New Album and Future Plans

Hi, Richard Herring here. Thanks for downloading my podcast. Now you may have heard on the gown upp news that I've not been very well. I'm feeling fine I'm sort of in the middle of treatment C very minor cancer. It's not curable, but it's completely treatable. So please don't worry about me. In the meantime, if you want to become a badger, this is an excellent time to support us at go faststrike. com slash badges. if you would like to buy a thank you Moriati t shirt from Rich and Alley's Craven News round, then head too fastter Stripe. com. and you should be able to find them on there. They're only going to be available for a couple of weeks print them all up at once when we find out what the demand is But if you enjoy that podcast, particularly, that's a great way to pay us back for that Look, I've still come to the Edinburgh fringe unless something that goes horrifly wrong in August I think that to the sixteenth and Go to ridichchain. comash for Hallispurg. you can see all the dates and the guests confirmed so far whoo are Mike Was't at Susie McCabe and Flo and Joan. there are some big names to come, I'm sure. I'm aiming very high with this and I will be giving some recommends of people you should be going to see at the fringe through interviews over the next few weeks as well Anyway, thank you very much Let's sit back. Thanks to all the lovely messages I've had from you guys and it's lovely to know how much these podcasts mean to you and that's worth more than money I mean, obviously doesn't keep us going, but thank you very much for the love you've been giving us I very much appreciate it and I'll do my best to carry on doing these until I get bored Anyway, sit back, relax and enjoy another podcast from the head and Mouth of AK Heric Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Licester Square Theatre. Please welcome a man who's been having unusual dreams. It's Richard Herrying Friends ' feeling slightly better this week, but we'll see, I've just been sick in the back of my throat. We'll see how it goes. So welcome to Richard Erings's Les Square Theatre podcast. I was talking to Sammon Kat the other day, rememember Sammon Kat And I haveve gone the other way. It's too recent for you, that's the It's Arianna Grande and Jeanette McCurdy who are both very famous now My kids watch it. It's terrible. It's not terrible it's good. They call it reust about anyway. Yeah I've been I've been ill and so I've been my wife's u sort of medicine slash poison that she's been giving me. So I've been drinking Join s, artistory for very it's very interesting what I've got to say. I've I've been having magnesium before I go to bed and CBD oil, which is like proper full on that's as druggy as I get. They've taken they say they've taken out the psychedelic bit, but I had a dream where I had COVID. I thought I had COVID and I had to go for a COVID test in my management offices and a young man gave me a COVID test and he said he had to do it by sticking at it Cot but up my penis I wish that was fine. I accepted but then he licked my penis as he was doing it And he and he realized said, Oh sorry, that was inappropriate And he he said it just has to be wet. so he spat on it instead and that's us's fine. it went it went on. there was u ot the name of the actress but you know the actress in white Lotus who's Stiffler's mum Jennifer Coolidge She I was at a Urine or she came me was much smaller than you would imagine. and she used a urinal as well. So it was it was a very exciting you know, I'm not any better. So and people who are following from last week or the weeks before the podcast where my son spent an hour in the car going, I want to go M, We're going to Pizza and M made. I want to McDonald's was cing screaming we went to Pizza Express and He wanted to go McDonald's When we got to Pizz' for the wee, you, o good, I'm hun I took him to McDonald's this week to make up for the fact he didn't go to go last week I seem not pleased about it. I just say so 's the punchline to that. We' got one more of these to do. This is ready for the people in the room this run. Next Monday, I'll be talking to Reese James, fantastic newer comedian and my first love, the only woman I've truly ever loved. in my life I Janet Ellis will be the other gu. So do come along. There are still tickets available And yeah, look, let's let's crack on with this podcast. we have an absolutely amazing He's probably best known as the co presenter of Salvage squad. That's why we're here. a lot us surprising number of salvage squads fans in the audience tonight have turned up. We are please welcome I'm so honored for him to be here. This is amazing. It sucks, ladies and gentlemen. G Swet down Salvage squad. Yeah Good ch, Slvish G I would it days How you feel when you got the Salvage square ig when that came that I' tell you what, I can tell one rivet from another, right C out, rightight now. Yeahah yeah U Yeah B In all seriousness, the band had packed up for a bit and I had nothing on. That was the reason I did Well, we may talk more There's I mean, you have such an incredible career.? You have, but you've done so many different things And You know, and I think like, you know, I'm thinking back to my own school dayays. So I was, you know, a teenager in the early nineteen eighties And I think O of all the bands, I think madness is the band that I most associate with that time, which must be the case. There must be a lot of men in their mid fifties to late fifties who get a bit overexcited and strange when they see you And women as well, I should say How dare you? N all beautiful teenage chicks come out Now my daughter sent me a little video over Pubby Morfam Stow where she's moved to. She went, Ohh dad You you were blocking last night. Anyway, it was the worst look like madness band you' ever seen. And she said, I was the youngest person by about thirty years ago. I do worry sometimes. Yeah people of my age, you know, skipping about like they were teenagers. You think one of them's gonna have an heart attack at some point soon But on that score. no. New generated for kids who laugh at this Precious daisies. But I think it's also something where there was a lot of good music around in the eightes, I think. and it is something to be the band. I think I was thinking about and I think for me I think when I think if I go one band school field madness, you know we liked the jam, we liked U the specials But the madness sums up partly because I think as kids, it felt like it was music. And, you know, you're not a lot older than me. you were Thank you You were You were kids when you were when you were when you were back when you were seventeen and eighteen. and in fact, I've just been doing a documentary for some television station or other about Camden Town for a change. sameame old stories. Dad, dad, those old stories. Okay can see this pub on the left? Oh, it's not there anymore. Anyway If it was still there, I've got a really fascinating anecdote Well And you do end up like the gramppy old manen, but it was a sensational time for music in the eighties. I mean I was saying that about Candenown for instance Youar cyber punks, newomantics, you know, golfs, rockers, mods O ar mob, the B booy as well. and every pub had its own music scene and was very individual in that context, you know, so It was a very fertile time, I think, for music. Yeah. I mean I'm not saying it ain't now because I'm old and boring, you know, but yeah, I think it was a great time. I think for stuff to say, and I think in a way, do you think it's because Madness were not trying to be cool in the way that some bandans were trying to be cool in the eighties. It was I would say it was a bit of that yeah.. You look at Joanne and Joanne on the yacht and all that on their way to Miami and we were on the wrong side of Parkway with a Burst balloon and a piece of string Yeah party hats It want to make c we were something But I don't know. I mean yeah, with about getting deep. I mean we were friends at school and the whole process of the band was just because we liked each other and it was a great thing to be able to do rather than stealing money at of phone box. Well, I was watching and read and also listen to the audiobook of Before We was We this weekend, which is it's a really fantastic do as the music is of mananted, I think, it's a fantastic document of a time and a sort of forgotten time and a time that people gloss over it. So the seventies were not seventies in London where it was a difficult time to be a young person. There was no money. there's lots of it's funny you say that, Yeah, because we made his documentary It's about fortieth anniversary of the band. And you look back at those times and it was all black and white. There was no colour whatsoever And yeah, funny enough, I was saying that I'm in Camden toown I didn't see a girl in Canddenown till nineteen eighty three. It was just bloes outside pubs punching each other But yeah, yeah, things have moved on, but u The good thing about that was I was saying, you know, if you were a young band, there were a lot of venues to get gigs in, which I don't think exist anymore. I mean don' for comedians, musicians. I mean in Camden, there were probably about ten pubs Irish pubs are function rooms at the back where you can get a gig, you just knock on the door If we sold a few pints of beer, he'd asked you to come back next week. So there was an opportunity to build something as a braand. Whereas now you have to be polished out and your mum and dad have to pay for the do these sort of things, you know I think that's chaseed. I mean, obviously music moves on. and then of course you've got Aouse music and all the raves and King Cross. So that moved on in that way U'm And now kids are doing songs on their own mobile phones. so it keeps evolving. in terms of period you could go out every night and see a live band for nothing. Yeah, It was great. ye But that's, you know, I think it's quite rare for I mean, it's not an entirely working class band madness, but there's a working class element to it and even the sort of more middle class element is still Fairly gritty stories from their youthful you know that you know. up and coming lower middle class people don't want to go on about being working class. But no, we're all working class, believe me. Yeah. so for that to be to for that to be documented in a book in this documentary, I think it's just fascinating because that's a a voice like historically that wouldnt I mean and the music as well, documents stuff that wouldn't get documented. I think you know, I think as funny as funny as it is and as fun as it is, something like baggy trousers is a real document. I read that you said that people thought you were writing about DckKenszian times Yeah with baggy trousers without realizing that I was writing about Oxford bags for our younger viewers The trousers that come up here with six buttons and four pleats. Woodhouse Yeah, I remember Trying to nick a pair at M under a pair of jeans was hard work Bea those trousers had more material than a pair of curtains, right yeah funny you should mention that. ye. I remember I was walking through a playground in his down with Joe Struma without saying but I was said, I don't know what's happened? we just suddenly got all these kids, you know, Bagy trailers what it' supposed to be for And all these kids were singing baggy trousers in this playground. and Joe said, M, it ain't going to get no better than that. And when I look back to have an impact on that generation obviously was a privilege, ye. Yeah, it's amazing. I think like back at the head of the plastic cup and the sausage in Grain Hill. They're the two There're two bits on. I don't know how people thought that was D Kenzingan back in the head with the plastic upu Ten out ofine even survives stabbed in the back with bld, but on the back of the air with a plastic cp. But of course that it's the things you remember ye. It is. And I was at a wedding last year or the year before U and u you know, it was the all the music was coming coming on and House of Fun came on and everyone went crazy And it complete I mean, it gave me I've got an idea for a book that will never be made. But as I was dancing at this wedding as a fifty four year old man thinking, you know, I usually used to at weddings when I was twenty five and it used to be fun And then this came when I thought of all the Fairlands discos where I danceced to this so as I had an idea about being sort of taken back in time, you know, like viceice versa think Uh But that, you know, that song really that again, that's the song. that when I think of school discos and failing to pull girls and not needing condoms Even if I understood that's what it was about. That song ye. It's the one that contemporaries of my daughters come up to me and say, I've never been more embarrassed in my life than seeing Uncle Joe. That the wedding dancing to flipping out of funont. It was absolutely outrageously terrible But house of fun. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. funny enough Originally it was called a Chemist facade and this is still a bone of contention, which I'll tell you right now and The head of our record label was called Daveobinson, who ran Stiff Records, which we ended up on, which was great. Elvis Costello, you know, our hero in jury Coost to McCool. that We finished his song and he went, Yeah it just needs a chorus. So me and the guitarist Chris went in a back room. And wre, the chorus, Welcome to the House of Fun. Well, Mike and Lee, who wrote the rest of the song, still haven't credited us for that. and he probably owe me at least thirty grands Yeah I think that song will definitely be taken out to some middle aged men at weddings. is my guess. I wasn't drunk at this wedding. If I'd been drunk, I think I might have died dancing into that one. dan into that again. But there it is this sort remarkable story of sort of almost a you know this Combination of guys coming together Sallywags, thieves finding this love of music together. and I think like there was a sort of watching the documentary sort of element of you You know Finding a family within each other, you all maybe had absent parents or un absent parents. Yeah, well you know, we did this documentary called before we was We. and you know, up to that point, you know everything had been pretty glossy, you know, madness to these lovely poppy shiny people. We just thought it's about time to be able to say that in fact we weren't. We were really horrible people who happened to be able to get away with it But fortunately you know, the records were popular with the people. And I mean, for instance, we were banned off top of the pops four times, you know, but we just kept having it. so they really they could see their faces when we turned up by them again. Chr sae But that top of the pot the first time we're on top of the pots you turn to the camera the first thing you do and you just look so stupid. No, absolutely in the place that you're meant to be. You look so at peace and you know and so ready for it. you're cheeky, it's funny and you're ready to go and you're all dicking about. Well that's very kind, yeah, because funny enough, yeah, there's another film called Take it or Leave it, which is all about how we all met each other, I think it H And there was a moment in that people were coming and going and there was probably fifteen people in our firmament. you know, some who were taking it more seriously than others. And it's just that moment when there's me Woody b d all the rest of us and it's suddenly C. Yeah, yeah, yeah and that T top of the popure. I mean, we were eighteen years old, Yeahah and suddenly you thought yeah. Why not? Hey, you know what me? this piece But I remember I was talking to Leo saxophone player who was saying he was painting and decorating for the National Ail at the time and he was painting this Reward for the oldge pensioners And he got the call to say you better get it down to BBC television center you on top of the pops and it really was moment, you know, it was surreal. Yeah. Yeah. And then in the documentary as well, they talk about the infamous A appearance on MagPie that none of you can remember. you can't remember it because you didn't get there this was the first TV appearance of Madness I remember the poor girl who used to try and get a television programe, S to me sucks you know how many bands give their right arms to be on top with the pops? And I said I'm sorry you would just not write arm giving people But we did have a slight arrogance and I rembember that magpie only because people would have shown me the video yeah And I had to get aventrla Christ dolly up to do my part. I was in bed with G at the time Well getting up in the morning to do that children's program now. But the thing was, I mean, I must say it's very hardd you know, when you look back. I mean that documentary is great because we all got a chance to remember and it's only when you talk amongst yourselves that you remember half of it because it's It's just passing phenomenon at the time when you're that young Because we were sort of famous from where we were where we were various reons You know, being a pop star wasn't really something we were interested in. We were interested in making music and doing something that was You know, entertaining for ourselves And so the whole idea of what you're supposed to do is like a No mystery And the two tone tour I want to tour. I mean, that must have been I mean, I think you talk about it being one of the happiest times of your life, but it must have been amazing. So this is Totally, totally. I there's a few things that come like we've got a residency at a pub in Camden Town and that sort of turned a corner for us And then all of a sudden The specials turned up at a pub called Hopen Anchor And they looked like us, they sounded a bit like us, but they were better than us And Jerry was the keyboard player didn't have anywhere to stay that night. And in them days the best chance you had of Fing somewhere to stay was put in a bd But with them teeth, We ended up keeping at my mum's flat And in the small hours, he said, I'm thinking of starting a label I'm hoping to do something like an English motown. I said, Joe Isn't that a smidge optimistic, seeing you've played to thirty five people in a pub basement But six months later he rang me out and said, lookook, we're doing it. and I've heard some of the stuff that you're doing and do you want to put a record? and it was just so Fast, you know what I mean? That's why it's hard to remember. And then the next thing we're meeting The roundhouse in Camden Town and there's a bus I' going on a twoone tour spepecials, a selector Dex' midnight runners and we were eighteen years old, you know, so yeah, of course it was totally Mind blowing. And it's sort of the first time you'd really played outside of London, right? Yeah and all and so three bands together Most of the time, right? And Yeahes, so on the bus, it was like The P peopleople who puffed were down at the back, Rico and all the old guys, and then the people who drank were in the middle and then the people who tookphetam in were at the front So can guess where we were. Up and down that aisle right A Parisian draws Which is, you know, why no one remembers being on Magpires But it was amazing. Yeah. I remember You know, before mobile phones. obbviously the tour manager would put in a garage and have to get on the phone to the next venue again They're just g, it's just it was rocketing, you know in terms of a phenomena, two time was suddenly what everyone was into And they were trying to find bigger venues. everywhere we got, there was a riot of kids trying to get in V, very exciting time. yeah And for me, I was a big comedy fan. and so I think probably the first not the first time I'm going aware of you, but the The thing that kind of really cemented me was you being on the young ones twice. which was pretty pretty cool. So that made me very happy. and how was that How would play s I smash your face it How was that to be on was be In funny enough, you know You' jin it my j But it was called in alternative comedy. I can't remember there was a theat around here somewhere where we used to go and see Y eaxy sales, rick mails and all that were just stand upps and Dorm French and all that literally smaller than this place. and it was obviously something very interesting at there And then Benel and any other fellow actually started, well, they got Kig in Well funny enough They were trying to do a TV show with us. Yeah. I was gonna ask you about it. And I've still got the squid And it was going to be where Margaret Fcher had turned out to be a Martian and flown back to Mars. And in a snap election, Madness got voted in the new Parliament to give free beer to people under sixty And I remember we did a pilot for this show in a calf in Camden Town But obviously it's very hard to make a calf look like the house of Parliament, you know And the BBC's great wisdom, they said it's going to be too expensive and we can't trust these lot to do it anyway But a lot of what they wrote for that show ended up in the young ones. ye. Yeahes, so we knew all that crowd and that was really Fantastic because they were literally doing what they want. you know peopleeople still talk about those shows and then they go, well what do you want to do Now you've got our house when I tell you what we're going to do We' to get a load of police vans, right smash them all up. policeman over the other baseball but. So ye Yeahah fine But there was always this theatricality And again, in your fantastic autobiography that close You talk about you got you got in with a kind of theatrical place where you weren't really allowed to have cost you went. It wasn't like a fancy dress place, but they would allow madness to take out anything they wanted. So you would you would get to be able to play pranks and dress up. You know, yeah, that yeah being young and dressing up, you know doesn't want to joress up But there was this very sererious theatrical costumiers called Berman and Naps in Camden And it really was like where they did all the movies. And we got to know one of the fellowas in there and And you'd like have whole floors of like Lwas of Arabia, you know. clear patchel then You know, like it wasn't like some crappy old fancy dress stuff, you know, the Plastic M, it was the real gear. And they didn't lend it out, but they took a shine to us. And so we got to get the real gear And of course yes, I don't know if you're alluding to the time we got real policeman's uniforms. And you can imagine the fun we had on the streets with him . And I've said this a million times, but I will So the class were rehearsing just out at the round house and we found out where they're rehearsing Kick the door in dressed as cot as a All you could hear was doors slamming and toilets flushing never spoke to us for five years But now I think Mad has kind of fizzled a bit about the middle eighties and I think it Because we ran out of things to dress up bas. Copos, flowers, cowboys So it was it was the anarchy of, you know, there was there was that I don't, you know, you say that the book kind of reveals that you were kind of naught boys underneath. But I mean, I the fact you were you were nughty boys was sort of a Apparent that was the appeal that you, you know, that you would I think for any kids watching it and I think especially any London kids and any kids from a similar background here it would be that's me up there, you know, that' it's possible, you know, it's possible that be me ood for them. Yeah. It wouldn't be possible, but you know, it felt like they were just I do believe, yeah, you know, you talk about the backstory or the hidden deeper meaning and all that. doesnesn't it? It does. And you know, I think yeah, I still see people who know us and know just you know, stories are there out there, you know what I mean? they may not always in the papers, but everyone knew who we were and that I Do you think permeates one way or another? Yeah I'm kind of interested in, you know, so the post mad and stuff and your especially your actor because you what you You know,'ve you've done back to Salv's qu I. Well, Salv qu But you know all that with it looks a bit big to me Not sure about that one But you know, you're very honest about the in the book again about the acting jobs you nearly got or you didn't get or you know, I think that could easily have been like I know you have done a fair amount of acting anyway, but that could have been like a major thing. you nearly got in Asolute beginners Yeah fell over and broke me toe at the dancing audition. I was just talking about it that funy enough. my daughter didn't know that. She's laughing because she's in the film world and So yeah, they want me to play the out. I don't w want to do it. I don't want to be an actor. Come on, come on Have a look Do a little dancing audition. So I trip over and I break my big toeway. this is Japanese choreographer going Hi sucks So then know my misses afterwards. She's desperate to know how's gone. She said, Where are you I said middleex hospital Yeah, yeah, well I've been a Also was talome Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory is is a consistent For instance, we was just talking about the other day I was talking to Gary and my managers out there about what we're going to do. We've got a new album coming out. you know We've sort of done everything, you know, Ruthher Parton and Parace know how we' going make this something out it is. And something about I madnessood So Bob Gildol rings me and says I've got this ide there called Live aid this kidser couldn't organize a bunk up with a probleble. So I said no I'm all out with that, Bob For me, Jerry Dammers and the singer of U before, he decided we're gonna do our own thing Rooty, you know what I mean, Ba So we sold four thousand copies of our song Whatever it was called. And I never forget I was moving outse on the day of Lve Aid and I could hear it coming out of every television in a five mile radius Anyway, yeah, I'm not complaining But yeah, every now and then I don't. achieve All that I said Well, I think you have achieve a lot more than it's it's kind of fun. You know, you've had these moments that could have gone one way and went the other. It's very on brand As you say, you've played the Olympics, youve played Bucketham Palace, you played the closure of I mean, youve closed a lot of things down Yeah. I bigg itests fad to say BBC And then when the post office rang us, I said, No, no. And I think Malta were next. I said no, not closing anything else down. But again, it's that you know, it' that associate that to be associated with Olympics closing things down. No, to be associated with the quQueen, the Olympics, the bu. I mean, the buucking P thing must have been Mind blow, rightight for someone who grew up largely in London. Yes, Yes, of course, Yes,eses. You know know, I have to say, I'm not necessarily a royalist. I I did like the queen. I've got to say yeah, we would love the queen too. we would love have the queen. Yeah No There a lot of Rublicans in here. You know,ick quickly phase, doesnn't it? there? We liked it, yeah, but where what's she done lately Prince Andrew. Anyway That's a shame what's happening to him, forty two thousand pit pound a year yoga teacher. Soorry, so we've got to take that way in live in yogai. Anyway, that's not the point So we're doing it yeah. And then as Gezers comeing and we want to do a bit of graphics on the outside of Buckham Palace and you couldn't really see it on a laptop. you know I mean And the next thing made the Buckham Palace collapse and turned it into a block of flats. It turned out to be a very epochryphal moment for us. ye. andfortunately, we had a tour on sale the next day, Beautif And you know what again, what I liked about Mandus was the humour and I think that's sort of You know, that's what makes it stand out You are very funny, man. You've toured your own one man show. And I understand you had a cracker stand up in the eighties, the mid eighties Is that right? heard had A dough Ellucidate That's what I he. that's the information. I was trying to do stand up. Yeah. do stand up with Jews Olllands I like I heard nineteen eighty six issuedp Yeah, when it was a time. Yeah, I thought yeah, I'll get on stage just After thirty five seconds My mouth dried up, I ran out of steam and I was booed off Yeah, Rious goes at it, but more recently I've kind of learned that you do have to have some sort of idea of what you're going to say, you know It's different in it to being in a pub with your old mates who offer anything you say because you're getting rs in to actually being on stage on your own Yeah. anyway, yeah, I've been to an Relatively successful one main show for the last few years. yeah I mean, you've got a you know, you've got a lot of stories. It was a lot of things have happened to you. that you have a very comedic sensibility in that you I think you're happy to laugh at your at the things that go wr. I do believe that's true also. ye what you said about the band and the longevity. I think self deprecation. I not you know, you don't have to overdo it But we didn't mind laughing at ourselves, you know, that I think is something Good. Yeah Yeah U And yes, a fan wanted to know this, which I think is a good question. Oh no, no, no, don Yeah it's a good question Why have Madness never released a Christmas single? Oh, don't get me started Well, it's jingle Bells' Christmas time. Santa's feeling is s W Jump on the reinde is back. All right, All right It's good I'm putdting right It's harddly slayed, isn' it? Let's be fat. we've been talking about it, but Christmas comes and of course you've got to write in the summer, an't you?? You're hearing your flip flops on the beach in Iifa. you're dly thinking about snow and all that stuff. You could write in at Christmas and put it out the next Christmas. That's true. Last Christmas Guff you my heart in us I mean, you've got a few songs that are long runners, but it is it is that, you know The notghty holder must be might hand n h little bit. After I'd do my one man show, met me, he was trying to do one but ain't got the memory anymore. But I'm But he did this little show and he had a sort of question and answer thing with what's his face markark Six music Yeah I didn't know that that. Written a song. turned into What is it? Merry Christmas?. And he played the original. It was just his rather dreary love song, right? But he said then he turned it into a Christmas song and it brings him in about three hundred grand a year So if only wed turned our house into A Merry Christmas house Santa's house.' Santa's house in the midle. Come and sit here. C and sit on one the North Pole. And well I'm sure your fans will know this story that you've did Madness responsible for two earthquakes Yes That's all I need from you Yeah, so nineteen eighty four n still, I think in the eighties and we giveiv them a six year chance to catch up and none of them did But We come back in ' ninety two, was it? we did a show in Finsbury Park. We had a friend called her Iag it Sounds to get a cheer for a park andn't it? I think all parks get a cheer, don't you? Clap a comment Reions Right Okay, no that's o And He used to do this thing called the flower Power Vinince power, V Big Irish festival its he said, Look, I've got all the fences and the staging. Do you fancy coming on the next week You haven't played for six years And we were sort of thinking this could be a goodbye. Anyway, se many thousand people turned up over the weekend and When we started one step beyond, everyone was jumping up and down and it caused an earthquake here And they we're evacuating people from the flats opposite And the police were jubious But they brought down this whatever they're called, you know, investigators of earthquakes in a white coat and it's on YouTube somewhere And she goes it was And when it happened the following night, the police had to believe it was fat madness fans jumping I'm down I mean, that was they had to say that. know That was the ninety ninetights was probably going to be a lot fatter by now. So if if I'm not allowed to make Sugs laugh 'cause he's hurt his ribs So that was third time. First one after forty five minutes My grandson jumped on me in the swimming pool. Of course, you're not allowed to say, have you? That's fun So you've got a you have you've got a new album and you've got a a new tour. Yeah S to tell us about that? So yees, so we've got an albumat that could be called the Theatre of the Abssurd We doing a big tour in December time. Weve got a few kigs in the summer It would the absurd, you know, I mean, we've all been a We've all been through a slightly absurd few years, haven't we? And we were trying not to be too depressing about it But it's very hard to ignore, inn' it Anyway, you know, it' be a great this experience if you fancy it And how didd you find? I mean, I'm finding toururing just as a stand up comedian and I don't have to jump around. No you don't do. You don't know sitt in there like. I've got a chair for this, but when I do comedy I've got a stand up, but I find it very you know, I find one night of doing comedy quite exhausting now. A you How you how'd you get through doing a tourial? Well let's put it this way. Our dressing room after the kid is like one of them like where you see a rugby team ligaments, you know, lintseed oil, God knows what Um Yeah, yeah. I mean, we don't do it for months to ends, you know and I don't think we could. But when we do do it, we do it with the same energy we always did, but you're right, it takes its toll. Yeah't it for very long, but An hour and a half As long as the knees old out. Yeah, we were right yeah And it's you know, it is a pretty astonishing friendship between you guys. God almighty. It's a long time, right? It's a long time you've been together. Don't be like that Friendship, you say, is that way you called it? Well, as I was saying backstage, I've been there's tolerance, right? I've been in a couple of double acts and I know that's a bit more intense, but it's quite hard to keep that going How how is it partly being apart from each other? I think like you were saying in the book that when you would to begin with you, we should have taken more time off and Reized you didn't have to keep on doing it. Is it the fact you go away and come back to it and it's certainly is now exactly. Yeah, we had the intensity of the first five or six years and you're young and then it suddenly went like, oh no you know, if it becomes pressing or boring then stop doing it. But now we've just got to the point where we can do it when we want to. And tolerance for sure. we're getting grumpier and more crystalline in our own opinions Basically when we make music and we're on stage, we still really enjoy it. Yeahah, just not every night at a week And does do you think in a sense because I think it does as an audience member, as a fan, you know when you're hearing the music, it takes you back and you feel young again Do you think performing it? does it make do you still feel the same. And I go back to that yeah. You know, not being whatever, but There's old new generations coming to see us and when I see their enthusiasm for us, of course it's a A cool You know, bounces off you, off course it does. Yeah and You get energy from the audience. Yeah and vice versa, I think. Yeah, from us. Yeah, yeah Right, the other things I wanted to let there's there's let's see how much of this you remember. Okay I wanted to go No. I wasn't there. You were in like, so hey, you're in the young ones. That's my number one dream. Nber two. you're in press gang. That's my second What do you remember about In the end I got I sort of got into a bit of press gang in the end. but I Now you too. Do you remember remember about Rresco Wh o was that? It was in fifty six. It was a long time ago, but I remember at the program and there were lovely people off. A lot of them went on to become veryccessful, didn't they? Yeah. I remember there that whole Anna Cher school, which was forazing So many great actors come out of there, but I don't really remember being on the show No. okay. All right next U A question of pop. how'd you feel about a question of p? Oh God Question of profile. was it was like a question of spore The vat refuse. And instead of the lovely superark We had Jamie Fgston But funny enough, Nody O older was the captain and I was a captain, but you know what I mean, there I am between age of steps and whatever the other fellas call for boys own. It was like sery obvious that My knowledge of this particular generation of music was running out of steate. But a nice enough experience ye. Look we can't let you go without talk about night fever Boys versus the girl. Pot monkey Who can forget Pot Monkey Yes. Yeah, TV show I did for Channel five. Ver popular. It was. Yeah, very popular. Yeah, very simple karaoke Girls versus the boys P please Can someone get them out at a pub or else iss gonna just kick off? Normally it was the girls I did that for a few years. It was good fun. Yeah Um Did you see that there was a thing on Twitter the other day about and I noticed you did surprise, surprise. There was a thing someone had put together All of the bits from the end of surprise, surprise were still about the lists of the people who've just been on the show. And it was the most extraordinary cavalcade of light entertainment stars, but then people you wouldn't expect Walter Koenig from Star Trek was it in It was just like you said do you remember being on surprise, surprise? you must have been amongst. Was that the set of play? Yeah I't I go. P surprise Surprise. We could no no, don't say it No, sorry. That's okay. Right, Im going ask you an emergency question. Good. We did some backstage Let's see how these go. There's a This been ones that have been written by AI, we're living in the future. Oh good. this is a good question for you. I do not recognize your face These They're better than me these ones some of these. What is the most ludicrous thing you've done in the name of love? climbed up a drain pipe My foot through two different floors of windows on my way to my destination pretty good Yeah, I mean, you met your wife when you were a young man It's it's so they don't say so they say It's a successful Shby's long lasting marriage that's pretty impressive Yes. Still, is it still going you know, I kind't is it still going? Well? Yeahah, you're say Yeah It seems to be it seems to be a a happy familyamily gnd childildren on you breaking your wr. b. I've come from a very disparate background and very pleased to have you know some in a family. Yeah. oy, you know what I mean Yeah, because it's, you know, you had you had a Oh, what do you stop now But you had a very difficult childhood in that sense, didn't you? And you didn't know your dad and No, I didn't No. Sent to Wales, which must have been, you know, that's what kind of punishment it. Well, exactly It was not I having to leave my mum it was fucking my all. It was a very nice place and I lived with my aunt for a few years. Yeah, My dad was fucked and you know, it was very odd I'm You know Whse wasn't you know? I mean, when you talk to anybody and scratch the surface, everybody's lives have got something and't they So you deal with it in it? Yes, what do you make of it? Yeah. And it is I can't get away from the fact I think how extraordinary a social document The books and the music is, you know, and I think that's need so someone else to buy the flipping book It's a good it's a great book So a great book and it's a great the documentary and the book the book from the documentary is absolly fantastic because I think you just to get that many different voices. I think exactly, you know, you would you often get like one person from a bandw writing a book but for everyone to have their say, they slightly contradict each other. but just and because the beauty of it is it's The time before you were you know, it leads up to where you became fam Exactly before we we were sitting and everything' recorded about when we were famous Also that I do most of the talking. so why not let Woody's opinion the drummer or betterers and we all contradict ourselves, which is funny. and it reminds me of things I'd completely forgotten about.. But it is funny that thing like, you know that everyone has you're in that party right and everyone goes you were right bang out of order. I said, I don't remember that. You were. I remember you P up back behind us And every's got a different take on that particular moment in time. Yeah, which I think is great because It was everyone in my band is a character, you know, my band no our band. Okay And They've all got their own opinions. Yeah. and they've got a very strong we were all, you know, very strong characters even before, you know, we were all, as I'll say quite well known from Randol Way. so It's nice that everyone had their chance to say their pizz. And I think Sos you you've when you look at the band you're doing pretty well the rest of theres and You know, time time's takaking its toll Don't speak about yourself like that But you stayed very youthful, I'd say. I don't know. you know, I don't I mean, we were talking back stage. You see old pals and you go You don't want to say it is, Jesus, Christ What you? Jory, is that you No I'm not saying. but I have been sort of fortunate as have most of the bands. I mean, I don't know, you know, DNA obviously, but I do think Joy and happiness and what madness is? tried to do is not something that takes away. you know what I mean? It adds to who you are. I mean, that's what I feel. Yeah. When I do those gigs, I do feel like I'm eight teeen again. Yeahah. Yeah And I think you know, it must I hope you understand because I think sometimes He's still going on about it. But sometimes people don't people sometimes people don't look back at their own career and don't necessarily appreciate what it means to other people. contin you what it means you know, you've got there's a lot of your f. I do now I do now. I was walking around Camonown and bumped in a few old friends And yeah, people say, you know what it meant to them, Yeah. And obviously not when you're in the moment because you're just whirlwind of stuff Now when I look back ye, and I meet people to say you don't know, you know how much joy you brought and all I'm very I' very appreciative. yeah, of course I And you know, especially when they pay money to come and see it. Well, that's that that's what you do. M them happy make them think you're a nice person, then they keep coming back eight fifty years. You got it. That's the work, you know? I mean, being on stage now it, it's the rest of it. Making people think you're nice, that'in It I think it's I just think it's's it's an amazing thing and it's an amazing career for for all of you U But you know, I think to I know music has that, you know and the music you listen to when you're a kid does stay with you your whole life And I know that's the kind I've s recently with Paul Willow and yeah we were just doing a couple of songs and It wasn't really working one of them and I said, Paul, look me It's only music. And then there was a silence and he went No, it ain't sucks And that's a very good point what you make because pop music Gives you a moment in time, then't it? Where you had your first kiss dance, wherever it is, that record whatever it may be. I mean, we had a lot of them fortunately. so there's a lot of memories But things like it M be love we play that still. and you see people who, you know, met and got married and all that. obviously is important yeah So good. I think I think There's there's a But just just the fact that all those, you know, the Olympics, the Bucking the Queens thing, the BBC, there's there's all that love for that band, which I, you know, I think which I can't think of another band Like I mean it's partly that you're still going and still performing, but that's true of a few bands from that era So it's, but it, you know, it's It's This question must end at some point. It's away. It's a w N not a question. it's an observation I'm I'm talking now It's a beautiful Thank you Um I mean, your fans are the like nerds, but apart from an ate, I joking. I'm have you seen my friends onene more emergency question And then we'll see where we get to from there If you could go into a Chrysalis sucks like a caterpillar and dissolve and come out as anything you wanted. you can choose what you come out of the Chrysalis as. Yeah, remember I went into Chrysalis record. ye. And I come it as a popster Pretty good. G it again You're a very funny man. You've be used keeping you' still doing the one man shows, right I hope so. ye ye. And the stories are incredible. The book's great by the book byy both books, watch the documentaries, fantastic stuff By the albums Watch press Gang Find Svy squad. F World War two treasure hunters. lookook it for that Look at. Watch out. That's unexploded man