Enjoy a day out at the races followed by a top class music concert: The Jockey Club Live season line-up this summer includes Paloma Faith, The Script and Rudimental amongst others.
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The line-up of upcoming events is:
- 15th July 2022 – Newmarket Racecourses – The Script
- 16th July 2022 – Haydock Park Racecourse – Madness
- 20th July 2022 – Sandown Park Racecourse – Paloma Faith
- 22nd July 2022 – Newmarket Racecourses – Queen Symphonic
- 27th July 2022 – Sandown Park Racecourse – Nile Rodgers & Chic
- 29th July 2022 – Newmarket Racecourses – Anne-Marie
- 4th August 2022 – Sandown Park Racecourse – Simply Red
- 5th August 2022 – Haydock Park Racecourse – Rudimental
- 5th August 2022 – Newmarket Racecourses – The Wombats
- 12th August 2022 – Newmarket Racecourses – Pete Tong & The Heritage Orchestra
Suggs from Madness is looking forward to headlining Haydock Park Racecourse on Saturday 16th July.
Q: The band are no stranger to racecourse shows – what is it that you particularly like about doing these shows that keeps bringing you back?
A: It’s bizarre when you say that as it was probably only about five years ago that we did our first one! I was worried, I thought, it’s a racetrack, all the fellas have done all their dough, are they really going to be in the mood to watch a concert? But it’s just the most extraordinary thing, the sun shines. All the ladies come out in their glad rags, and they just have a really good time – it’s amazing. I’ve never seen so many well-dressed people jumping up and down while getting their stilettos stuck in the mud. Everyone has a good time!
Q: Do you head down earlier in the day and have a bit of a flutter on the horses?
A: Yes! That’s the other thing! If we’re lucky, they give us a box. It’s a really lovely way to spend an evening, really great. Haydock last time, I thought the majority of the crowd would be gone by the time we played and but we had over 15,000 people there! The security bloke went to me “I don’t know what I can do! It’s just gone mental out there!” and it could have been like Glastonbury. As far as the eye can see people were jumping up and going bananas. It was tremendous fun, and that’s what we are as a band is to create fun.
Q: There will be loads of people coming to the show at Haydock Park that would never have seen Madness before. What can they expect from the show? What is a Madness show to you in 2022?
A: Unbridled joy. That’s what my mate said the other day. What’s interesting is when we were young, you had to go buy a record, you know, we had to go on a bus to Woolworths. What is the most amazing thing now is you get a new generation on their way to your concert, who have learned your songs on the way because they can just put them on their phones. They can discover you almost immediately. Rather than having to get on the bus to Woolworths on a Saturday morning! I’ll tell you what I’ve just discovered, but why do young people really young, kids, people like madness, do you know why?
– Why?
Because we’re idiots! We’ve never grown up.
– I think I think that’s what everyone can expect from Haydock, then it’s just a really good time.
This is it. This is it!
Paloma Faith headlines Sandown Park Racecourse on 20th July
Q: What do you have planned for the Age of Utopia tour coming up?
A: I love playing shows outside and after the last 18 months, anything outdoors seems appealing! I’m planning on making the shows fairly different from what I usually do, as I think it’s time to shake things up a bit. My musical director and I have been sowing the seeds of an idea, something I’ve not done before, but that is all I’m at liberty to say at the moment, though!
Q: You normally play vast indoor arenas. Even though these gigs will mainly be outside, are you anticipating them to be more intimate in nature?
A: I think they will be, as because they aren’t in the pitch black of a venue, you can get a real feeling of connection with the crowd, like you can see each other’s eyes and really look at everyone who is there. I feel that we need that kind of thing more than ever now, which is also why I called it the Age of Optimism Tour. We’ve all been through some very harsh stuff over the last few years, so I’m hoping that people will leave the whole experience feeling full of life and in a positive frame of mind.
Q: A lot of the shows are at racecourses across the country. What’s the appeal of playing in a location like that?
A: I’ve done them before and just had a really good time, so I was really keen to get more of them on this tour. The way that they are set up is really appealing, as they’re built for a certain kind of euphoria. You can see the sky and there’s so many people out there too. They’re a jolly for the whole family. I really like doing shows that are multi-generational, which isn’t always possible depending on the venue. I think I’m an artist who is, in the old truest sense of the word, a variety performer, like the sort of thing back when whole families used to do things together and go and see shows. It’s not really like that any more sadly, but I definitely feel that the best sort of art is the kind that can be enjoyed by a child alongside a cynical old wife. That’s what I’m aiming for, so the racecourses are the perfect venue for that. It’s a big family day out!
Karen can usually be found glued to her computer or at the stables. Having edited several national magazines she co-founded Eclipse Magazine in 2008 after realising that many of her friends were nervous about going racing due to lack of information – what to wear, how to bet etc.
She absolutely loves her job (how many people can say that?!) and is truly grateful to all supporters of and contributors to Eclipse Magazine.
If you are reading this she would like to say THANK YOU! (And please spread the word about Eclipse…!!)
