Sometime reunions just shouldn’t happen. The band in question should leave well alone- it’s never going to be as raw, fresh or immediate as the old days and everyone knows when you’re in it for the money. Those that they know this and try and convince us otherwise only expose their lack of integrity and leave us screaming “have some dignity for goodness’ sake!” Thankfully the 2Tone sensibilities of legendary ska band The Specials not only preserve the group’s dignity, but re-ignite the excitement of the good old days for all who attend the 30th Anniversary tour which tonight plays to the Manchester Carling Apollo.
As soon as I step out of the car I am greeted by a bizarre site outside the Apollo; namely hundreds- perhaps thousands of skinheads almost identically dressed. It’s as though I’ve been transported back to the volatile 1980’s- or stumbled onto the set of “This Is England”. The pub behind the venue is heaving and it takes a good 20 minutes of negotiating a path through Ben Sherman shirts and Fred Perry polos before actually getting served. This struggle is short lived, however, as the shaven headed throng gravitate towards the venue.
Supporting The Specials are Kid British- a lively group who fuse rap, hip hop and ska together and even perform a re-working of Madness’ “Our House” which gets the crowd skanking. This is followed by a DJ set of skinhead reggae and ska during which not a soul is sat down. From the barrier to the rafters, the room is alive, and chants of “Rude Boy” are becoming ever more agitated and prevalent. The mood is akin to that of a pre- match football crowd- apprehensive, high spirited and pumped with adrenaline.
When The Specials do take to the stage, a convulsion jerks through the crowd from the stage speakers to the highest seats at the back as skinheads, rude boys and mods dance energetically to the classics- “Do the dog”, “Concrete Jungle” (vocals are performed by Roddy Radiation on this song as lead singer Terry Hall nips out the back for a cigarette) and “Monkey Man” light a fire under Manchester’s feet that won’t be stomped out any time soon- not even by the bouncing soles of Dr. Marten boots! Musically, nothing has changed. If you were expecting lumbering podgy 50- somethings to amble onto the stage and make a pathetic attempt at reliving the glory days, sorry, but that just isn’t on the cards. The Specials are as vital as they were in ’79. Bravest of all, the collective venture into a performance of the definitive hit "Ghost Town"- probably the most impressive song of the night due to their ability to recreate the studio sound live- even the high pitched child- like vocals mid- way through.
It’s safe I think to say that nobody could have predicted quite as strong an anniversary tour as this. No nostalgia as such, more a redefining of good times and good music that still feels so relevant 30 years on. No slacking, no lazy renditions and no compromise of credibility.
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