Music

Time Out’s Seven Wonders of London feature has proved very popular with capital-nerds. But we feel that there is more to London’s wonderment than mere bricks and mortar, wattle and daub. Its people, atmosphere and amazing capacity for random events are equally inspirational and defining qualities. By happy coincidence (well, happy for us because ours came first), Madness are also pondering the theme as part of their show at the O2 Arena this Friday. The Transport From London show is part of a seven-date tour in which the original Los Palmas Seven are reunited. It’s going to be great, if you’re a Madness fan. The band have long been synonymous with the capital, so we asked drummer Daniel ‘Woody’ Woodgate and guitarist Chris ‘Chrissy Boy’ Foreman to nominate their own specific musical wonders of the city, so it wouldn’t clash with what either of us are doing elsewhere.
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1 Immigration
Woody: ‘The first one that I think shaped a lot of our musical landscape is immigration. Any ethnic influx that comes into the country obviously changes it, and London is just a fucking brilliant melting pot of musical influences. The stuff that the Asians have done, and the Jamaicans who came over in the ’50s – blimey, that was just an explosion. Now the influences that they brought over are a part of our heritage. People associate Madness with being a very London band, and all the stuff that we nicked is from all over the place! We’ve had influences from as far away as India; we had a song called “New Delhi”, which has an Asian twist. “Night Boat To Cairo”, the chords in that song are just slightly off, but they’re accepted in our society now, because we understand that kind of musical genre. So immigration is, I think, just fantastic.’

Chrissy Boy: ‘The Jamaican thing is really important. A few of us in Madness were skinheads. I kind of was a skinhead, although I think I had long hair. I remember hearing “Al Capone” by Prince Buster; the whole sound of it was strange, it was something I hadn’t heard before.’

2 Street hawkers
Woody: ‘What I think’s very London and very musical, but I don’t think people really realise it, is market sellers and newspaper sellers. It’s just one of those things – “Stannit! Staaaanit! Stannit!” – it’s like a tune of London. And those market sellers who bark bananas and apples and all that. I remember Camden Market when it was a proper market; people used to sell fruit and veg and stuff. It just had that atmosphere, people almost singing. There’d be tunes everywhere. No one ever says, “Oi mate, d’you want to buy a banana?”, it’s all done in that kind of “roo-de-loo-do-doo” melodic way.’

3 Buskers
Woody: ‘I can’t imagine London without buskers, especially on the tube. That is a true London thing. You get buskers all over the country, but there’s something about that lovely echoey sound. You get all kinds of diverse musicians as well. There’s one guy who was at Victoria for
a while, and he played a drum, a big African drum, and it was really noisy! It was fantastic! I think it’s a bit sad that they’re licensed now. I don’t know how they get a pitch; you probably have to buy it! I just think it’s a shame that they made it illegal in the first place. There must be some miserable bastards out there who just don’t like music.’

Chrissy Boy: ‘I always give them money. As long as they’re good; I know some of them can be a bit dreadful. I’m sure that a lot of people disapprove of it. You can tell they probably think it’s some sort of begging. But I always like someone playing the sax.’

4 Mobile phones
Woody: ‘They’re one thing that’s constant, if you travel in London. They’re going off all the time. And it’s not just “ring ring”, it’s tunes, songs coming out all the time.’

Chrissy Boy: ‘I like to try and guess whose phone it is – like you’ll hear a hip hop tune blaring out, and it’ll be some old granny! That’s quite funny. Some people you just think: God, aren’t you embarrassed that that’s your ringtone?’

5 Big Ben
Woody: ‘The most archetypal musical thing that you can get in London is Big Ben. It’s the defining musical instrument of the city. Isn’t that wonderful?’
Chrissy Boy: ‘I’ve done this kind of intro film for the tour and it’s got Big Ben in it, of course. We were talking about it yesterday, but the actual “dong, dong”, I don’t know if that is Big Ben the bell, or if Big Ben is one of the other chimes.’

6 Fairgrounds
Chrissy Boy: ‘There’s a general noise, a cacophony. Then you get different tunes on each ride, so you hear all sorts of different stuff. That’s another thing I remember from growing up: they’d always play old reggae at fairs. And some of them now do still play “Liquidator” as you go whizzing round. We used to go to Hampstead Fair, every year, and I’d always see Jonathan Ross, who I don’t really know. Although actually, my son is his postman. And I must say Jonathan Ross is very nice to him, always gives him a drink at Christmas.’

7 Notting Hill Carnvial
Woody: ‘Rio’s got its Carnival, we’ve got Notting Hill. It’s a massive musical event, which I think’s as much a part of the London landscape as the Last Night of the Proms. That is so typically London based, as is Notting Hill Carnival. I don’t really go down there, though. I’m a boring old fart now who doesn’t leave his home. But I think it’s a wonderful thing. It’s another way for people to be able to express themselves through the arts, and come together, which I just think is brilliant.’

Madness play the O2 Arena on Dec 14.