Belsonic 2012 - Madness
It could have, should have been better for The Wonder Villains. In a strange way they're a great fit for this - a fun pop band eager to please, keen to contribute to a fine evening's entertainment. But they're on a little early (possibly because of their Sunflower Fest appearance later in the evening?) and make do with a mere handful of punters. A handful that lap it all up, of course. Every moment has its own charm - those old favourites and a couple of new tracks so instant they're strangely familiar. Eimear Coyle doesn't need a crowd - every show is drenched with the same levels of infectious enthusiasm. No show is ever a chore.
Neville Staples is a comparatively gentle warm up, The Specials singer returning to an event his band headlined last year, this time to walk us through a predictable yet completely apt selection of his reggae and ska influences. That said, we're hungry for interaction, the human touch. We need told what to do...
'HEY YOU' is how it starts as 5,000 people instantly let go. It's mostly folk on a rare night out, reliving madness, making the most of it. Messy times. 'One Step Beyond' is a monster opening to be fair, hard to top. 'Embarrassment', 'The Prince' and 'My Girl' follow, illustrating beautifully just how many amazing songs this band have. Floating voters dragged along by their other halves are pleasantly surprised..
Then, a change of pace. Indulging themselves and proper Madness aficionados (a surprisingly rare breed) with new or recent material and the odd cover is totally acceptable - but a full half hour does make for a dip. 'NW5' is deserved of its place on this setlist and a cover of the Max Romeo standard 'Chase the Devil' was always going to go down well. And a particularly noisy 'Shut Up' was somewhere in there too, so let’s not be harsh..
The final half hour, on the other hand, is ludicrous. How many bands can end their set with six genuine classics - songs known by the young and old the world over? 'House of Fun' and 'Baggy Trousers' are ridiculous, played to a heaving mess of silly dancing. 'Our House' and 'It Must Be Love' are lullabies by comparison, albeit creating the type of sing-along din they'll have heard throughout the city. A moment to breathe, then an encore of 'Madness' and a particularly raucous 'Night Boat to Cairo'. At this stage you can barely make out what the band are doing and care not a jot if they're even there. The crowd are singing these songs - both the words and the music. It's more party than gig, fantastic levels of fun. .
A band clearly enjoying themselves, a lot of satisfied and slightly tidily punters and the babysitters of Belfast town - tonight, everyone's a winner.
Rigsy
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