Madness to Headline HKSEVENS Kick-Off Concert

The Hong Kong Rugby Union (HKRU) has unveiled details of the entertainment planned for the 2017 Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, scheduled to take place 7-9 April.

Legendary British band Madness will get the party started as 2017 marks another expansive entertainment lineup for the Hong Kong Sevens with the HKRU set to thrill an expected 120,000 visitors to the tournament with seven days of fan experiences during HKSEVENS Rugby Week.

Madness will headline one of the highlights of the annual week-long rugby party – the HKSEVENS Kick-Off Concert, sponsored by Marriott Rewards, on Thursday 6 April, at the Sevens Village directly across from the stadium.

Also on stage at the HKSEVENS Kick-off Concert will be an original member of Mods gods The Jam, bassist Bruce Foxton. Foxton is joined by guitarist/vocalist Russell Hastings – in their From The Jam show, which has also been touring the globe to much acclaim.

Madness got the world grooving with a string of hits in the 80s – and they’ve continued to delight global audiences ever since with timeless classics such as ‘House of Fun’, ‘Baggy Trousers’ and ‘Our House’.

Robbie McRobbie, Deputy CEO of the Hong Kong Rugby Union, said, “Over the past forty years of the Hong Kong Sevens, our fans have come to rely on us to always go ‘One Step Beyond’ so to speak, and we have definitely done that again for next year’s Sevens. Madness and From the Jam are guaranteed to keep the world’s best rugby party hopping over sevens weekend.”

Famed for their electric live shows, Madness will set sevens week well and truly into swing. The legendary British rockers are somewhat familiar with playing to stadium audiences, having performed at the 2012 Olympic Games closing ceremony.

They also played at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee concert in the same year as they experienced a creative renaissance that has led to some of their finest work. This purple patch began with 2009’s critically acclaimed album, The Liberty of Norton Folgate, and continues through their latest album, this year’s Can’t Touch Us Now.

"Every year, Madness opens out in a different way than I thought it would,” lead singer Graham “Suggs” McPherson said. “It’s getting bigger every time, and it’s starting to get scary because none of us knows what we’re unleashing, I don’t want to end up a gigantic popular-rock-star, but its heading in that direction, for some peculiar reason.”

The Jam exploded on to the UK punk scene in 1977 with their ferocious sound and Sevens fan can expect to be treated to classic The Jam hits such as ‘Going Underground’, ‘Town Called Malice’ and ‘The Modern World’.

The HKSEVENS Kick-off Concert is sponsored by Marriott Rewards. General admission costs from $388, with a full complement VIP experience from $888. Tickets are now available from Ticketflap.

Rugby pictures: Pictures from 2019 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures from 2018 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures from 2017 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures from 2016 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures of Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2015, Pictures of the Asia Rugby Sevens Olympic Games Qualifier in Hong Kong, Pictures of Singha Thailand Sevens 2015, Pictures from the 2013 British & Irish Lions Tour in Hong Kong, Pictures of Hong Kong Sevens 2014, Pictures of Hong Kong Sevens 2013, Pictures of Chartis Cup 2012 and Pictures of Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2012.

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