By: Matt Lambert
Madness & Fishbone at MGM Music Hall May 29th 2024
It had been 38 years since the UK ska outfit Madness had come to Boston. This particular show was also 4 years in the making after it was canceled/rescheduled on a few different occasions. So when it was announced that on May 29th at MGM Music Hall at Fenway was going to host the C’est La Vie in America tour, along with ska/punk legends Fishbone it had generated a bit of buzz.
Even though the show was up against another show with somewhat of a cross-over fanbase (The Damned at Big Night Live) Madness still attracted a fairly big crowd. The GA floor of MGM was packed with eager fans.
Fishbone, led by Angelo Moore put on a great upbeat set full of classic songs such as “Party at Ground Zero” and “Everyday Sunshine.” The band was full of fantastic energy, a great start to the night full of ska/two-tone music. Christopher Dowd was all over the stage with his keyboard.
Madness took the stage to John Williams’ Star Wars theme, and then went into One Step Beyond, their popular cover of the Prince Buster tune. Other songs they played included “My Girl,” “Girl Why Don’t You,” also by Prince Buster, and one of my personal favorites, “Our House.” They did play a few tunes from their recently released thirteenth studio album at the end of 2023, Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’est La Vie, a combination two-tone ska/baroque-pop album. But the 22-song set contained mostly classics plus some covers, like AC/DC’s Highway to Hell, it was a great night for all. They proved why they are one of the biggest bands of the late 70s early 80s two-tone ska revival even in 2024.