Madness singer Suggs claims the music industry tries to “manipulate” artists
Madness frontman Suggs has claimed the music industry tries to “manipulate” artists and thanked his family for keeping him grounded.
Suggs was speaking ahead of the release of Madness’ upcoming album Theatre Of the Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie, set to be shared on November 17th. The LP marks their 13th full-length record, and the singer has now reflected on spending the majority of his adult life locked in the music industry.
Looking back at the start of his journey with Madness, Suggs gratefully said to The Daily Telegraph: “It was a miracle meeting the band. We were all from the same sort of background, and it was a cliche that to get out of that situation, there were few ways: black cab driver, boxer, footballer or gangster. I didn’t have the perspicacity to do any of them.”
He continued: “The band became a kind of bizarre surrogate family. We were all from single parents. And it was like therapy. You’re in very close proximity so you’re talking all the time, and we talked about our feelings, which was very important, certainly for me.”
Due to his problematic early life, Suggs revealed he has always prioritised family over his career: “I was very aware that I’d come from a very disparate background. I thought if I’m going to have kids, I’m going to make sure they’re not going to go through what I went through.”
Additionally, the Madness frontman revealed how this has helped him avoid the pitfalls of show business, noting: “The pop star business is such a ridiculous carry-on, so it has been great to temper it with normality. Charlie Higson says the problem with being a pop star is you are perpetually 18. They want to keep you like an idiot so they can manipulate you. But you can get used to it.”
In a five-star review of Madness’ recent hometown show at Koko in Camden, Far Out wrote: “After a brief interval (why don’t more shows do that?), they wheel out hit after hit, and it feels like Christmas – in two senses. One, they’ve been building to this moment all night, so it’s almost euphoric when ‘One Step Beyond’ starts, but two – Madness are an inherently festive band to me. Drunk family parties always result in a good old march around to ‘House of Fun’, and that’s the energy that fills the KOKO, enthusiastic uncles on a few beers, enjoying the tunes and high on nostalgia.”
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.