A Very Special Night!

Sooooooo last night I finally got to go and see The Specials at the Brixton Academy.

This year is shaping up to be the year I see bands/people from my past, first Grace Jones and now Terry Hall and the lads. Adding to that I went with my old mate Andrew Gosling who I'd not seen for years after he gave up comedy for something far more lucrative!

The walk from Brixton tube was fascinating. A selection of punks, a few mods, a lot of skinheads - all of whom were old enough, fat enough and bald enough to know better - had dusted down the threads of their youth and squeezed into em for the night. For the most part they were accompanied by their offspring some of whom looked like they weren't entirely there by choice!

Once we got inside, it was brilliant! The place was heaving, I can't remember the last time I was in such a crowd of people all there for the same reason. It felt like 'above the fire limit' full but that could have something to do with the aforementioned girth of the majority of the gig goers!

The group came on about 9.30 and were just incredible! I was a bit sad that Jerry Dammers had pulled out, but in the end he wasn't really missed. They were so tight and the songs sounded really fresh! It wasn't 'ska-reoke' it was relevant and vibrant and fucking awesome! I even danced!

I was right back there, all those gigs, The Greyhound before they even had a deal when Mick Jagger tried to sign them to Rolling Stones Records, but failed cos he was wearing brown cords! The Lyceum gig at the end of the Two-Tone Tour where I met my future employers, Dexys Midnight Runners, it all came flooding back! I was 18 again and I loved it.

Thanks lads.

Ps Terry Hall is looking very handsome these days, in a dirty kinda way!