Theatre Of the Absurd Presents C’Est La VieMadness have announced that their 13th studio album, titled Theatre Of the Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie, will be released on 17 November, via BMG. You can pre-order it here

After premiering on Zoe Ball’s Radio 2 Breakfast Show this morning (28 Sept), lead single C’Est La Vie is now available.

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’…”

After a disparate couple of years which saw the band at their most polarised and fragmented, Madness reunited in an industrial unit in Cricklewood.

Theatre Of The Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie is the band’s inaugural foray into self producing, working alongside engineer and mixer Matt Galsbey (Ed Sheeran, Maisie Peters, Rag’N’Bone Man). 

A special prologue running through the album is supplied by Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning actor Martin Freeman.

A longtime fan, the relationship formed with the band when Madness’ manager found Freeman in a meet and greet queue and introduced him to the members.

Talking about the album, Madness said: “Well, well, well, here we are… Our 13th album (lucky for some), Theatre Of the Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie is ready for your ears. 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!”

Theatre Of the Absurd Presents C’Est La Vi tracklisting

  1. Theatre Of The Absurd
  2. If I Go Mad
  3. Baby Burglar
  4. C’est La Vie
  5. What On Earth Is It (You Take Me For?)
  6. Hour Of Need
  7. Round We Go
  8. Lockdown And Frack Off
  9. 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

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