Ska Legends MADNESS Turn Aintree Racecourse into a House of Fun [Photos & Show Review]

Growing up in the ‘80s, one of the bands I always remember was London ska chaps Madness and, judging by the crowd buzzing around Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, I wasn’t the only one looking to spend Saturday night getting a dose of fez-shaking Ska punk from Suggs and Co. Everywhere you looked around the arena there were fans young and old adorned in Fez hats of all shapes and sizes and as the band took to the stage and into opener “One Step Beyond,” there wasn’t a person within a hundred and fifty yards of the stage that wasn’t busting out their best ska moves.

Looking cooler than anyone you know, frontman Suggs, decked out in shades and a sharp-as-shit suit, led the band through a set laden with hits including all the old favourites like “Driving In My Car,” “House Of Fun,” “Baggy Trousers” and “Our House” and, despite the rain threatening to put a dampner on the night, nothing was going stop Madness kickstarting a Summer of gigs at Aintree in style.

Madness made sure Aintree Racecourse was a “House of Fun” by playing a stack of hits like this one:

Madness Setlist:

01. One Step Beyond
02. Embarrassment
03. The Prince
04. NW5
05. My Girl
06. My Girl 2
07. The Sun and the Rain
08. Bullingdon Boys
09. Wings of a Dove
10. Driving in My Car
11. One Better Day
12. Bed and Breakfast Man
13. In My Street
14. Shut Up
15. Mr. Apples
16. House of Fun
17. Baggy Trousers
18. Our House
19. It Must Be Love
20. Madness
21. Night Boat to Cairo