Watch out, bouncers about; a paper warning.
Thanks to the efficient but friendly security control, we didn't notice any trouble amongst this audience of over 10,000. Watching Madness without dancing was quite hard, though. They were the first to get people on their feet — obviously a favourite band with their monster sound. For starters, Squeeze were just forgettable while Rockpile followed with up and down rock 'n' roll; crawling from the wreckage in red creepers. They didn't seem to fit the mood and neither did Selecter, who tried too hard and were too loud too.
But no-one could match Costello's grandeur as he knocked us breathless with brilliant new songs like "Shot By His Own Gun," a trailer for his eagerly-awaited Trust album. He's grown into a truly great performer. UB40 came on last, greeted by warm, cheering applause. Being a Birmingham band, their hometown fans and friends gave them a special welcome, but after their set even non-Brummies would probably agree that they're the best of the British reggae bands.
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