The classiest performance in this year’s Ilosaarirock was given by the godfather of ska, Madness, flying in from Camden, London. Dressed in their Sunday bests, these British gentlemen swept the rug under the audience’s feet with little effort. And the audience thanked them, dancing themselves to exhaustion in the glow of the setting sun. Beautiful.
The weirdest thing about their performance is that each song seems familiar. Each song is a hit. Their poetic sound is infallible. The set was like a long, joyous trip of nostalgia. It ended with One Step Beyond and ended with Night Boat To Cairo. No surprises, but that’s how it’s supposed to go. Why reinvent the wheel. Better to just roll along and enjoy the trip!
Text: Ville Räisänen
Photos: Jari Kuskelin
Translation: Jaakko Suvanto
