AFTER almost 40 years together who could have predicted that Madness would be packing out venues the size of Pompey’s football ground?

But some 13,500 music fans took to the stands and the boarded over turf to party the night away with the 2 Tone Ska songsters at this sold out gig.

In fact this was the fourth of 20 epic shows on a UK Grandslam tour of football grounds, race courses and cricket grounds.

Die-hard fans sported Fred Perry polo shirts, Doc Martens, braces and tartan-lined Harrington jackets , some wore suits, whilst hundreds wore red fezzes – clearly the trademark Madness party hat.

By the time the band took to the stage at 8.15 the lively crowd was more than ready to dance and sing and Madness certainly delivered the goods!

It was virtually back- to- back proverbial ‘rabble rousing’ music from the kick –off with back-of-the net crowd pleasers and hits.

Front man Suggs in his distinctive dark shades and suit and the super-slick band sounded superb, as good as ever – which was quite an achievement in such an acoustically challenging venue.

Even though it needed larger screens and camera close-ups of the band to help our vision, had there been a roof on Fratton Park the reception the band received would have blown it clean away!

The enthusiastic audience bounced, pogoed and even congoed to favourite tracks that included instantly recognisable hits Embarrassment, My Girl and House of Fun, with more recent tracks warmly if less energetically received.

The excitement mounted as they moved on to a whole string of classics in the final half hour: One Step Beyond, Wings of a Dove, Baggy Trousers, Our House and It Must Be Love with a final encore of the suitably titled Madness and One Step Beyond.

A segment of the audience close to the stage looked like getting over-excited just a few songs into the show as fists started flying and punches were thrown in the centre of the crowd.

The band seemed oblivious to it and played on, and when security staff bounded in to sort it out.

The show was believed to be the first major open-air concert held at the football ground since 1975.