All aboard the

WHAT’S ON EDITOR GORDON BARR GOES ONE STEP BEYOND TO TELL YOU OF A SPECIAL MADNESS GIG HAPPENING THIS SUMMER

MUSIC fans will get the chance to go One Step Beyond this summer as Madness announce an exclusive four-date tour of UK stately homes including a trip to Alnwick Castle.

The British pop icons, who have been thrilling audiences for more than four decades, will headline four open air gigs and will bring their House of Fun to Alnwick Castle on July 14.

Tickets for the tour go on general sale at 9am tomorrow from www.ticketmaster.co.uk but fans can sign up to an exclusive pre-sale giving them access to tickets 24 hours earlier.

The last couple of years have been truly sensational for Madness as they followed up a phenomenal 2016 appearance on Glastonbury’s Pyramid stage with the release of their 11th studio album – the critically acclaimed Can’t Touch Us Now.

Featuring the hit single Mr Apples, it instantly went top 5.

The band’s tour is presented by promoters Cuffe and Taylor, whose director Peter Taylor said: “Madness are a Great British institution who remain one of the best live acts around.

“We worked with them at both Lytham Festival and Scarborough Open Air Theatre in 2017 and their show is a night of Madness-style mayhem with unbridled fun and songs that have become ingrained into the nation’s musical psyche over the last 30 years. We are now delighted to be presenting their four-date stately home tour and look forward to what will be a mad summer with these guys.

“All four venues are beautiful properties and to close the tour in the majestic surroundings of Alnwick Castle will be incredible.”

A proud and original line-up, who often refer to themselves as a dysfunctional but happy family, Suggs, Mike ‘Barzo’ Barson, Chris ‘Chrissy Boy’ Foreman, Lee ‘Kix’ Thompson, Daniel ‘Woody’ Woodgate and Mark ‘Bedders’ Bedford have played to millions of fans over the last 40 years.

Formed in Camden in 1976, they have chalked up 15 UK Top 10 singles – including the timeless Our House, It Must Be Love, One Step Beyond, My Girl and Baggy Trousers – together with seven top 10 albums.

Known for their cheeky humour and musical eclecticism, this ‘dysfunctional family’ create a unique sound that comes into its own on stage and continues to endear them to fans new and old.