THERE are certain people of whom, even though you have only ever seen them on stage or on TV, you know – just know – that if you ever spent a couple of hours with them in a pub, you would leave thinking: "What a great bloke."
One such is Suggs, enduring occasional actor, television presenter, theatre impresario and DJ but best known to all as the front man of the eternally fabulous Madness.
He breezed into Derby last night, not specifically for a pint or two but to bring his one-man show, My Life Story, to the Assembly Rooms, part of a 48-date national theatre tour that runs until the beginning of June.
Far from a jumble of half-remembered pop star anecdotes, Suggs carries us along two journeys.
One is borne from the dual shock of a 50th birthday and the death of his favourite cat, leading to an emotional attempt to find out more about the father he never knew.
The other is through a transient childhood on to misspent and wayward youth and self-fulfilment through music, following the story of Madness from rehearsals in band-mate Mike Barson's London bedroom to their 1992 rebirth at Madstock! in Finsbury Park.
Interspersed with occasional song, the two tales are interwoven in a smart and witty narrative, delivered with impeccable panache and a sharp instinct for comic timing by the man himself as Suggs steers us through the highs and lows of his life without ever falling into the twin traps of sentimentality or ego.
It made for an outstanding evening of entertainment with a great bloke. By telling us a little more about where he came from, Suggs confirms the long-held impression that he never lost sight of that all along.
