No more results on this page
The Specials are a trend-starting ska-revival and 2 Tone band that came together in 1977 in Coventry, England. The band was responsible for starting the early ‘80s ska scene and released a string of timeless songs including “"A Message to You, Rudy" and “Too Much, Too Young.”
Band members Jerry Dammers, Tim Strickland, Silverton Hutchinson, Horace Panter and Lynval Golding started the band with the intention of creating a musical statement against racism. As with the punk era it followed, the ska scene featured politically minded lyrics. This trend was started by The Specials, and their mixture of reggae dancehall music and modern British political lyrics proved very popular.
Tim Strickland was replaced by Terry Hall shortly after the band's formation and within a year they had added Neville Staple and Roddy Radiation to the group. Another line-up change occurred soon after, as drummer Silverton Hutchinson was replaced by John Bradbury just before the band released their debut single, “Gangsters.” Released on Jerry Dammers own label, 2 Tone Records, the song was a hit and they quickly followed with their self-titled debut album in 1979. They returned to the recording studio for the follow-up, titled More Specials, in 1980, which included backing vocals from the likes of Belinda Carlisle and Chrissie Hynde. They hit No. 1 in the charts again with the huge hit “Ghost Town,” a song that still gets used regularly in movies and TV shows today as an iconic, instantly recognizable song from the era.
At the end of 1981, three key members of the band left to form Fun Boy Three, and new talent was brought in. While the band continued to tour all over, front-man Jerry Dammers was finding a new passion away from music, and in 1984 he dissolved the band to pursue his political activism work on a full-time basis. Various members of the band toured in off-shoot bands and there were various short-lived and one-off attempts at reunions in the ‘90s, but finally in the ‘00s fans got to see a more authentic version ofTthe Specials, as they performed in a number of high-profile gigs with many original members. One such performance came in 2007 alongside Lily Allen and Damon Albarn at Glastonbury. In 2013, The Specials released a new live album titled More... Or Less, and they plan to keep on working together.
I took my 13yr old son to the show. I am 46 years old. I love ska and so does my trumpet playing son. We stood in the pit section up close. The show was beyond amazing and beyond my expectation. The venue was wonderful and will return again soon. I highly recommend the venue and The Specials. Thanks
This was my time seeing The Specials. I have been a fan since the early '80's. They were great, looked great, and have great energy. Best show ever with the exception of the drunks sitting next to us, and spilling beer on my son.
