Review: Suggs tells his moving life story to appreciative audience

‘Suggs: My Life Story’ was a two-hour exposition by Suggs, the front-man of the pop group Madness, of his life as part of a national tour.

It became obvious very early on that behind the laddish veneer lay a sharp intellect and a sensitive nature.

These attributes were demonstrated clearly in the two main themes to his talk: one being the saga of the band and the other comprising the search for information about his father.

The first topic delivered the laughs and the second one provided the pathos.

In a moving account, Suggs told us how he had discovered only recently that his father, whom he had not seen since he was three years old, had died in 1975 from drug abuse.

Suggs was accompanied on stage by a pianist and occasionally would break off into a Madness song, usually one that referenced a particular topic within his talk. For example, at the end of a description of his school days, Suggs sang the first couple of verses of Baggy Trousers.

In terms of personality, Suggs came across as down-to-earth and unpretentious, rather than an über celebratory – someone you could imagine having a good chat with down the pub or, in my preferred setting, on a walk, if fortunate enough to have the opportunity.

It’s possible that a short question and answer session at the end would have enhanced the evening but I’m not sure how appropriate this would have been bearing in mind that the style of presentation was more soliloquy than conversation.

All in all, this was a very entertaining evening that was clearly enjoyed by everyone there judging by the audience reaction.

Richard Barr