A three part series showing the rise of Madness is now available on ITVX.
The docuseries traces the origins of the band – from a group of teenage friends to one of the most enduring and popular British bands of all time.
Lead singer Suggs said “I don’t remember ever thinking about whether it was going to last. You see this polished Madness that’s been going for years and people would think, ‘course you knew.’
“But I didn’t have a clue. I wasn’t taking it the slightest bit serious. That’s why I got thrown out of the band at the start, because I just thought it was a laugh and just something to do – hanging out with pretty cool geezers. The idea that I was ever going to make a career out of it was totally beyond my comprehension.”
Throughout their career, Madness have had 10 UK top ten albums, 15 top ten singles and have won a multitude of awards including an Ivor Novello songwriting award. The band set the record for the biggest audience ever for the BBCs Live New Years Eve Broadcast the most watched TV music event of 2018 and performed on top of Buckingham Palace as part of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations.
Each 60-minute episode is a fascinating slice of music history, featuring original footage and interviews with band members past and present including Chris Foreman, Mike ‘Barso’ Barson, Lee ‘Thommo’ Thompson, Graham ‘Suggs’ McPherson, Daniel ‘Woody’ Woodgate, Mark ‘Bedders’ Bedford, Carl ‘Chas Smash’ Smyth.
Set during a time of cultural and political upheaval, the docuseries offers a captivating insight into post-war Britain, alongside the band’s unstoppable rise to the top of the charts, pop fame and fortune, against the backdrop of the ska, punk and new wave revolution.
You can watch a clip here:
