UK ska band Madness have announced their 13th album, Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie, out November 17th via BMG. As a preview, they’ve shared three songs from the project. Stream the tracks below.
Theatre of the Absurd marks the first album from Madness since 2016’s Can’t Touch Us Now. It was recorded in Cricklewood, London at the beginning of this year, where members Graham “Suggs” McPherson, Mark Bedford, Chris “Chrissy Boy” Foreman, Mike “Barso” Barson, Lee Thompson, and Dan “Woody” Woodgate found harmony alongside engineer and mixer Matt Galsbey.
Tying the 14 songs together is a prologue from actor (and longtime fan) Martin Freeman that runs throughout the album. Pre-orders for Theatre of the Absurd are ongoing. See the artwork and full tracklist below.
“Our thirteenth album (lucky for some) Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie is ready for your ears,” Madness said in a statement. “For us, recording it was the perfect antidote to the chaos of the past few years — we were all there, properly in the zone. It was just us, in an industrial unit in Cricklewood, playing together. We loved it!”
On that note, composer/keyboardist Barson told Zoe Ball on The Radio 2 Breakfast Show that the lead single “C’Est La Vie” is “about these crazy times we’re living in, and how I just want to stay on my boat and not be a part of all this madness.” Check it out below, along with “If I Go Mad” and “What on Earth Is It (You Take Me For?).”
To close out the year, Madness will embark on a UK tour including stops in Liverpool, Manchester, London, and more. See the schedule below, and tickets are available here.
Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie Artwork:
Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie Tracklist:
01. Theatre of the Absurd
02. If I Go Mad
03. Baby Burglar
04. C’est La Vie
05. What on Earth Is It (You Take Me For?)
06. Hour of Need
07. Round We Go
08. Lockdown and Frack Off
09. Beginners 101
10. Is There Anybody Out There?
11. The Law According to Dr. Kippah
12. Run for Your Life
13. Set Me Free (Let Me Be)
14. In My Street
Madness 2023 Tour Dates:
11/30 – Aberdeen, UK @ P&J Live
12/01 – Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro
12/02 – Newcastle, UK @ Utilita Arena
12/04 – Cardiff, UK @ Cardiff International Arena
12/05 – Nottingham, UK @ Motorpoint Arena
12/07 – Liverpool, UK @ M&S Bank Arena
12/08 – Leeds, UK @ First Direct Arena
12/09 – Manchester, UK @ AO Arena
12/11 – Brighton, UK @ Brighton Centre
12/12 – Bournemouth, UK @ International Centre
12/14 – Sheffield, UK @ Utilita Arena
12/15 – London, UK @ The O2
12/16 – Birmingham, UK @ Utilita Arena
