“Hey you, don’t watch that, watch this. This is the heavy, heavy monster sound of”….. The Baggies. Before things wind down for the August holidays, ‘16 Toneladas’ squeezed in ‘The Baggies’ for a skankin’ good time show performing their ‘Tribute to Madness’.

The septet features trumpet, trombone, keyboards, guitar, bass, kit drums, and lead vocalist belting out great renditions of all those Madness hits. The show was like a voyage back to a time when 2-tone ska ruled the dancehalls. They opened up with, and later ended the show with the brilliant ska classic Night Boat to Cairo. This was the perfect bookend that delivered lots of punch too!

Along this journey, fans danced away to the best of the Madness’ catalogue. These are songs with that unique blend of ska, pop and pub sing-along music. Their quirky numbers have a signature sound. These include choppy piano rhythms, horns all built on a foundation of ska and dance beats. The Baggies played the big hits; Our House, Madness, One Step Beyond along with the other favorites Embarrassment, The Sun and The Rain, The Prince, It Must Be Love, Baggie Trousers, House of Fun and more. All in all, it was a high-energy night!

Report by Phillip Solomonson

Photos copyright Phillip Solmonson/ ‘24/7 Valencia’