Hot off the heels of revealing the news of their 13th full length album Theatre Of the Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie (due for release on 17th November via BMG), one of the UK’s most beloved British bands Madness have announced a very special, homecoming show at Camden’s iconic KOKO on the 18th October.

Having not played at the venue since Madness were known as The Invaders and KOKO was The Music Machine, the underplay performance will allow just 1,400 lucky fans the opportunity to catch them playing songs from the new album, along with some familiar favourites for the very first time.

Madness said “Well ladies and gentlemen, what do we have ‘ere then? For the one and only time, we’ll be performing some songs off our brand new album Theatre of the Absurd presents C’est La Vie in the place where it all began – Camden. We first played KOKO right back when it was still called the The Music Machine and we can’t wait to be back on the 18th October. Dust off your glad rags and get involved”

Fans who pre-order the new album from the official album store will receive access to the exclusive ticket pre-sale for the show. The pre-sale will run from 9.30am on Thursday 5th October until the general sale which starts at 9.30am on Friday 6th October.

Madness famously emerged from the backstreets of Camden Town in the late 70s and recently released a three-part original docu series with TV channel AMC about the beginnings of the band in the area. Before We Was We: Madness by Madness, chronicles the rise of one of the most loved bands in British culture.

New single ‘C’Est La Vie’ is now available and gives a taste of what’s to come from the album. With an eerie space-ska feel, the song reflects on the perils of everyday life. According to composer/keyboard-wrangler Mike ‘Barso’ Barson, the title track 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. But of course, I’m a member of a group called Madness. Perhaps we should have called ourselves ‘Sanity’…”

Theatre Of the Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie is available on double vinyl and CD with a limited crystal clear vinyl sold through HMV and indie stores – Preorder here. The official album store features exclusive formats – a very limited edition zoetrope double picture disc plus cassette and merchandise bundles.

Throughout their career, Madness have had 10 UK top ten albums, 15 top ten singles and have won a multitude of awards including a prestigious Ivor Novello. They’ve performed on the top of Buckingham Palace as part of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations and set the record for the biggest ever audience for the BBC’s Live New Year’s Eve Broadcast – the most watched TV music event of 2018. One of the most enduring and evergreen live shows this country has to offer, their everybody’s-welcome celebrations of life’s ups, downs and everything in the middle(s), continue to attract new generations of fans from across every walk of life.

Tour dates and locations below –

October
Thu 18 London KOKO

November
Thu 30 Aberdeen P&J Live

December
Fri 1 Glasgow OVO Hydro
Sat 2 Newcastle Utilita Arena
Mon 4 Cardiff International Arena
Tue 5 Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
Thu 7 Liverpool M&S Bank Arena
Fri 8 Leeds First Direct Arena
Sat 9 Manchester AO Arena
Mon 11 Brighton Centre
Tue 12 Bournemouth International Centre
Thu 14 Sheffield Utilita Arena
Fri 15 London The O2
Sat 16 Birmingham Utilita Arena