Madness topped the weekend of food, music and fun at OnBlackheath festival today, following on from the likes of Elbow and Manic Street Preachers yesterday.
Here’s 11 things you need to know about the day, the festival and their set.
Location, Location, Location
OnBlackheath is in Blackheath. Obvious, yes, but it would be an absolute crime to come to the festival but not enjoy the delights of the village, a real south east London gem. A cheeky cake in Boulangerie Jade certainly started the afternoon off well.
They were a decent bunch
OnBlackheath boasts one of the nicer crowds you'll find. We'd expect nothing less from a festival sponsored by John Lewis. Lots of families, eccentrics and slightly older men covering bald spots with Madness fezzes.
Feeding your face was actually pretty tricky
When there's so many amazing food stalls to choose from, where do you start? Paella, pizza, pulled pork or pie? And those are just the foods beginning with P.
The drinks may have been festival prices but the free Strongbow samples came thick and fast.
Rather than having a few stalls tacked on, this really is a food festival as well. You could get posh chefs to could your dinner too, or you could have a lesson in the John Lewis cookery school.
The kids were all right
With children under 12 getting in free, it stands to reason there would be plenty to keep them occupied. There certainly was. A personal highlight was watching youngsters learn to DJ, although seeing one passionate child dancing all the way in the queue then get to the front just as it finished was a little bit heartbreaking.
Photo by Ed Manley
Kelis is a little star
The heavily pregnant soul singer with more hits than you thought wasn’t just the second-top billing on the main stage, she also gave a cooking demo on the food stage and then cooked for 100 in the chefs banquet all before doing the day job. She didn't knock up a milkshake though, which is a shame. They bring all the boys to the yard.
What a surprise! The amazing #RayDavies just came out to announce @KinksMusical's "Waterloo Sunset"! pic.twitter.com/2qwzbU1x3y
— OnBlackheath (@OnBlackheath) September 13, 2015
Catching the Ray on a Sunny Afternoon
While we were watching Kelis cook pork belly and learning she likes roast dinners and shepherd's pie, Ray Davies was joining the cast of his Kinks musical Sunny Afternoon on the main stage.
Madness deserved the top slot
With more than 35 years under their belts, Madness can still pull in a crowd and they can sure put on a show. Right from the off, they lived up to the hype.
Thommo can really blow
All through the set, saxophonist Lee Thompson was a ball of energy, full of vigour and crowd-baiting humour. When it came to the music, he blew up a storm too.
This man’s singing should be illegal
While the rest of the band took a mid-set breather, guitarist Chris Foreman ambushed the microphone with a wonderfully tuneless version of Bon Jovi’s Living on a Prayer. You could say it was a success – it prompted a mass singalong – but boy were we glad to have Suggs back.
There’s only one Suggs
A band as mischievous and brilliant as Madness needs a great front man and they’ve got one in this razor-witted showman. The band took it up a gear after the half time break, bringing out House of Fun, Baggy Trousers, Our House and the show-closing (until the encore) It Must Be Love - and the man leading it was in fine fettle.
We can’t wait til next year
No matter who headlines OnBlackheath 2016, we can’t wait.
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