Review: Scouting For Girls/Madness - Leeds Arena

On paper it looks an uneasy fit, Scouting For Girls supporting Madness but in reality it worked superbly. Although both groups may have success in different decades both bands have a knack of writing classic pop songs that the milkman can whistle and that appeal to many generations.

Lead singer Roy Stride genuinely seems surprised by the warm welcome the group received from the Leeds audience "it wasn't as good as this in Bournemouth" he informs the swelling crowd. "Leeds is one of our favourite places to play" he continues. With tracks like Everybody wants To Be on TV, Elvis Aint Dead, they whet the fans appetite for the night ahead. Their big hit She's So Lovely could be the missing link between the group and tonight's headliners, Madness. They came, they saw and they definitely conquered.

Now down to a six piece with the absence of Chas Smash, Madness has an undeniable back catalogue of hits to perform. "Hello you lovely people of Leeds" offers singer Suggs after the band have warmed up the fans with Night Boat to Cairo and Embarrassment.

The track Madhead is accompanied by images on the video screens of Kenneth Williams, Ian Drury, Syd James, Amy Winehouse and Barbara Windsor amongst others - all great UK individuals.

The show dips a little mid set as guitarist Chris Foreman steps centre stage to perform a version of Big Spender - his version is more karaoke than Shirley Bassey - the band never did take themselves too seriously.

A new song is premiered - The Last Rag and Bone Man which sounds like your typical observational Madness song.

The night ends with their big hits House of Fun, Wings of a Dove, It Must Be Love and One Step Beyond on what had been a night of classic British pop music.