I have long fancied myself a bit of an Anglophile. Not in the lame and tiresome sense of idolizing the Royal Family and tuning in BBC Radio as one's sole news source, but more in the manner of being a British pop culture nerd. It's always seemed to me that England is the world's top exporter of comedy, comic books and pop music: Monty Python, Alan Moore, Paul Weller and Madness have shaped my consciousness and made me the misfit American I am. Though I've never been overseas, these feet have longed to walk upon that green and pleasant land. And I will soon be there.

That's right, D. Trull is off to London in July! Specifically, I'm bound for Madstock! Since Madness first reunited in 1992, it's been a dream of mine to attend one of their huge outdoor concert festivals and see England while I'm there. For every reason I can think of, 2009 is the time to do it.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Madness, and the band has just released a brilliant masterpiece entitled The Liberty of Norton Folgate (see my full review), their first album of original songs in ten years. They are celebrating the occasion by staging their first Madstock festival since 1998 on this July 17 at London's Victoria Park. And that falls just a month past my dreaded 40th birthday. I wanted to do something spectacular to get me through my mid-life crisis, and considering that I've made it to this ripe old age without leaving the United States, I resolved last December that I would be a fool to let such a perfectly timed opportunity slip past. I couldn't find anyone to come along with me, so I'm flying this mission solo. It's intimidating, but I'm ready to face the challenge.

And I'm not going across the Atlantic just for Madstock. I'm spending a full week over there to do the full tourist experience and get to know London, doing the double decker bus tours, riding the Tube and the London Eye, seeing the Tower of London and a performance of As You Like It at the Globe Theatre, eating some fish & chips and chicken tikka masala. Then the day after Madstock, Madness is playing another show at the Broadlands in Romsey, Hampshire, so I'm taking a two-hour train ride and staying overnight to have myself a double dose of the Nutty Boys.

Of course, I'll be documenting my entire British boondoggle in words and photographs and presenting a travelogue here on the site after I return, assuming I survive the experience. Lard Biscuit Enterprises shall be temporarily conducting operations under the suitably native alias of Clotted Cream Scone Enterprises. (Them fancy tea-time scones is sort of like biscuits, ain't they? I reckon I'll be finding out!)

Until then, do please wish me luck, chip-chip-cheerio, tally ho, cor blimey, and all that bleedin' bollocks. I leave you with the following passages from "Rainbows," my favorite track from The Liberty of Norton Folgate. Lee Thompson and Woody Woodgate's lyrics are ostensibly describe the experience of being born from the viewpoint of the baby, but I think the words just as fittingly describe the great adventure that I'm setting out upon.

Full review of The Liberty of Norton Folgate