With the country still in the midst of lockdown and no sign of any live music in the foreseeable future if at all this year I thought I would take the opportunity to look back in the archives, sounds posh I know but it’s just an spreadsheet, and revisit gigs I attended on this day down the years. I will keep this going until I can attend my first gig again in person so hopefully this also brings back memories for my gig going chums who have joined me on this great musical journey down the years.
Just the one today for my trip down memory lane for you down the years
2008, Madness, Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher
It’s a Thursday night in the summer which can only mean one thing, music night at the races. Today is the turn of those nutty boys Madness. I know the line-up has been quite fluid down the years but we were lucky on this occasion with all seven of them here. Well I say seven, a certain Mr Barton was a little late after missing his flight home from holiday but eventually joined the rest to add that distinctive keyboard sound.
This was of course a nostalgia trip for most of us there reliving the eighties with all the hits. Sadly it also seemed to attract the middle aged Fred Perry brigade who thought they were eighteen again, had had a little too much to drink and there just seemed to be a bit of an edge to the evening. I did see one such idiot removed from the venue at one stage. Well every village has an idiot and we found ours tonight.
Apart from that it was brilliant stuff. All the hits were there and I can’t believe anybody left disappointed with the night. Rack it up as another good night at the races as we continue to hum ‘our house’ and ‘Baggy Trousers’ and more on our short walk home.
That’s it for today’s trip down memory lane. Here’s hoping we can get to some form of normality soon. Support your small local venues and smaller artists in these difficult times, stay safe and keep on rockin y’all.
pic courtesy of Get Surrey