“Let’s have a house party, yeah? Has someone got a good house with an ensuite?”, vocalist Neville Staple jested as he strutted across the stage.

The Specials not only sounded on form, they sure looked suave in their black ‘rude boy’ getups and the odd pork-pie hat.

This classic reformed British band proved early on that their show was not one to miss.

Performing a well-balanced fusion of ska, punk and rock, their autumnal jaunt at Shed 10 showcased an eighty minutes set of gusto and musical conviction. Tearing up the stage, they set the crowd stomping to Do the Dog, Ghost Town, A Message To Rudy and many more well-loved gems. A top notch rhythms section was backed well by strong vocals, and the sounds reverberated nicely off the industrial ‘bridge-like’ structures within the packed out venue.

Musically speaking they were not far off perfection. Sound-tracking times of difficulty, their lyrics reflect on the grubby, nihilistic years of the late seventies and early eighties. For the ‘Specials virgins’ in the crowd it was a history lesson alongside a music gig. Neville had a good cackle as he called out “all you young ones at the back, please take note of the old ones at the front – your parents”. And, quite rightly so, as the older generation of movers and shakers gave it a good skank alongside the more youthful punks of the audience.

The concert was full of highly charged and occasionally sentimental moments, particularly as they sung Monkey Man as a tribute to the late Amy Winehouse – this saw much praise and applause. Aside from the upbeat fans, it was warming to see the band enjoying themselves on stage as group.

Be it the grey foxes in the front, or the keen kids lurking on the outskirts The Specials brought the party to the shed. And I’m pretty sure the ensuite party went full-steam ahead, after hours.

By Olivia Young

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