One Step Behind

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Date/Fri 02 December, 2005
Reviewed by/Denis Hill

If ever Christmas needed an early lift-off this was always going to be one of the best ways to give it as One Step Behind, replicating the uniquely “nutty” atmosphere generated by one of the nation’s best-loved musical institutions produced a real champagne performance to a packed Plinston.

I had been expecting some crazy goings-on after this band’s first frenetic gig at this venue some thirteen months before, but their special kind of contagion which spread through tonight’s audience faster than a forest fire, had even me marvelling at the energy levels it must take to perform at this manic tempo several times every week.

The gig opened with DRIVING IN MY CAR - a solid gold classic in which the highly individual Suggs vocal was immediately apparent. We then went headfirst into PRINCE, a Madness earlybird which also sounded right on the money.

MY GIRL’S MAD AT ME came next and gave us the added dimension of superb musicianship, capped off by Mike Brown and his “unprotected Sax”.

Other highlights of a sparkling first set were RETURN OF THE LOS PALMAS 7, greeted by the hallmark “no knees” dancing, IT MUST BE LOVE (didn’t Labi Siffre do that one?) and HOUSE OF FUN, by which time 90% of the audience was on the dance floor - and there they stayed right through my Ska CD which filled the interval. I’d never seen that happen before!

The boys came back on stage for the second set in real zany mood, launching into SHUT UP and TOMORROW’S JUST ANOTHER DAY. By the time we got to WINGS OF A DOVE, a great party piece, the atmosphere was supercharged and trying not to look at the couple in front of me, I couldn’t tell if it was dancing or foreplay they had in mind!

My favourites from an action-packed last hour were IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, with its characteristic thumping beat, a super version of The Kinks’ LOLA and EMBARRASSMENT where the band showed off a tight precision only years of dedicated touring can bring.

The atypical OUR HOUSE was a must for the Madness officionados and after the two final numbers of the evening ONE STEP BEYOND and NIGHT BOAT TO CAIRO we must have had sweat dripping from the ceiling.

This really had been a performance which combined slapstick with skill and lunacy with lyricism in a style only Madness themselves could produce.

Thoroughly entertaining stuff and by my reckoning, nothing short of an invitation to return this time next year would be a suitable reaction.

One Step Beyond were:

Ian Soulsby (Suggsby) - Lead Vocalist
Mike Brown (Sax and Vocals)
Sean Kelly (Bass)
Steve Rooney (Drums)
Shaun Pound (Double “O”) - Guitar
Brendan Phipps (Monsieur Phippo) - Keyboards