It may have been 2010 and not 1980, but the reconstituted Specials proved they could still bring enough energy and verve to their performance at Club Nokia last week.
First thing I saw when I entered the hall was the sight of what looked like Terry Hall dj-ing at the front of the stage. Only this wasTerry Hall circa 1979, buzz cut and all, just like he looked in the "Dance Craze" movie, except with a more tan complexion. Oh, wait a minute,of course that can't be him. However, if that isn't Terry Hall progeny then I need my eyes and head examined. It turns out it is his son, Felix, who is playing tour dj and spinning reggae 45s only. Kid has his dad's temperament too: at one point some jerk took exception to all the reggae music and young Felix threatened to take him outside and smack him.
I arrived early enough to receive my wrist band allowing me into the pit area. I was nervous about this due to my bad experience at that Bad Manners show in Hollywood last year. I scanned the crowd anxiously for skinheads and piss-heads and general troublemakers of every stripe. There were a few benign looking skinheads out with their girl, but no gang of them or any sense of menace evident. That's a relief.
The Specials hit the stage and launched into the party starting anthem "Do The Dog". Six of the seven original members are present and accounted for: singer Terry Hall (absent from any Specials-related shows until last year), singer-guitarist Lynval Golding (who exuded the friendliest vibe and seemed just so thrilled and grateful for this reunion to be happening), singer-toaster Neville Staples (with the sleepy eyes and sly grin of someone who must be smoking some great weed), bassist Horace Panter (dapper in his suit and demonstrating the calm reserve of many great bass players), guitarist Roddy Radiation (big eared, suspenders-wearing rockabilly freak), and drummer John Bradbury (looking lean and hard behind the kit). The band were also supplemented with a keyboard player standing in for absent founder Jerry Dammers, as well as a three piece horn section on a few songs.
Seeing this line-up is a dream come true for me. The Specials actually played in Davis in either 1980 or 1981 at the UCD coffee house. I would have been 12 or 13 at the time and was a year or two away from discovering this band--probably in early 1982 is when I became aware of the whole 2-Tone thing. This show represents not only a reunion of six of the original seven Specials, but also Terry, Neville and Lynval who split from the band and formed Fun Boy Three in late 1981. The two original Specials albums as well as the two Fun Boy Three albums were a big deal for me during my high school years. No FB3 songs are being played tonight,of course, but it is a thrill to see that trio back on stage and performing again.
Terry Hall has always been one of pop music's strangest ducks. He always has a permanently dour expression on his face,yet he is also capable of being drolly hilarious. His participation is what really makes this a legitimate Specials reunion. The other five guys have worked together in various incarnations of the Specials (or sometimes as Special Beat with English Beat members) since the third wave ska revival of the 90's. What was missing was Terry's vocals and general presence to make it authentic.
Terry is center stage but he lays back and doesn't get too close to the front. His general demeanor is one of someone who would rather be anywhere else but on that stage. Coming from any other performer this might seem offensive, but with Mr. Hall it is part of the act and makes perfect sense. Terry demonstrated a bit of like father, like son early on in the show when he called out an idiot fan who was trying to "gob" like it was 1977: "If you do that again I'm going to come down there and smash your fookin' head in", much to the delight of the audience. Of course it is easy to be hard when you have nine band members and several crew members to back you up. Terry also facetiously announced to the crowd they should come back to the band's hotel (the celebrity swank-fest that is the Sunset Marquis) for an after show party. "Just tell them you're there for a reception, they will love it. I won't be there, I will be asleep in my room." He also said quite randomly at one point "I'm delicious".
The band was a real well-oiled machine as it tore through virtually the entire first album (no"Too Hot" or "Stupid Marriage") and exactly half of the second record. They also tackled the classic single "Ghost Town" and its b-side "Friday Night and Saturday Morning". The energy level, while perhaps not the same as in their prime, was high and the audience was enthusiastically skanking away and showing their appreciation the whole time. The performance was only marred by Roddy Radiation taking over lead vocals for "Concrete Jungle" while Terry took break. Roddy's guitar work was ferocious but the guy cannot sing. It would also have been nice to hear the cover songs from the 'Too Much Too Young' EP that they have performed at other shows.
Still, as Neville Staples, at age 50-something, ran across the tops of the band's monitors just like in the old days, the only thing I could do was to marvel at the fact that I was finally seeing this band after a mere 28 years and that the wait had been well worth it.
Set List
'Do The Dog'
'(Dawning Of A) New Era'
'Gangsters'
'It's Up To You'
'Monkey Man'
'Rat Race'
'Hey, Little Rich Girl'
'Blank Expression'
'Doesn't Make It Alright'
'Stupid Marriage'
'Concrete Jungle'
'Friday Night Saturday Morning'
'Stereotype'
'Man At C&A'
'A Message To You Rudy'
'Do Nothing'
'Little Bitch'
'Nite Klub'
'Too Much Too Young'
' You're Wondering Now'
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'Ghost Town'
'Enjoy Yourself'
