Musical Influence.

“Two-Tone was the defining moments for me as a schoolboy. It led me down a tunnel of discovery of music a decade previously; the original ska and rocksteady grooves that inspired those later. Years later I received a phone call from Chrissy Boy from Madness who needed a bassist for a new project he and Lee Thompson had formed post Madness. The band was to be called The Nutty Boys and a short tour was to be organised to promote the album ‘Crunch!’ As I was on the same label at the time I was recommended to Chris who invited me to his house for an ‘audition’.

I was expecting a join a long queue of potential candidates given their history. I was full of nerves being a huge fan, doubting my own abilities. Chris opened the door and looked up and down the road. “As it’s only you, you had better come in.” I later found out it was only me. Quite an honour. He thrust a cassette tape in my hand and told me we had a rehearsal the following week and had better get cracking learning what was on the tape. Years later when I was asked to stand in for Norman Watt Roy who couldn’t make a series of Madness rehearsals (he was standing in for Bedders) the small child inside of me felt very nervous thinking back to those days of two tone releases and that whole buzz, yet here I was surrounded by my heroes some who have become dear friends. Forward to 2015. To be asked then, to perform live with Rhoda Dakar, to write and record at Paul Weller’s studio as part of her live band was nothing short of an honour and something I will cherish. Enjoy yourselves, it’s later than you think.”

Paul Tadman