Madness – Live Review – Scarborough Open Air Theatre

By Hazel Davis, June 2026

Watching Madness is one of those, “Ooh is this your first time?” situations, like walking the Appalachian Trail or summering in the Hamptons. We were first-timers on Saturday at Scarborough Open Air Theatre. And it showed. We (my 14-year-old daughter and I) were probably the only people not in a Madness T-shirt or nutty boy hat. But, such is a Madness crowd, nobody cared and we were made to feel very welcome and soon made fast friends with our neighbours.

And what a night we’d chosen. As we, along with the throngs of mostly over-60s wandered into the venue, the sun seemed to get hotter and hotter. The show opened with The Beat, ably fronted by Ranking Roger’s son Ranking Junior, who brought some gorgeous youthful energy to the stage as people filed in. Some lovely tributes to his dad and some angry rants about politics (which seemed to fall on largely deaf ears) interspersed a slick and lively set. They were followed by the sublime Hollie Cook in a Betty Boo shirt and pink glasses, voice of an angel and a super-tight band.

And then Madness.

“Iconic and unforgettable”

Nothing can prepare you for a Madness gig. I’d had some qualms that my daughter might be disappointed with a bunch of old geezers playing their old songs badly. How wrong I was.

Any question as to whether they’d play the hits had already been answered in the name of the tour – Hit Parade – but I guess you never know. Anyway, the show opened with the iconic and unforgettable opening bars of ‘One Step Beyond’. And the room didn’t stop bouncing from that moment on. Every song a total banger and every one accompanied with a relevant film, sometimes footage of the band in their younger days, sometimes the original video, sometimes Pathe news-style footage. It was a pure nostalgia fest and unexpectedly emotional, especially for someone who harboured a huge crush on Suggs as a child.

Sure, Suggs and the band are older, and they’re not as lively as they used to be, but my god, the chemistry and energy is still there. Suggs is funny as ever, cracking jokes, bantering with the band and the audience and his voice, though the voice of a man in his sixties, is still unmistakable. The chemistry of the band (which retains six of the seven original members) is palpable and touching and the jokes and impressions (Mick Jagger particularly impressive) come thick and fast.

“Surprises”

This was the band’s fourth time at the venue and their appearance there has become something of a fixture in the local gig calendar. And possibly mine now. It has to be said, the older you get, the more you appreciate a venue you can have a nice sit down in, order food to your seat, walk up and down to the toilet easily and, if needed, read your book while you’re waiting. It’s actually a very civilised way to enjoy some of the UK’s finest bands and artists – as long as the sun shines, that is (thankfully, it did).

There were some surprises – an appearance from their friend, a bagpiper who piped through ‘When The Saints Go Marching In’ and ‘Scotland The Brave’ (no, we don’t know either) – but this was a deliciously predictable party concert, with all the classics – ‘It Must Be Love’ to close, with ‘Night Boat To Cairo’ as an encore. As we filed out, full of nostalgia (my daughter, a dedicated 80sphile, beside herself with glee), the speaker played ‘Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life‘ and we all sang along.

The vibes carried us up the hill to our hotel along with 100 other Nutty Boys and well into the morning.

Images: Cuffe and Taylor

Hazel Davis( Writer )

Hazel Davis lives in West Yorkshire and has been a journalist for most of the UK national newspapers and many magazines, cutting her teeth on a classical music magazine. She’s the lead singer in a country band (Mustard County), plays trumpet in a wind band and big band and cornet in a brass band. When she’s not playing music or writing about it, she’s usually thinking about it.

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