Madness Announce Brand New Album “Theatre Of The Absurd Presents C’est La Vie”
Music News | Sep 28th, 2023
UK legends Madness are back with a new album called Theatre Of The Absurd Presents C’est La Vie. Seven years after the release of their last record, the long-awaited album will be released on the November 17th via BMG. You can listen to their single “C’est La Vie” now below or on the streaming sites. Pre-order the album here.
According to composer/keyboard-wrangler Mike “Barso” Barson, the title track is:
“about these crazy times we’re living in, and how I just want to stay on my boat and not be a part of all this madness. But of course, I’m a member of a group called Madness. Perhaps we should have called ourselves ‘Sanity.’
Madness also had to say:
“Well, well, well, here we are.. Our thirteenth album (lucky for some) Theatre Of the Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie is ready for your ears. For us, recording it was the perfect antidote to the chaos of the past few years – we were all there, properly in the zone. It was just us, in an industrial unit in Cricklewood, playing together. We loved it!”
After a disparate couple of years which saw the band at their most polarised and fragmented, Madness reunited in an industrial unit in Cricklewood at the beginning of the year, where Suggs, Mark, Chrissy Boy, Mike, Lee and Woody realised that what united them was always bigger than what divided them. Emerging re-energised and reinvigorated with a fresh bounce in their nutty step, the result was their most harmonious recording experience to date. For the first time ever, a brand new album came into the world that they were all completely agreed on. Theatre Of The Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie is the band’s inaugural foray into self producing, working alongside engineer and mixer Matt Galsbey (Ed Sheeran, Maisie Peters, Rag’N’Bone Man).
The governing principle behind Theatre Of the Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie, is: “let Madness be Madness”. The result is an album of typically timeless brilliance that also reflects the wonky years of its creation, these 14 songs representing the cream of the bumper crop of tunes the group cooked up, whittled down this punchy, focused set. There are moments of ineffably catchy pop excellence (drummer Daniel “Woody” Woodgate’s beguiling, bittersweet carousel “Round We Go,” Chrissy-Boy’s anarchic anthem to perhaps-justified paranoia, “Run For Your Life”), while the album is bookended by two of Suggs’ finest compositions.
A very special prologue running through the album is supplied by Emmy and BAFTA Awards winning Martin Freeman. A long-time fan, the relationship formed with the band when Madness’ manager found Martin in a meet and greet queue and introduced him to the members.
Tracklisting:
Theatre Of The Absurd
If I Go Mad
Baby Burglar
C’est La Vie
What On Earth Is It (You Take Me For?)
Hour Of Need
Round We Go
Lockdown And Frack Off
Beginners 101
Is There Anybody Out There?
The Law According to Dr. Kippah
Run For Your Life
Set Me Free (Let Me Be)
In My Street
Tour Dates:
Tour dates and locations below –
November
30 – Aberdeen P&J Live
December
1 – Glasgow OVO Hydro
2 – Newcastle Utilita Arena
4 – Cardiff International Arena
5 – Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
7 – Liverpool M&S Bank Arena
8 – Leeds First Direct Arena
9 – Manchester AO Arena
11 – Brighton Centre
12 – Bournemouth International Centre
14 – Sheffield Utilita Arena
15 – London The O2
16 – Birmingham Utilita Arena
You can get tickets for Madness shows here.
