemusic.com was invited to call Suggs from Madness to talk about their new compilation, Total Madness. It had been a nice sunny afternoon and he'd been 'relaxing' in Soho's Bar Italia with Bedders and Lee so the results were, predictably, a bit bonkers...

Suggs: "(Sounds of much cheering and laughter). Hello, Suggs here!"
Qthemusic.com: "Hello Suggs! What are you doing in Bar Italia?"
Suggs: "It's a nice part of town, got a lot of history, it's a nice day, I've got me legs hanging out me ears (much laughter in the background)..."
Qthemusic.com: "Lovely. Let's talk about Total Madness, what's that all about?"
(Sounds of chatting, laughing, chaos)
Qthemusic.com: "Hello? Can you hear me?"
Suggs: "'Old on, it's anarchy in 'ere, I've got to go somewhere quiet... (is now standing outside on the street) Allo, say that again?"
Qthemusic.com: "Total Madness, Suggs, tell us about Total Madness, what's involved in it..."
Suggs: "What d'you want involved in it, how do you want it?"
Qthemusic.com: "Well, it's all the hits, up to present day..."
Suggs: 'Yeah, the usual crap."
Qthemusic.com: "Plus a DVD?"
Qthemusic.com: "I can't hear a word you're saying, but yeah. It's out... do we have to talk about that? What about The Liberty Of Norton Folgate? New stuff."
Qthemusic.com: "Yeah, okay. Obviously new stuff is on the compilation as well."
Suggs: "Yeah... Some of it. Okay, the Total Madness thing, we're looking forward to the tour where we'll be playing some of the hits off it. But, thank God, most of the tour will be songs off this new album, The Liberty Of Norton Folgate. That's what I'm particularly excited about playing."
Qthemusic.com: "You're gonna be playing on Sunday at the Regent Street festival."
Suggs: "Are we?"
Qthemusic.com: "Aren't you?"
Suggs: "That's Sunday week, isn't it? I hope it is, I'm away on Sunday."
Qthemusic.com: "(laughs) Where are you on Sunday?"
Suggs:" I'm in Italy. Jesus. Hang on... (shouts away from phone at PR) Is, erm, is the Regent Street gig this Sunday or next Sunday? Cos I'm in Italy... (back to Q) Cos my swimming pool's got a leak."
Qthemusic.com: "Sounds a bit Sexy Beast. 'My swimming pool's got a leak.' Is it the person buried underneath it trying to get back out? (laughs)"
Suggs: "(laughs) It has, it's got a crack in it. It's Italian builders. They're shite."
Qthemusic.com: "Listen, getting back to you and your career, what are your personal and professional highlights of the last 30 years? Can you give us five stand-out moments?"
Suggs: "Well, firstly, working with the saxophonist in this band [Lee Thompson]. I couldn't have done it without him. And vice versa. What else..."
Qthemusic.com: "What was it like when you first got signed?"
Suggs: "Working with Stiff Records, yeah, that was okay. It did all go tits up but I won't go into that."
Qthemusic.com: "Were Stiff's management premises in Camden, above Swanky Modes (now The Grand Union pub on Camden Road)?"
Suggs: "Not above Swanky Modes, we would operate from there later and that's where I would meet my wife-to-be. We didn't really have management as such, but above Holts, the boot shop on Kentish Town Road, where the Specials had their offices, we had guidance from Rick Rodgers. The next highlight then is standing on Archway roundabout with the record of The Prince being handed to us from 2 Tone records."
Qthemusic.com: "Okay, so number three..."
Suggs: "Number three must be my wife accepting me as her husband. The fool! And she's never looked forwards. On the other hand I've got four fingers and a thumb. So that's number three, what's number four..."
Qthemusic.com: "Any great gigs?"
Suggs: "These bloody questions. Number four, we haven't done it. Personally it'll be on Sunday, Sunday week, or tomorrow. It's something to look forward too, and we always love those Children In Need gigs."

Qthemusic.com: "What about early days at The Dublin Castle, or Japan?"
Suggs: "(already talking through the question)... just me and me ukulele. Did you hear about that? A woman went to a police station (proceeds to tell a dirty gag, roaring with laughter). Are you still there?!"
Qthemusic.com: "Yep, still here."
Suggs: "I'm a one-man band. Ukulele, Jewish harp... without blowing me own TRUMPET, we've got a three-pronged attack. We've got Total Madness, Norton Folgate and One Step Beyond all coming out at once. I mean, is that counter-productive or what. I blame the management meself. The Chuckle Brothers, as I call 'em, should get another job. Who in their right mind releases three albums at once? Actually, they have to follow our orders, so it's our fault at the end of the day. I think it's really bad. Ridiculous."
Qthemusic.com."(laughs) Give us one more highlight, to complete the set."
Suggs: "One minute. (shouts away from phone) I've given four highlights. You've got to give the last highlight. (much confused shouting) The last highlight is... hello?"
Qthemusic.com: "Hello!"
Suggs: "The last highlight is... my lover."
Qthemusic.com: "What?"
Suggs: "My lover..."
Qthemusic.com: "Who's saying that?"
Phone cuts off. Qthemusic rings back and it goes to answerphone. Then, a second attempt.
Suggs: "Hello again."
Qthemusic.com: "What was that last bit again...?"
Suggs: "The last highlight is this year's Camden Crawl. We played a gig on an open-top bus and it was just magic."
Qthemusic.com: "Good stuff. Do you want to give a plug for your new book, Disappearing London?
Suggs: "No."
Qthemusic.com: "No?"
Suggs: "Erm, yes. It's a fantastic read."
Qthemusic.com: "Do you think there are parts of London culture that could be lost, and you want to save them?"
Suggs: "I just wanted to record some things that have gone. I realise that the joy of London is that it changes at the same time - hang on a minute while I get the review in the paper."
Qthemusic is looking at the same article. Silence while Suggs flicks through pages.
Suggs: "(Quotes headline) 'In the mad rush to the future, some things get lost'. The great joy of London is that it does keep changing and it will do forever more. Thanks a lot!"
And he's gone. And Madness did play the Regent Street festival, the cheeky tykes.

Total Madness is out now, and so is The Liberty Of Norton Folgate. One Step Beyond, the 30th anniversary edition, will be released on October 26, through Salvo. Suggs' book, Suggs And The City: My Journeys Through Disappearing London, is also out now.

photos: Brand Barstein www.brandphotography.no

10:41 AM | 28/09/2009