31/08/2003: Let's go nuts...:	Ron, IU
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As if by way of again proving that I was right (and don't I just love to be right!) when I insist that Ska is due a comeback - and I mean proper Ska not Ska-rock or Ska-punk, another Ska legend is set to hit Dublin. A few weeks back Neville Staples was due to play here (although it got pulled as far as I recall), then last week it was the turn of The Beat (or "The English Beat" to our cross-the-pond readers) to play Dublin. Now we hear news that tickets go on sale this Thursday for a Madness show set to hit The Point on Dec 6th. Those of us in the know (i.e any Dubliner and anyone in Ireland) will tell you that December 6th is mad-shopping day for tourists up from the Country for their Xmas shopping. It will be interesting to see what they make of it when they get here and see thousands of 30-somethings decked out in black-and-white, sporting slim ties and pork--pie hats. Newcomers to Dublin may well go away thinking there is a sub-race of weirdos here. And they'd be right. The Nutty Boys, better known as 'Madness', were an icon of the 80's, making the cross-over between the politically vocal Ska and Reggae bands like early 'Specials', 'Stell Pulse' and early 'UB40', and mainstream pop music, without having to change too much of their early sound. Always well received by an Irish audience, especially in London for some reason, Madness were all about fun in their music whereas previous attempts at Ska-crossovers were all doom, gloom and anti-Government or - at the other extreme - bubblegum Ska-pop. If I can persuade my wife that a pair of tickets (or, at least, one for me) to see the boys is a good birthday present for her, expect to see me wailing along at the top of my voice!

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