New Year? Snow, what fun we had

It’s never easy to predict the Scottish weather. But Suggs is confident his band’s forthcoming gig at Princes Street Gardens will be warmer than their last visit there. Madness were part of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations at the same venue and the frontman has only recently thawed out. “I’ve never been so cold in my life,” he laughed.“My abiding memory is being told not to swear, because we were live on the BBC, and it’s the first thing I did when I walked out on stage because it was so freezing. “I remember when we got to our hotel.There was a bagpipe player and all these people staying there who were visiting from around the world to experience New Year in Edinburgh. “It started snowing and it couldn’t have been any more perfect. “We then availed ourselves of the hospitality afterwards. “You can’t beat New Year’s Eve in Scotland.” Madness are a go-to band for New Year celebrations, but their party sound is also called upon when society needs

a pick-me-up. “In times of austerity, that’s when we seem to be on the rise,” he continued. “I hate the idea, but it is a strange phenomenon. “You look back at 1979 and Thatcher and the ‘no such thing as society’ talk, and then in the 1980s when they were picking on poor people. “We set about trying to cheer people up. “We were pigeon-holed as a happy-go-lucky novelty band, but we wrote songs to help people.We weren’t performing idiots. “It brings you back down to earth when you hear from people who have been helped by your music or that it changed their attitudes to life. “We all grew up with nothing, so it’s a great privilege. “We try to write about the struggles of everyday life in a light-hearted way, but the songs, tunes like Embarrassment and My Girl, aren’t a joke.” Times might be difficult again in Britain, but Suggs remains upbeat. “This country goes up and down through lots of different times, but I’m optimistic and my kids feel the