two tone tour dates 1979

• Single Issues
• Digital Editions

The Specials, Madness and The Selecter: The 1979 2-Tone tour remembered

I was reminiscing with an old friend over the weekend about The Specials, his favourite band. Our chat brought us to the great 1979 2-Tone Tour that featured The Specials, supported by Madness and The Selecter, a snapshot of which now duly follows.

Trending Now

Richard hawley, altın gün and laetitia sadier added to end of the road line-up, watch neil young & crazy horse add missing verse to “cortez the killer”, a david gilmour world exclusive, a can cd, beth gibbons, t bone burnett, slowdive and more in the new uncut, uncut – june 2024, new david gilmour solo album and uncut cover story revealed.

I was reminiscing with an old friend over the weekend about The Specials , his favourite band. Our chat brought us to the great 1979 2-Tone Tour that featured The Specials, supported by Madness and The Selecter , a snapshot of which now duly follows.

October, 1979 .

There are 43 alarm calls booked for this morning and – woe, pitiful woe! – they’ve started going off already, one of them heading this way.

The shrill exclamatory shrieks of the alarms is usually followed by weary grumbling moans and the thud of people rolling out of beds in rooms all along this wing of Swindon’s Crest Motel, where the cast of the 2-Tone Tour are beginning now to assemble in the lobby, pale-faced and hungover. The motel staff in startling contrast are, meanwhile, crisp and morning-bright, with gleaming toothpaste smiles and the brisk efficient manner of people with things to do.

Specials’ singer Terry Hall is here to see off his girlfriend, who’s going home to Coventry. And here comes The Specials’ unlikely mastermind, Jerry Dammers , lumbering into view, an awkward shambling figure in a shabby raincoat. He manages a smile, briefly. Woody , the young drummer with Madness , who looks about, I don’t know, 12 or something, lights his first fag of the day and immediately starts coughing like a Kentucky miner, stricken with Black Lung or something similarly serious.

“My body’s had enough of me,” he splutters, doubling up in a fit of coughing and hacking away so violently I wouldn’t be surprised to see his eyebrows fly across the room, followed possibly by his teeth. He finds a chair and collapses into it, his face drained of colour.

We’re only three days into the tour and some of the people in the lobby around me, which has taken on the look of a field hospital in a 19th century war, look like they won’t see the end of it.

Of course, it was all very different just a few short days ago when on a gloriously sunny autumn afternoon I’d arrived at The Roundhouse, up there in Chalk Farm, where The Specials, Madness and The Selecter had spent the previous week rehearsing for the 40 date tour ahead of them. When I get to there, The Roundhouse is as they say buzzing, the place noisy with chat and laughter. The coach that’s been hired to take us all to Brighton for the tour’s opening night is already an hour late, which means before we’ve even started we’re behind schedule. No one seems to care.

The three bands are strung out across the Roundhouse bar. The Selecter and Specials mingle, wander and joke. Madness are quaffing light and bitters, being noisy. They look like a gang of spotty kids waiting to be taken on a day trip to the seaside, yelping and impatient.

A friend of mine named Kellogs who works for Stiff as a tour manger is standing at the bar, watching them. When Stiff signed Madness, they were put in his paternal care. He’s just finished a fortnight on the road with the rascals, and they’ve nearly brought him to his knees.

“They make me feel so old,” he says wearily. “They just don’t stop. Up till four every morning, boozing. Look at them. . .”

We look at them. Down the hatch go another seven pints.

“They’re fucking loving it,” says Kellogs. “They’re on top of the fucking world. A hit single, on the telly, on the road away from mum, drinking, smoking – all yobbos together. They’re having the time of their lives.”

“Annuver 300 pints of light and bitter,” cry Madness in unison as the coach finally pulls up outside The Roundhouse.

There are 40 of us on the bus and Madness inevitably are making most of the noise – shouting, swearing, clambering over the backs of seats, drinking, making ridiculous faces at the crowds on Oxford Street. Woody is especially boisterous, swigging from a half bottle of Scotch, one hefty slug after another, red-faced and increasingly wild-eyed.

Steve English , who’s providing one-man security for the tour, is sitting across the aisle from him. Steve, who’s worked as a bodyguard for, among others, Marvin Gaye , The Sex Pistols , The Clash and boxer John Conteh and is built like a Sherman tank, looks at Woody grappling with the deleterious effects of the whiskey and laughs, the sound he makes like a drain being sucked clear by complicated mechanical equipment.

“Silly little fucker,” he says of Woody. “If he carries on like that for the next six weeks, we’ll have to carry him off this fucking tour in fucking casket.”

The coach is outside Brighton Top rank now, where dozens of skinheads are waiting for Madness, led by Prince Nutty , whose mug beams also from the centre of the inner sleeve of One Step Beyond, Madness’ debut album. Prince Nutty is surrounded by a gang of fearsome-looking cronies.

“Remember me?” one of them asks Suggs . “I danced on stage wiv yer at the Rock Garden. Remember?”

“Yeah, ‘course I remember you,” says Suggs, who clearly doesn’t, pushing his way into the Top Rank, where we find a place to talk and are joined by a rather wobbly Woody. Kellogs had told me earlier that when Madness played Brighton Polytechnic recently on a brief warm-op tour for the current trek, a mob of British Movement supporters had turned up at the gig, threatening trouble.

“They didn’t do nuthin’, though,” Woody says. “They just stood around in the bar talking very loudly about Adolf Hitler .”

In Oldham, Kellogs had also said, a security check on the audience as they arrived at the gig led to the confiscation of a number of weapons – knives, even a home-made mace among them. There’d been a riot in Huddersfield, the group’s van trashed and a film crew terrorised. Suggs is sensitive on the subject of the band’s skinhead fans, but abhors the BM and the idea that Madness are a focal point for their politics.

“There’s no way we’re political,” he argues. “We’re certainly not fucking fascists. If we were fascists, what would we be doing playing ska and bluebeat? If we’d wanted to talk about politics we’d have formed a debating society, not a fucking band.”

The Brighton show is sensational. By the time The Specials play “A Message To You, Rudi” , most of the audience appear to be on stage with them, and those that aren’t are dragging the ones who are back into the crowd so they can take their brief place in the spotlight.

The group fight their way off stage through this demented rabble but find the safe haven of their dressing room picketed by a group of angry feminists who’ve been incensed by some off-colour remarks by Terry Hall and the description of the Melody Maker journalist Vivien Goldman , who’d unenthusiastically reviewed their debut album, as “a stupid cow”.

They now berate the unapologetic Hall at rowdy length. Their ring-leader notices Dammers, standing behind Terry, a bemused witness to the women’s wrath.

“And what have you got to say for yourself?” she loudly demands.

Jerry looks at her, grins gummily.

“Would you like to come to a party with me?” he asks her, ducking the blow he knows is coming.

Photo credit: Clare Muller/PYMCA /REX

Latest Issue

Cedric burnside – hill country love, brhym – deep sea vents, uncut’s new music playlist for april 2024, introducing the ultimate music guide to nirvana, introducing the 500 greatest albums of the 1990s…ranked, uncut – may 2024, introducing…the 172-page definitive edition ultimate music guide to the smiths .

Subscribe to Uncut today and never miss an issue.

Save up to 26% when you subscribe online

The Point Last updated: 27 June 2022.

• The Big Idea
• International
• History & Philosophy
• Around the Blogs
• Contributors
• Editorial Policy

Recent Articles

In Praise of Beethoven

Arthur C Clarke - A Very Modern Odyssey

Tackling Private Landlords

Investigating the Value Form

The Eternal Dark Heart of Empire

If You Build Them, They Will Come

The Dawning of A New Era – A Brief History of 2-Tone and The Specials

Graeme McIver looks at the enduring appeal of 2-Tone, a musical movement that provided the focus for young people to take a stand against Thatcher’s Government and the social conditions of the early 1980’s. They did it with an articulate vision, sharp suits and incredibly infectious dance rhythms. Rock and Roll preached rebellion against your parents, Punk spat anarchy and nihilism but simply by existing, 2-Tone demonstrated a togetherness and solidarity between black and white youth at a time where the far right was active on the streets.

  This article should be read in conjunction with Too Nice to Talk To - An Interview with Dave Wakeling of The English Beat and Roddy Byers from The Specials by Graeme McIver

Do you remember the good old days before the ghost town?

Give even a cursory glance at the newspapers this week in March 2014 and you would be forgiven for thinking you had been transported back in time by over three decades and more. Tony Benn on the front pages, unemployment amongst young people at shameful levels, coverage of the trial of the murder of PC Blakelock during the riots at Broadwater Farm, an unpopular Tory Prime Minister waging class war and The Beat and The Specials are back on tour. There is no doubt that there are significant parallels between the socio and economic situation Britain currently faces and those early years of Thatcherism in the late 70’s and early 80’s. As communities across the country crumbled in the wake of a quite deliberate policy of industrial devastation there emerged a remarkable cultural response. A musical movement with its roots in some of the worst affected areas of the country provided the focus for young people to take a stand against the Government, their social conditions and racism. They did it with an articulate vision, sharp suits and incredibly infectious dance rhythms.

For a short while at the beginning of the 80’s, the 2-Tone Movement was arguably one of the most politicised of all the varied musical and cultural phenomena to emerge during latter half of the last century. Rock and Roll preached rebellion against your parents, Punk spat anarchy and nihilism but simply by existing, 2-Tone demonstrated a togetherness and solidarity between black and white youth at a time where the far right was active on the streets and policing was highly politicised. It inspired and gave a voice to disaffected working class kids across the country and at least one ill-informed current Tory MP - but to (mis)quote The Beat, I’ll save that for later. It also made them dance – even the boys – especially the boys.

The Dawning of A New Era

The punk scene from 1976 onwards had created a new musical landscape, a kind of sonic year zero in the UK. In his seminal book on the history of punk, “England’s Dreaming” the journalist Jon Savage said, “History is made by those who say, “No” and Punk’s utopian heresies remain its gift to the world.” The original scene had revolutionised musical and youth culture in the UK but whilst its light burned brightly it dimmed relatively quickly. Into the void stepped new forms of music, some directly influenced by the sound of punk rock and others more by its attitude.

In the West Midland’s city of Coventry a young man by the name of Jerry Dammers and his friends began the process of combining the raw energy of punk with the dance rhythms of Jamaican Ska. A uniquely Caribbean musical invention, Ska originated in the dancehalls of Kingston and combined calypso with jazz, rhythm and blues producing a dance beat that was a precursor to reggae and rocksteady. Labels like Trojan although based in the UK produced dozens of ska classics. In a city decimated by the Luftwaffe, (for a while the residents of Coventry twinned the City with Stalingrad in solidarity with other victims of Nazi aggression) waves of Caribbean immigration had influenced both the music young people listened to and their sense of fashion and style. Dammers pulled together a band called, The Coventry Automatics and with likeminded mates set about blending ska, reggae and rocksteady with punk and new wave. The result was the seminal group, The Specials one of the most influential bands in modern British musical history.

Dammers, born in India and the son of a high-ranking clergyman, had a clear vision for what he wanted to achieve. The Specials were to be more than just another post-punk group. His desire was to create not just a band but a record label and a whole new movement with a look of its own. That look would merge Jamaican rude boy style with the British mod sensibilities. Drawing inspiration from an early photograph of Jamaican guitarist and member of The Wailers, Pete Tosh; Dammers and graphic designer John Simms created the iconic visual image that became synonymous with 2-Tone - Walt Jabsco. (The name was taken from an old American bowling shirt owned by Dammers.) The black and white cartoon Rude Boy and the chequered pattern behind him seemed to be ubiquitous in my youth whether in lapel badges, posters, record sleeves or in my case, badly drawn versions on homework jotters.

At that time there were very few bands anywhere in the UK that had black and white members appearing together on stage. Along with the iconic imagery this in itself was a powerful statement of togetherness when racism in the media, the workplace and the streets was still widespread and common place.

In an interview for Alexis Petridis of MOJO magazine Dammers said;

“It was obvious the Mod/skinhead revival was coming and I was trying to find a way to make sure it didn't go the way of the NF. I idealistically thought, we have to get through to these people, and that's when we got the image together and started using ska rather than reggae. It seemed a bit more healthy to have an integrated kind of British music, rather than white people playing the two.”

The Specials soon built up a devoted local following and a reputation as a superb and energetic live act. They mixed their own compositions into their live set alongside up-tempo versions of older ska hits such as The Liquidator (by the Harry J All Stars), Longshot Kick De Bucket (by The Pioneers) and Skinhead Moonstomp (by Symarip). Joining Dammers were lead singer Terry Hall, John Bradbury on drums, Lynval Golding on guitar and backing vocals, Neville Staples on vocals and percussion, Horace Panter on bass and Roddy “Radiation” Byers on guitar. The line-up was completed by veteran trombonist Rico Rodriguez who had played on many of the original ska hits. Despite being courted to sign a deal by the likes of Mick Jagger and finding themselves pursued by a number of major record companies, The Specials punk ethos meant that they held out for artistic freedom and control rather than a quick buck. Eventually the 2-Tone label was established as a subsidiary of Chrysalis Records. The Jabsco logo meant that all 2-Tone’s early records were uniquely and instantly recognisable.

Other bands were soon signed to the label most notably fellow Coventrians The Selecter, fronted by the charismatic Pauline Black and Birmingham’s The Beat who included lead singer Dave Wakeling and vocalist/toaster Ranking Roger in their line up. Like The Specials, The Beat also included a legendary original musician from the early days of Jamaican Ska, saxophonist “Saxa” who had played on a number of recordings including those by Prince Buster and Desmond Decker.

Dance Craze

In July 1979, the first 7” single, (apologies to our younger readers….ask your Dad) released by the 2-Tone label was a double a-side with The Specials, (listed as Special A.K.A.) performing “Gangsters”, (inspired by their dealings with some French underworld characters whilst playing in Paris) with The Selecter providing the eponymous track on the flip side. The single spent 12 weeks in the chart reaching number 6. In September of the same year the label released a single by an all white band from North London that paid homage to Prince Buster, one of the best known original Ska acts. The single, “The Prince” by Madness spent 11 weeks in the charts and reached number 16. The band would go onto become one of the most successful UK singles bands of all time racking up 15 top ten hits. Early in 1980, an EP called The Special AKA live, with the lead song Too Much Too Young topped the charts for two weeks. A seminal moment for the label took place in early November 1980 when The Specials, The Selecter and Madness all appeared on Top of the Pops. Add to that the fact The Beat and The Bodysnatchers also had records in the charts then you could not escape the musical juggernaught that was 2-Tone in 1979/80.

At that time director Joe Massot set out to document some Madness gigs as they embarked on a country-wide tour along with other acts signed to the 2-Tone label. Massot was immediately impressed by the vibrancy and energy of the whole tour and ended up making a documentary called, “Dance Craze” which along with Madness included performances by The Specials, The Beat, The Selector, The Bodysnatchers and Bad Manners. The film and the live album of the same name offer a unique insight into the thrillingly energetic musical phenomenon that was 2-Tone and the part that the audience played in contributing to the atmosphere and the event. The Specials often ended their sets with half the crowd up on the stage skanking, (a style of dancing that emerged from Jamaican dance halls) and singing along to the music thereby removing the barriers that often existed between audience and artists in the preceding decades.

Whilst some of the acts may not even have recognised it as such, having black and white musicians on the same stage was a political act in of itself in the late 70’s. The decade had seen the growth of the British Movement (BM) and the National Front (NF) not just as political forces electorally but with boots on the ground as violence and extremism made its way onto the streets. The BM standing on an explicitly Nazi manifesto and including images of Adolf Hitler on their election material managed to secure over 300 votes in the Birmingham Ladywood By-election in 1969. Meanwhile rival far-right organisation the NF polled just under 200,000 votes in the 1979 General Election. Many of the early 2-Tone gigs were marred by fights and violence as far-right skinheads fought with black youth and anti-Nazis. Young people wearing the clothes, buying the records and associating with the 2-Tone scene were making a political statement against racism and for multi-culturism. The courage this took in many parts of British cities should not be underestimated. To underline this point, guitarist Lynval Golding was attacked simply for walking down the street in London with two white girls and had ended up hospitalised with 29 stitches in the head and neck.

Many of the songs released by the label dealt with these racial tensions. The Specials had the likes of Roddy Byer’s Concrete Jungle (I can’t dress just the way I want, I’m being chased by the National Front), Why (We don't need no British Movement, Nor the Ku Klux Klan, Nor the National Front, It makes me an angry man), and a later track, Racist Friend (If you have a racist friend / now is the time for that friendship to end." Asked why he wrote the song Jerry Dammers explained "It is not enough to just be anti-racist yourself. You have to be a positive anti-racist. You have to make a stand against it, because otherwise nothing ever changes."

The Beat’s first album, “I just Can’t Stop It” contained the song Two Swords which dealt with the dichotomy of wanting to deal with Nazi’s physically whilst recognising that violence often encouraged more violence (I've never been one for the punch-up, But look I really hate those Nazis). Their second release Wha’ppen had the song Doors of Your Heart, (Each and every day I walk, through the streets, And I see man and man war and kill each other, Because you are black or you are white, So what's the use in fighting? War alright)

The Beat also wrote possibly the most explicitly political song of the times; Stand Down Margaret;

said I see no joy, I see only sorrow I see no chance of your bright new tomorrow So stand down Margaret, stand down please, stand down Margaret

Dave Wakeling said about Thatcher,

“She made competitors out of neighbours, and people stopped talking at bus stops, even about the weather, in the shadow of her affected, pretend posh accent. Margaret made herself big on the tears and suffering of others, more Cromwell than Churchill….People misunderstand the socialism of the English after World War II. Soldiers like my father got back to England and there was nothing left -- there were no hospitals, land had been decimated, and that carried through our childhood. So everybody built stuff together and looked after each other. It was like, when push came to shove, although we had differences of opinion, we had each others’ backs. Mrs. Thatcher’s introduction of trickle-down economics, and we're still waiting for it to work, broke that mold. She broke the unions. She sold shares of companies that the people already owned, all of which flopped in value. A generation saw their parents give up on life as they saw their own opportunities stunted. They saw the town where they'd grown up dismantled. She was very divisive.”

The song became an anthem not just for fans of The Beat or the broader 2-Tone movement but of young left wingers across the country.

If you thought that David Cameron showed his ignorance by claiming he liked The Jam and their song “Eton Rifles” even though it was a social commentary against the exclusive public school system enjoyed by him and his millionaire chums then his colleague Ed Vaisey takes misunderstanding songs and lyrics to a whole new level.

The MP for Didcot and Wantage, son of Lord Vaizey and UK minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries loved Stand Down Margaret in his youth and would join in the chorus with gusto not for a moment thinking it was a poisoned pen letter to one of his heroes. In 2008 The Guardian newspaper reported that he “adored The Beat despite being an ardent Thatcherite. He assumed that everyone in Britain admired Mrs Thatcher in much the same awestruck terms as he did, so when it came to the song’s target, he naively didn’t realize it was referring to the Tory Prime Minister. He added: “I couldn’t work out what they had against Princes Margret!”

You’re wondering now, what to do now you know this is the end

Acts such as The Beat (to Go-Feet), Madness (to Stiff) and Bad Manners moved on from the 2-Tone record label and despite the success of their Elvis Costello produced debut album released in 1979, internal tensions meant cracks began to appear in The Specials. Constant touring and months without a break took a toll on friendships in the band. Terry Hall would later say he was sick of touring with, “a bunch of shits.” Gigs were constantly interrupted due to outbreaks of fighting, sometimes related to racism but often due to football rivalries. As recording took place for the band’s second LP, (apologies again to our younger readers…ask your Mum!) disputes arose between Dammers and some of the others over the musical direction of the group. The album, More Specials departed somewhat from the ska influences of their early work as Dammers explored other musical styles. Many in the band felt the second side of the album inparticular was just, “muzak” and arguments raged during the recording process. In mid-June 1981 the band in its original form released their final single. Five months previously singer Terry Hall and bandmates Neville Staples and Lynval Golding had already made up their minds they were leaving to form Fun Boy Three. The single would spend a total of 10 weeks in the charts, 3 of them in the number 1 position. The song was, “Ghost Town” a haunting soundtrack to Thatcher’s broken Britain.

This town, is coming like a ghost town Why must the youth fight against themselves? Government leaving the youth on the shelf This place, is coming like a ghost town No job to be found in this country Can't go on no more The people getting angry

Speaking to the Guardian Newspaper in 2002, Jerry Dammers said,

“You travelled from town to town and what was happening was terrible. In Liverpool, all the shops were shuttered up, everything was closing down... We could actually see it by touring around. You could see that frustration and anger in the audience. In Glasgow, there were these little old ladies on the streets selling all their household goods, their cups and saucers. It was unbelievable. It was clear that something was very, very wrong."

In a later interview he was quoted as saying, "The overall sense I wanted to convey was impending doom.”

Dammers prophesy was fulfilled when anger at the police and government in Brixton and Southall in London, then Handsworth in Birmingham, Toxteth in Liverpool, Hyson Green in Nottingham and Moss Side in Manchester all erupted into rioting. Britain’s cities burned in the summer of 1981 as a disaffected youth expressed their anger and resentment whilst the haunting, diminished chords of Ghost Town floated over the air waves.

As Britain’s social fabric fell apart so did The Specials.

The band split in a myriad of different musical directions. Dammers kept going under a new name, Special AKA whilst Hall, Staples and Golding enjoyed a modicum of success with Fun Boy Three. (Hall later formed The Colourfield and took part in various other musical collaborations.) Roddy Byers returned to his rock roots and created another musical fusion, “skabilly” and tours with his band The Skabilly Rebels.

In 1984 Dammers penned his biggest world wide hit, Free Nelson Mandela recorded under the name of Special AKA. The song brought the name of Mandela to the attention of millions of people. Dammers said, "I knew very little about Mandela until I went to an anti-apartheid concert in London in 1983, which gave me the idea for "Nelson Mandela", I never knew how much impact the song would have; it was a hit around the world, and it got back into South Africa and was played at sporting events and ANC rallies-it became an anthem.”

Despite the song’s success Dammers would never again capture the zeitgeist in the same way he had with The Specials. His contribution to the music has been recognised with various awards and received an honourary degree by Coventry University in 2006.

In early 2008, after months of speculation, Terry Hall confirmed that the band would reform for a series of dates. The band re-united 6 of the 7 original members but Dammers was conspicuous by his absence. Whilst the others made it clear he was welcome to join them Dammers released a statement claiming he had been forced out of the band.

“Jerry sees this whole thing as a takeover, rather than a proper reunion, representing primarily Terry Hall and his manager’s…ideas of what 'The Specials' should be and do….Jerry does not believe it represents what the real Specials stood for, politically, or in terms of creativity, imagination or forwardness of ideas…At the moment this is not the proud reunion and thirtieth anniversary celebration Jerry had hoped for.”

Without the founding member the band embarked on a 30th anniversary tour to rave reviews and sold out venues. The Specials continue to tour with dates planned for later this year. Internal tensions still appear to affect the group with first Neville Staple dropping out and then guitarist Roddy Byers leaving the group to concentrate on other projects. Steve Cradock of Ocean Colour Scene is rumoured to be lined up as a replacement.

Of all the bands on the 2-Tone label it was Madness who went onto become the most commercially successful and after a brief hiatus continue to tour and record to this day. They remain somewhat of a British cultural institution.

After a run of hit singles including Tears of a Clown, Mirror in the Bathroom, Hand’s of She’s Mine and the critically acclaimed, Save it For Later The Beat split in 1983 with Wakeling and Roger forming General Public. The duo continued to have success as did the other two guitarists in the group, Andy Cox and Dave Steele who formed The Fine Young Cannibals with Roland Gift. Wakeling’s “English Beat” still tour.

Pauline Black left The Selecter and had a career as a TV presenter, actress and cultural commentator before the group reformed in the late 2000’s.

In 2013 a 2-Tone Museum was opened in Coventry to celebrate the link between the city and the scene it spawned.

Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think

2-Tone and the music it produced continue to inspire to this day. Wikipedia lists the label as representative as the “second wave of ska.” (With the original Jamaican version the first.) A third wave, influenced by the Coventry based label has sprung up across the world with ska bands emerging across Europe, Asia, Australia and Latin America. In the USA groups like The Mighty Mighty Boss Tones, No Doubt, Rancid and Reel Big Fish all found a degree of commercial success playing ska.

In the UK a myriad of different acts have claimed they have been influenced by 2-Tone including Noel Gallagher, Blur, Amy Whinehouse, Tricky and Lily Allen.

It is noticeable that whilst we face a similar socio and economic situation to the one experienced by those 2-Tone trail blazers then the contemporary music business has no modern day equivalent. The idea of a new musical movement, with the image, distribution, publicity and an overtly political message controlled by the artists themselves is an anathema to the industry in 2014. Whilst there are some brilliant underground bands and musicians raising issues of racism, poverty and inner-city violence they do not get the commercial exposure that was afforded to the ska bands of the early 80’s. In almost every town and city across the UK groups of young people were inspired by that vision of black and white together, a great look, a joyful unity and togetherness along with great tunes and a brilliant dance beat.

As Jerry Dammers told MOJO magazine;

"You get this fantastic feeling of togetherness playing ska because no one individual could do it on their own…It all interlocks…you get this communal feeling between the musicians onstage and that spreads into the audience like a fever. That's why The Specials gigs and the 2 Tone gigs were the wildest the country has ever seen. They were just absolutely fucking incredible.” 

Other articles by Graeme McIver in The Point can be found  here

External links:

Bella Caledonia

Bright Green

George Monbiot

The Jimmy Reid Foundation

Richard Dawkins

Scottish Left Review

Viridis Lumen

Aural Sculptors - The Stranglers Live 1976 to the Present

Saturday 8 december 2012, 2 tone tour a review nme 27th october 1979.

No comments:

Post a comment.

Vintagerock's Weblog. Just another WordPress.com weblog

Madness concerts 1979 to 1986.

Posted December 13, 2013 by vintagerock in Madness , The Selecter , The Specials . Tagged: concert , gig , music , rock . 1 Comment

Share this:

One response to this post..

Posted by George Deverick on February 11, 2018 at 1:59 pm

Cheers for the info ..and Fab memories

I was lucky enough to see themon that first tour ..in may of 80 In a really small old cinema in a small scottish mining town called West Calder Fantastic .. And another reason to keep grass routes gig venues open and available for future super bands

Leave a comment Cancel reply

• Status Quo (35)
• The Who (28)
• Yes (26)
• Lindisfarne (24)
• Hawkwind (23)
• concert (1,515)
• gig (1,445)
• rock (1,425)
• music (1,386)
• gigs (1,238)
• 2024 (331)
• 2023 (282)
• 2022 (116)
• 2021 (47)
• 2020 (48)

Email Subscription

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Email Address:

Sign me up!

• Interzone featuring Peter Hook and the Light, The Wedding Present, The Farm & Others Newcastle City Hall 13 April 2024
• Lulu The Glasshouse Gateshead 12 April 2024
• AC/DC: Monsters of Rock Donington Park 1981
• Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young Wembley Stadium 1974
• Elton John, Beach Boys, Eagles Wembley Stadium June 1975
• ABBA Stafford Bingley Hall 11 November 1979
• Frank Zappa & the Tubes Knebworth 9th September 1978
• The Who Charlton Athletic Football Club 31st May 1976
• Elton John Wembley Stadium Summer of 84 concert
• The Who play Quadrophenia with Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Alanis Morissette Hyde Park 29th June 1996
• 01 Band (1)
• 4" by 2" (1)
• 5 Hand Reel (1)
• 6 Day Riot (1)
• 801 band (2)
• A Band Called O (2)
• A Certain Ratio (1)
• A Flock of Seagulls (1)
• Acid Drop (1)
• Adam and the Ants (2)
• Adam Curtis (1)
• Aerosmith (2)
• After the Fire (2)
• Agent Orange (1)
• Aj Webber (1)
• Al Matthews (2)
• Al Stewart (1)
• Alan Ginsberg (1)
• Alan Hull (3)
• Alan Price (1)
• Alan Stivell (1)
• Alanis Morissette (1)
• Albert Lee (2)
• Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias (2)
• Albion Band (2)
• Alcatraz (1)
• Alex Harvey (9)
• Alex Ligertwood (1)
• Alfalpha (1)
• Ali Campbell (1)
• Alice Cooper (4)
• Alien Sex Fiend (1)
• Alison Moyet (5)
• Alkatraz (1)
• All About Eve (2)
• Allan Holdsworth (1)
• Allman Brothers (1)
• Altered Images (1)
• Alvin Lee (2)
• Amazing Blondel (1)
• America (2)
• American Blues Legends (1)
• Amy Winehouse (1)
• Anderson and Wakeman (1)
• Anderson Bruford Wakeman & Howe (1)
• Andy Bown (1)
• Andy Fairweather Low (2)
• Andy Fraser (1)
• Andy Summers (2)
• Angel Witch (2)
• Angelic Uptarts (2)
• Anne Anxiety (1)
• Annie Lennox (2)
• Anthonia Edwards (1)
• Anthrax (1)
• Anti-Nowhere League (1)
• Antony and the Johnsons (1)
• Apil Wine (1)
• Arcade Fire (1)
• Arctic Monkeys (2)
• Arthur Brown (7)
• Arthur Lee (1)
• Arthur Two Stroke (1)
• Athlete (1)
• Athletico Spizz 80 (1)
• Atlanta Rhythm Section (1)
• Atomic Rooster (2)
• Au Pairs (1)
• Audience (1)
• Automatics (1)
• Average White Band (3)
• B A Robertson (1)
• B B King (1)
• Babe Ruth (2)
• Baby Lemonade (1)
• Back Door (1)
• Back Street Crawler (1)
• Bad Company (5)
• Bad Manners (1)
• Baker Gurvitz Army (1)
• Band of Skulls (1)
• Barbara Dickson (2)
• Barbra Streisand (1)
• Barclay James Harvest (5)
• Barracudas (1)
• Barron Knights (1)
• Basement Jaxx (1)
• Bauhaus (1)
• Bay City Rollers (2)
• Be Bop Deluxe (5)
• Beach Boys (5)
• Beady Eye (2)
• Beck Bogert & Appice (2)
• Beckett (4)
• Beggars Opera (2)
• Belinda Carlisle (1)
• Bell n Arc (2)
• Belle and Sebastian (1)
• Ben Folds (1)
• Ben Myers (1)
• Bert Jansch (1)
• Bert Weedon (1)
• Bethnal (1)
• Beverley Knight (1)
• Beyonce (1)
• Big Country (3)
• Big Jim Sullivan (1)
• Bill Barclay (1)
• Bill Bruford (1)
• Bill Nelson (3)
• Bill Wyman's Rhythm KIngs (2)
• Billy Bragg (3)
• Billy Connolly (3)
• Billy Fury (1)
• Billy Gibbons (1)
• Billy Joel (1)
• Billy Ocean (1)
• Billy Preston (1)
• Billy Squier (1)
• Bite the Pillow (1)
• Bjorn Again (1)
• Black Crowes (2)
• Black Oak Arkansas (2)
• Black Sabbath (8)
• Black Star Riders (1)
• Blackfoot (4)
• Blackfoot Sue (1)
• Blackmore's Night (2)
• Blancmange (1)
• Blitzkrieg Bop (2)
• Blondie (3)
• Blood Sweat and Tears (1)
• Blue Jays (1)
• Blue Oyster Cult (4)
• Bluebells (1)
• Blues Band (1)
• Bo Diddley (2)
• Bob Dylan (18)
• Bob Geldof (2)
• Bob Marley (1)
• Bob Seger (1)
• Bon Jovi (4)
• Boney M (1)
• Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (2)
• Booker T (1)
• Boomtown Rats (3)
• Bootleg Beatles (1)
• Bow Wow Wow (1)
• Bowden and Williamson (1)
• Boy George (2)
• Bram Tchaikovsky (2)
• Brand X (3)
• Brass Alley (2)
• Brewers Droop (2)
• Brian Auger (1)
• Brian Brain (1)
• Brian Connolly (1)
• Brian Eno (2)
• Brian Wilson (4)
• Brinsley Schwarz (2)
• Broken Home (1)
• Brothers Johnson (1)
• Bruce Springsteen (10)
• Bryan Adams (1)
• Bryan Ferry (4)
• Bucks Fizz (1)
• Buddy Whittington (1)
• Buffy Sainte-Marie (2)
• Buggles (1)
• Bullfrog (1)
• Burt Bacharach (1)
• Business (1)
• Buxton Festival (4)
• Buzzcocks (3)
• Byzantium (3)
• Cambridge Folk Festival (1)
• Canned Heat (1)
• Capability Brown (1)
• Captain Beefheart (5)
• Caravan (3)
• Carl Perkins (1)
• Carl Simmons (1)
• Carla Bley (1)
• Carlito and The Drug Store Cowboys (1)
• Carmelo Luggeri (1)
• Carpettes (2)
• Casbah Club (1)
• Cat Stevens (2)
• Cayte Webber (1)
• Chaka Khan (1)
• Chariot (1)
• Charlie (1)
• Chas and Dave (3)
• Cheap Trick (3)
• Cheetah (1)
• Chelsea (3)
• Chemical Brothers (1)
• Cherry Vanilla (1)
• Chesney Hawkes (1)
• Chicken Shack (4)
• Chilli Willi (3)
• China Crisis (3)
• Chip Hawkes (1)
• Chopper (1)
• Chris Barber (1)
• Chris de Burgh (2)
• Chris Difford (1)
• Chris Farlowe (5)
• Chris Jagger (1)
• Chris McClure Section (1)
• Chris Rea (1)
• Chris Spedding (1)
• Chris Stainton (1)
• Chrissie Hynde (1)
• Chrome Molly (1)
• Chron Gen (1)
• Chuck Berry (3)
• Cinderella (1)
• Clare Hamill (2)
• Classix Nouveaux (2)
• Cliff Richard (2)
• Climax Blues Band (5)
• Cobbers (1)
• Cock Sparrer (1)
• Cockney Rebel (10)
• Cocteau Twins (3)
• Coldplay (4)
• Colin Blunstone (1)
• colosseum (1)
• Colosseum II (2)
• Commander Cody (2)
• Communards (1)
• Comsat Angels (2)
• Country Joe McDonald (1)
• Courtney Love (1)
• Cozy Powell (1)
• Crawler (1)
• Crazy World of Arthur Brown (2)
• Creation Rebel (1)
• Crosby and Nash (3)
• Crosby Still Nash & Young (2)
• Crosby Stills and Nash (4)
• Crusaders (1)
• Culture Club (2)
• Curved Air (5)
• D C Lee (1)
• Dalai Lama (1)
• Damon Albarn (1)
• Dance Class (1)
• Darien Spirit (1)
• Datsuns (1)
• Dave Berry (4)
• Dave Bromberg (1)
• Dave Davies (1)
• Dave Edmunds (4)
• Dave Grohl (1)
• Dave Stewart (4)
• David Bedford (2)
• David Bowie (12)
• David Cassidy (2)
• David Essex (2)
• David Gates (2)
• David Gilmour (4)
• David McWilliams (1)
• De La Soul (1)
• Deacon Blue (1)
• Dead Boys (1)
• Dead Fingers Talk (1)
• Dead or Alive (1)
• Deaf School (1)
• Death Cult (1)
• Deborah Bonham (1)
• DeeExprus (1)
• Deep Purple (14)
• Def Leppard (3)
• Del Amitri (1)
• Del Bromham (2)
• Delta Five (1)
• Dennis O'Brien (1)
• Department S (1)
• Depeche Mode (1)
• Derek Trucks (1)
• Des'ree (1)
• Dexy's Midnight Runners (5)
• Diamond Head (2)
• Diana Ross (1)
• Dick and the Fireman (1)
• Dickies (1)
• Dire Straits (5)
• Dirty Pretty Things (1)
• Disguise (1)
• Divine Shade (1)
• Doc Ross (1)
• Doctors of Madness (2)
• Doll by Doll (5)
• Dolly Parton (2)
• Don Cherry (1)
• Don McLean (3)
• Donovan (4)
• Doobie Brothers (2)
• Downliners Sect (2)
• Doyle Bramhall (1)
• Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich (2)
• Dr Feelgood (6)
• Dr Hook (1)
• Dr John (1)
• Duane Eddy (1)
• Dublin Legends (1)
• Ducks Deluxe (2)
• Duran Duran (3)
• Durutti Column (1)
• Earth Wind & Fire (1)
• Echo and the Bunnymen (2)
• Eddie and the Hot Rods (5)
• Eddie Jobson (1)
• Edgar Broughton (7)
• Editors (2)
• Eggs Over Easy (1)
• Electric Light Orchestra (3)
• Elephants Memory (1)
• Eliza Carthy (1)
• Elizabeth Fraser (1)
• Elkie Brooks (2)
• Elles Bailey (1)
• Elton John (15)
• Elvis Costello (9)
• Elvis Presley (2)
• Emerson Lake and Palmer (3)
• Emma Bunton (1)
• England (1)
• Ennio Morricone (1)
• Eric Bell (1)
• Eric Burdon (7)
• Eric Clapton (19)
• Errol Brown (1)
• Esparanto (1)
• Eurythmics (4)
• Everly Brothers (3)
• Exploited (1)
• Extreme (2)
• Fad Gadget (1)
• Fairport Convention (10)
• Faith No More (1)
• Fashion (1)
• Fast Breeder (1)
• Fat Grapple (2)
• Feargal Sharkey (1)
• FF&Z (1)
• Fischer Z (1)
• Flamin' Groovies (1)
• Flaming Lips (2)
• Fleet Foxes (1)
• Fleetwood Mac (7)
• Flying Hat Band (2)
• Foot Village (2)
• Foreigner (2)
• Fourmost (1)
• Francis Rossi (2)
• Frank Marino (1)
• Frank Zappa (6)
• Frankie Goes To Hollywood (1)
• Frankie Miller (3)
• Frantic Elevators (1)
• Franz Ferdinand (2)
• Fratellis (1)
• Fred Frith (1)
• Freddie King (1)
• Fruits of Passion (1)
• Fun Boy Three (1)
• Fur Bible (1)
• G T Moore (1)
• Gallagher & Lyle (2)
• Gang of Four (2)
• Gareth Gates (1)
• Gary Clark Jr (1)
• Gary Clark, Jr. (1)
• Gary Farr (1)
• Gary Glitter (4)
• Gary Moore (4)
• Gary Numan (4)
• Gary U S Bonds (1)
• Gary Wright (1)
• Gaz Coombes (1)
• Generation X (1)
• Genesis (22)
• Geno Washington (1)
• Gentle Giant (1)
• Geoff Travis (1)
• Geordie (3)
• George Hatcher Band (2)
• George Melly (2)
• George Michael (2)
• Georgia Satellites (1)
• Georgie Fame (3)
• Gerry and the Pacemakers (3)
• Gerry Marsden (1)
• Gerry Rafferty (2)
• Gerry's Pacemakers (1)
• Gilbert O'Sullivan (1)
• Gillan (11)
• Ginger Baker (4)
• Ginhouse (1)
• Girlschool (4)
• Glastonbury (5)
• Glen Campbell (1)
• Glen Matlock (1)
• Glencoe (3)
• Glenn Hughes (1)
• Global Village Trucking Company (1)
• Gloria Mundi (1)
• Golden Earring (2)
• Golden Virgins (1)
• Good Habit (1)
• Gordon Giltrap (2)
• Gorillas (1)
• Gorillaz (1)
• Graduate (1)
• Graham Gouldman (1)
• Graham Nash (1)
• Graham Parker (4)
• Graham Parker and the Goldtops (1)
• Graham Parker and the Rumour (5)
• Grand Prix (2)
• Grand Slam (1)
• Grateful Dead (2)
• Great White (1)
• Green Day (1)
• Greenslade (3)
• Greg Kihn (1)
• Greg Lake (1)
• Groundhogs (19)
• Gruppo Sportivo (1)
• Gryphon (2)
• Guns N Roses (2)
• Hackensack (1)
• Haircut 100 (1)
• Hall and Oates (2)
• Hammersmith Gorillas (1)
• hannah Sanders and Ben Savage (1)
• Hanoi Rocks (1)
• Happy Mondays (2)
• Harry Chapin (1)
• Harry Hack and the Big G (4)
• Harvey Andrews (2)
• Hatfield and the North (1)
• Hawkwind (23)
• Hazel O'Connor (2)
• Head Hands and Feet (2)
• Heartbreakers (1)
• Heavy Metal Kids (6)
• Heavy Petting (1)
• Hedgehog Pie (1)
• Hellions (1)
• Henry Cow (2)
• Hermans Hermits (3)
• Horslips (2)
• Hot Chip (1)
• Hot Chocolate (1)
• Howard Jones (2)
• Howard Marks (1)
• Huang Chung (1)
• Huey Lewis (1)
• Hugh Cornwell (2)
• Human League (2)
• Humble Pie (7)
• Ian Anderson (6)
• Ian Brown (2)
• Ian Dury (3)
• Ian Dury & The Blockheads (2)
• Ian Hunter (5)
• Ian McLagen (1)
• Icehouse (2)
• Icicle Works (2)
• Idlewild (1)
• Iggy and the Stooges (1)
• Iggy Pop (5)
• Imagination (1)
• Imelda May (1)
• Incredible String Band (1)
• Inhaler (1)
• Inmates (1)
• Inner Circle (1)
• Iron Butterfly (1)
• Iron Curtain (1)
• Iron Maiden (9)
• Isaac Gullory (1)
• It Bites (2)
• Jack Bruce (5)
• Jack The Lad (4)
• Jack White (2)
• Jackson Browne (1)
• Jackson Heights (2)
• Jake Bugg (3)
• Jamelia (1)
• James Arthur (2)
• James Bond (1)
• James Brown (1)
• James Burton (1)
• James Hunter (1)
• Jason Bonham (1)
• Jean Jacques Burnel (1)
• Jed Thomas (1)
• Jeff Beck (7)
• Jeff Wayne (1)
• Jefferson Starship (3)
• Jennie Abrahamson & Linnea Olsson (1)
• Jenny Darren (1)
• Jerry Lee Lewis (2)
• Jess Roden (1)
• Jesse Colin Young (1)
• Jethro Tull (20)
• Jim Diamond (1)
• Jimmy Burns (1)
• Jimmy Cliff (1)
• Jimmy McCulloch (2)
• Jimmy Page (4)
• Jimmy Somerville (1)
• Jimmy Webb (1)
• Joan Armatrading (3)
• Joan Baez (1)
• Joan Collins (1)
• Joan Jett (2)
• Joanna Newsom (1)
• Joanne Shaw Taylor (2)
• JoBoxers (2)
• Joe Bonamassa (2)
• Joe Brown (1)
• Joe Cocker (2)
• Joe Jackson (2)
• Joe Satriani (1)
• Joe Solo (1)
• Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros (1)
• Joe Walsh (1)
• John Cale (2)
• John Cooper Clarke (7)
• John Dowie (2)
• John Fogerty (1)
• John Grant (1)
• John Lydon (2)
• John Martyn (2)
• John Mayall (6)
• John McLaughlin (5)
• John Miles (3)
• John O'Leary (1)
• John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett (2)
• John Paul George Ringo & Bert (1)
• John Paul Jones (1)
• John Peel (6)
• John Squire (1)
• John Wetton (1)
• Johnny Depp (2)
• Johnny Echols (1)
• Johnny Marr (4)
• Johnny Otis (2)
• Johnny Thunders (1)
• Johnny Winter (2)
• Jon Anderson (4)
• Jon Boden (1)
• Jon Lord (2)
• Jona Lewie (1)
• Jonathan Kelly (2)
• Joni Mitchell (1)
• Joss Stone (2)
• Joy Division (5)
• JSD Band (1)
• Judas Priest (9)
• Judie Tzuke (2)
• Judy Collins (1)
• Julian Brook (1)
• Julie Driscoll (1)
• Julie Felix (3)
• Julie Tippetts (1)
• Junior Giscombe (1)
• Justice Tonight Band (1)
• Justin Hayward (1)
• Kaiser Chiefs (2)
• Kajagoogoo (1)
• Kane Gang (1)
• Kasabian (1)
• Kate Bush (2)
• Kate Tempest (1)
• Katie Spencer (1)
• Keef Hartley (1)
• Ken Dodd (1)
• Ken Hensley (1)
• Kevin Ayers (1)
• Kevin Coyne (1)
• Kid Creole and the Coconuts (2)
• Kid Strange (1)
• Kieran Goss (1)
• Kieth Christmas (1)
• Kiki Dee (4)
• KIlburn & the High Roads (1)
• Killers (1)
• Killing Joke (1)
• KIm Wilde (3)
• King Crimson (2)
• King King (2)
• King Kurt (1)
• Kingfish (1)
• KIngs of Leon (1)
• Kirk Hammett (1)
• Kissing the Pink (1)
• Kris Kristofferson (1)
• Kula Shaker (1)
• Kursaal Flyers (1)
• Kylie Minogue (1)
• Labi Siffre (1)
• Lady Gaga (1)
• lake poets (1)
• Lana Del Rey (1)
• Lanterns on the Lake (1)
• Larry Wallis (2)
• Last Exit (2)
• Last Shadow Puppets (1)
• Last Touch (1)
• Laura Smith (2)
• Laurence Jones (1)
• Lautrec (1)
• Led Zeppelin (8)
• Lee Memphis King (1)
• Lena Lovich (1)
• Lennie MacDonald (1)
• Leo Sayer (4)
• Leon Russell (1)
• Leonard Cohen (2)
• Leslie Mendelson (1)
• Leslie West (4)
• Liam Gallagher (1)
• Libertines (1)
• Lightning Seeds (2)
• Lilly Allen (1)
• Limelight (1)
• Linda Lewis (5)
• Linda Thompson (1)
• Lindisfarne (24)
• Lindisfarne Story (2)
• Linton Kwesi Johnson (2)
• Lita Ford (1)
• Little Angels (1)
• Little Bo Bitch (1)
• Little Bob Story (1)
• Little Feat (3)
• Little River Band (1)
• Live Aid (1)
• Live Wire (1)
• Liverpool Express (2)
• Living Colour (1)
• Lloyd Cole (1)
• Lloyd Watson (4)
• Locomotive GT (1)
• Loe Kottke (1)
• Lone Star (4)
• Long John Baldry (2)
• Longdancer (1)
• Lonnie Donegan (1)
• Lookalikes (1)
• Lord of the lost (1)
• Lords of the New Church (2)
• Lou Reed (3)
• Loudon Wainwright (2)
• Love / Hate (1)
• Love and Money (2)
• Loyd Grossman (2)
• Lucas Tyson (1)
• Lucy Wainwright Roche (1)
• Luke Jackson (1)
• Lurkers (1)
• Lynda Gail Lewis (1)
• Lynyrd Skynyrd (3)
• Mad Dog (1)
• Madness (4)
• Madonna (3)
• Magazine (3)
• Maggie Bell (3)
• Magic Band (4)
• Magna Carta (1)
• Mahavishnu Orchestra (4)
• Mahogany Rush (1)
• Malcolm McLaren (1)
• Mallard (2)
• Mama's Boys (1)
• Mammoth (1)
• Manchester International Festival (1)
• Manfred Mann (1)
• Manfred Mann's Earth Band (2)
• Manic Street Preachers (1)
• Marc Almond (2)
• Marcus Malone (1)
• Mari Wilson & the Wilsations (1)
• Mariah Carey (1)
• Marianne Faithfull (2)
• Marillion (2)
• Marina Celeste (1)
• Mark Ashton (1)
• Mark Knopfler (2)
• Marmalade (2)
• Marseille (2)
• Martha and the Muffins (1)
• martha reeves (1)
• Martin Carthy (1)
• Martin Simpson (1)
• Martin Stephenson & The Daintees (1)
• Martin Turner (1)
• Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash (5)
• Marty Longstaff (1)
• Marty Wilde (1)
• Mary J Blige (1)
• Mary Wilson (1)
• Maryport Blues Festival (2)
• Massive Attack (1)
• Matchbox (1)
• Matching Mole (2)
• Matt Goss (1)
• Max Merritt & the Meteors (1)
• Max Wall (1)
• Max Webster (1)
• Maximo Park (4)
• Meal Ticket (1)
• Meat Loaf (3)
• Medicine Head (2)
• Members (1)
• Men at Work (1)
• Messengers (2)
• Metallica (5)
• Michael Chapman (4)
• Michael Jackson (1)
• Michael Monroe (1)
• Michael Schenker (4)
• Michel Legrand (1)
• Mick Abrahams (1)
• Mick Ronson (1)
• Mick Taylor (4)
• Mickey Jupp (1)
• Midnight Oil (1)
• Mighty Diamonds (1)
• Mike Absalom (1)
• Mike and the Mechanics (1)
• mike dawes (1)
• Mike Garry (1)
• Mike Garson (2)
• Mike Oldfield (4)
• Mike Sanchez (1)
• Mink De Ville (1)
• Mo-dettes (1)
• Mollie Marriott (1)
• Molly Hatchett (1)
• Monochrome Set (1)
• Montrose (2)
• Monty Pythons Flying Circus (3)
• Moody Blues (6)
• Moondogs (1)
• Morrissey (7)
• Mostly Autumn (1)
• Motley Crue (4)
• Motorhead (7)
• Mott the Hoople (10)
• Moulettes (1)
• Mountain (2)
• Ms Dynamite (1)
• Muddy Waters (1)
• Muhammad Ali (1)
• Mungo Jerry (2)
• Myles Kennedy (1)
• N.E.R.D. (1)
• Naked Lunch (1)
• Nancy Kerr (1)
• Nancy Sinatra (1)
• Nash the Slash (2)
• Nashville Teens (2)
• Natural Acoustic Band (1)
• Nazareth (8)
• Neil Diamond (1)
• Neil Young (3)
• Neneh Cherry (1)
• New Amen Corner (1)
• New Barbarians (1)
• New Hearts (1)
• New Order (5)
• New York Dolls (1)
• Nick Cave (5)
• Nick Harper (1)
• Nick Heyward (1)
• Nick Lowe (3)
• Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets (1)
• Nick Pickett (3)
• Nicky Moore Band (1)
• Nightcaps (1)
• Nightwing (1)
• Nik Kershaw (2)
• Nils Lofgren (5)
• Nine Below Zero (3)
• No Dice (2)
• Noel Gallagher (1)
• Not Sensibles (1)
• O Messy Life (1)
• Old Tennis Shoes (2)
• Olivia Safe (1)
• Only Ones (2)
• Orange Juice (1)
• Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (1)
• Osibisa (2)
• Our Imaginary Friends (1)
• Outlaws (1)
• Ozark Mountain Daredevils (1)
• Ozrik Tentacles (2)
• Ozzy Osbourne (4)
• P J Harvey (1)
• P J Proby (4)
• P P Arnold (2)
• Pacific Eardrum (1)
• Paice Ashton Lord (PAL) (1)
• Pans People (1)
• Paolo Nutini (1)
• Paper Lace (1)
• Passionate Friends (1)
• Passions (1)
• Pat Barker (1)
• Pat Benatar (1)
• Pat Travers (3)
• Patrik Fitzgerald (1)
• Patti Smith (12)
• Paul Inder (1)
• Paul Jones (1)
• Paul Kossoff (1)
• Paul McCartney (10)
• Paul Rodgers (6)
• Paul Simon (3)
• Paul Weller (4)
• Paul Young (3)
• Pauline Murray (2)
• Pearl Jam (3)
• Peggy Seeger (1)
• Penetration (14)
• Pentangle (1)
• Pere Ubu (2)
• Persuasions (2)
• Pet Shop Boys (2)
• Pete Doherty (1)
• Pete Seeger (1)
• Pete Wylie (1)
• Peter Asher (1)
• Peter Frampton (4)
• Peter Gabriel (7)
• Peter Green (2)
• Peter Hammill (1)
• Peter Hook (2)
• Peter Hook & the Light (1)
• Peter Straker (1)
• Pharrell Williams (1)
• Phil Campbell Bastard Sons (1)
• Phil Collins (3)
• Phil Lynott (1)
• Phil Manzanera (1)
• Philip Glass (2)
• Phillip Goodhand-Tait (1)
• Pink Fairies (2)
• Pink Floyd (14)
• Pirates (1)
• Pleasers (1)
• PlumHall (1)
• Poison Girls (2)
• Polecats (1)
• Pop Group (2)
• Portishead (4)
• Praying Mantis (1)
• Prefab Sprout (1)
• Prelude (2)
• Press Studs (1)
• Pretenders (6)
• Pretty Things (3)
• Primal Scream (3)
• Primitives (2)
• Prince Hammer (1)
• Principal Edwards Magic Theatre (1)
• Priscilla Presley (1)
• Proclaimers (1)
• Procol Harum (3)
• Prodigy (1)
• Professor Brian Cox (1)
• Psychedelic Furs (2)
• Public Image Ltd (6)
• Punishment of Luxury (5)
• Punk No 1 (1)
• Queensryche (4)
• Questions (1)
• Quiet Riot (1)
• Quintessence (2)
• Rab Noakes (1)
• Rachel Stevens (1)
• Rachel Sweet (1)
• Racing Cars (1)
• Radiators from Space (1)
• Radio Stars (3)
• Radiohead (4)
• Rainbow (5)
• Rainbow Cottage (1)
• Ralph McTell (1)
• Ramones (2)
• Randy California (3)
• Randy Newman (1)
• Ravi Shankar (1)
• Raw Spirit (1)
• Ray Davies (4)
• Ray Stubbs and his Amazing One Man Blues Band (2)
• Razorlight (3)
• Reading festival (10)
• Red Alert (1)
• Red Guitars (1)
• Red Hot Chili Peppers (1)
• Red Lorry Yellow Lorry (1)
• Refugee (1)
• Regina Spektor (1)
• Renaissance (1)
• Reo Speedwagon (1)
• Rezillos (2)
• Rich Kids (1)
• Richard and Linda Thompson (2)
• Richard Ashcroft (3)
• Richard Hawley (3)
• Richard Hell and the Voidoids (2)
• Richard Thompson (5)
• Richie Havens (1)
• Rick Astley (1)
• Rick Wakeman (8)
• Riff Raff (1)
• Ringo Starr (2)
• Rip Rig and Panic (1)
• Ritchie Blackmore (5)
• Roachford (1)
• Robbie Williams (2)
• Robert Cray (2)
• Robert Fripp (1)
• Robert Palmer (1)
• Robert Plant (12)
• Robert Randolph (1)
• Robert Wyatt (1)
• Robin George (1)
• Robin Trower (7)
• Robyn Hitchcock (1)
• Rock Music (3)
• Rockpile (2)
• rod argent (1)
• Rod Stewart (17)
• Rodrigo y Gabriela (2)
• Roger Chapman (6)
• Roger Daltrey (3)
• Roger McGuinn (3)
• Roger Waters (3)
• Rolf Harris (1)
• Rolling Stones (19)
• Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance (2)
• Ronnie Spector (1)
• Ronnie Wood (2)
• Root Boy Slim (1)
• Rory Gallagher (12)
• Rosalie Deighton (1)
• Rose Tattoo (1)
• Rough Diamond (1)
• Roundhouse Rising (1)
• Roxy Music (11)
• Roy Harper (17)
• Roy Wood (5)
• Roy Young (1)
• Royal Blood (1)
• Royal Northern Sinfonia (1)
• Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (1)
• Rubettes (1)
• Rufus Wainwright (3)
• Runaways (1)
• Ruts DC (2)
• Ry Cooder (1)
• Sad Cafe (1)
• Sadista Sisters (2)
• Sadistic Mika Band (1)
• Saltgrass (1)
• Sam Fender (1)
• Sammy Hagar (3)
• Sandie Shaw (1)
• Sandy Denny (1)
• Santana (4)
• Sarah Brightman (1)
• Sassafras (3)
• Saving Grace (2)
• Savoy Brown (1)
• Scissor Sisters (1)
• Scorpions (8)
• Scott Hepple and the Sun Band (1)
• Scott Matthews (1)
• Screaming Lord Sutch (1)
• seasick steve (1)
• Secret Affair (1)
• Seekers (1)
• Sensational Alex Harvey Band (11)
• Sex Gang Children (1)
• Sex Pistols (5)
• Sha Na Na (1)
• Shakin' Stevens (1)
• Sham 69 (3)
• Shanghai (2)
• Sheena Easton (1)
• Shift-Static (12)
• Shilpa Ray (1)
• Shinedown (1)
• Showaddywaddy (2)
• Showbiz Kids (1)
• Shuggie Otis (1)
• Sigue Sputnik (1)
• Silent Running (1)
• Silverhead (2)
• Simian Mobile Disco (1)
• Simon and Garfunkel (2)
• Simple Minds (2)
• Simply Red (2)
• Sinead O'Connor (1)
• Siouxsie (1)
• Siouxsie and the Banshees (9)
• Skid Row (2)
• Skid Row (USA) (1)
• Skitby House Band (1)
• Slaughter (1)
• Slaughter and the Dogs (1)
• Sledgehammer (1)
• Small Faces (2)
• Smith Perkins and Smith (1)
• Snoop Dog (1)
• Snow Patrol (1)
• Soft Boys (1)
• Soft Cell (1)
• Soft Machine (4)
• Son of Man (1)
• Sons and Daughters (1)
• Sons of the Seventies (1)
• Sound 11 (1)
• Soundgarden (1)
• Southern Comfort (1)
• Southside Johnny (2)
• Spandau Ballet (3)
• Speedometors (2)
• Spencer Davis (2)
• Spencer James (1)
• Spice Girls (2)
• Splinter (1)
• Split Enz (1)
• Spontaneous Combustion (2)
• Squeeze (8)
• Stackridge (3)
• Stan Webb (4)
• Starsailor (1)
• Status Quo (35)
• Stealers Wheel (2)
• Steamhammer (2)
• Steel Pulse (1)
• Steeleye Span (4)
• Steely Dan (1)
• Stephen Stills (1)
• Steppenwolf (1)
• Stereophonics (1)
• Steve Brown Band (2)
• Steve Cropper (1)
• Steve Davis (1)
• Steve Earle (1)
• Steve Ellis (3)
• Steve Gibbons (3)
• Steve Hackett (4)
• Steve Harley (10)
• Steve Hillage (5)
• Steve Howe (3)
• Steve Marriott (1)
• Steve Miller (1)
• Steve Rodgers (1)
• Steven Severin (1)
• Stevie Winwood (4)
• Stevie Wonder (3)
• Stiff Little Fingers (5)
• Stockholm Monsters (1)
• Stone the Crows (2)
• Storm Chorus (1)
• Stranglers (14)
• Strawbs (6)
• Stray Cats (1)
• Streets (1)
• Streetwalkers (6)
• Stretch (1)
• Strider (3)
• String Driven Thing (2)
• Stuart Maconie (1)
• Style Council (3)
• Subway Sect (1)
• Sugar Kane (1)
• Suicide (1)
• Sunshine (1)
• Sunshine Underground (1)
• Super Furry Animals (1)
• Supercharge (3)
• Supergrass (1)
• Supertramp (3)
• Susan Tedeschi (1)
• Sutherland Brothers (5)
• Sutherland Brothers and Quiver (2)
• Suzanne Vega (2)
• Suzi Quatro (2)
• Sweet Savage (1)
• Swinging Blue Jeans (2)
• T'Pau (1)
• Take That (2)
• Talk Talk (1)
• Talking Heads (1)
• Tangerine Dream (3)
• Teardrop Explodes (2)
• Tears for Fears (5)
• Techno Twins (1)
• Ted Nugent (2)
• Television (1)
• Ten Pole Tudor (2)
• Ten Years After (5)
• Tennent and Morrison (1)
• Terra Nova (1)
• Terraplane (1)
• Terry Reid (1)
• Terry Sylvester (1)
• The Adverts (3)
• The Alarm (2)
• The Animals (9)
• The Animals and Friends (1)
• The Archers (1)
• The Arctic Monkeys (1)
• The Band (1)
• The Beat (2)
• The Big G (1)
• The Boys (1)
• The Bureau (1)
• The Chieftains (1)
• The Clash (6)
• The Coral (2)
• The Cribs (1)
• The Cult (1)
• The Cure (4)
• The Damned (1)
• The Dandy Warhols (1)
• The Dead Weather (1)
• The Doors (3)
• The Drifters (1)
• The Drones (1)
• The Dubliners (2)
• The Enid (3)
• The Faces (1)
• The Fall (3)
• The Farm (1)
• The Fortunes (3)
• The Hollies (13)
• The Horrors (1)
• The Jess Roden Band (1)
• The Jesus and Mary Chain (1)
• The Kaiser Chiefs (1)
• The Last Shadow Puppets (1)
• The Magpie Arc (1)
• The Manfreds (1)
• The Members (3)
• The Merseybeats (2)
• The Mission (2)
• The Monkees (2)
• The Moody Blues (2)
• The Motors (4)
• The Nice (1)
• The Nightingales (1)
• The One Hundred (1)
• The Osmonds (1)
• The Parrots (1)
• The Period (1)
• The Pogues (2)
• The Police (3)
• The Pretty Things (5)
• The Prodigy (1)
• The Residents (1)
• The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (1)
• the Rubettes (1)
• The Searchers (3)
• The Selecter (2)
• The Set (1)
• The Shadows (2)
• The Shining Levels (6)
• The Slits (3)
• The Smiths (7)
• The Specials (3)
• The Stone Roses (2)
• The Stooges (1)
• The Supremes (1)
• The Sweet (5)
• The Tremeloes (3)
• The Trems (1)
• The Troggs (1)
• The Vibrators (3)
• The Wailers (2)
• The Wall (1)
• The Wedding Present (1)
• The Who (28)
• The Wombles (1)
• The Yardbirds (1)
• The Zombies (4)
• The Zutons (1)
• Theatre of Hate (2)
• They Might Be Giants (1)
• Thin Lizzy (16)
• Third World (1)
• Thomas Dolby (1)
• Thompson Twins (1)
• Thunder (1)
• Tik and Tok (1)
• Tim Buckley (1)
• Tim Hardin (2)
• Tim Rose (1)
• Tin Machine (1)
• Tina Turner (1)
• Todd Rundgren (2)
• Tom A Smith (1)
• Tom Hingley & the Kar-Pets (1)
• Tom Jones (2)
• Tom Paxton (1)
• Tom Petty (2)
• Tom Robinson (3)
• Tom Rush (1)
• Tom Waits (1)
• Tommy Bruce (1)
• Tommy Vance (1)
• Tony Christie (1)
• Tony Jackson (1)
• Tony McPhee (13)
• Toots & the Maytals (1)
• Tori Amos (1)
• Tornadoes (1)
• Tourists (4)
• Toy Dolls (2)
• Traffic (2)
• Trapeze (4)
• Treatment (1)
• Trevor Burton (1)
• Trimmer & Jenkins (2)
• Tubular Bells (4)
• Twisted Sister (3)
• Tygers of Pan Tang (4)
• Tyla Gang (1)
• UK Subs (1)
• Uli Jon Roth (2)
• Ultravox! (7)
• Uncategorised (14)
• Uncle Acid and the Dead Beats (1)
• Undertones (1)
• Unicorn (1)
• Union Gap (1)
• Uriah Heep (19)
• Utopia Strong (1)
• Van Der Graaf Generator (5)
• Van Halen (4)
• Van Morrison (7)
• Vanity Fare (4)
• Velvert Revolver (2)
• Verba Verba (1)
• Vic Godard and Subway Sect (1)
• Vice Versa (1)
• Village (1)
• Vin Garbutt (1)
• Vinegar Joe (4)
• Vini Reilly (1)
• vintage rock (2)
• Virgil and the Accelerators (1)
• Vitamin Z (1)
• Voyager (1)
• Wagon Wheels (1)
• War of the Worlds (1)
• Waterboys (2)
• Wayne County (1)
• Wayne Kramer (1)
• Waysted (2)
• We've Got A Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use It!! (1)
• Wendy & the Rocketts (1)
• West Bruce and Laing (2)
• White Heat (1)
• White Lies (1)
• White Noise (1)
• White Spirit (2)
• Whitesnake (12)
• Widowmaker (2)
• Wild Angels (1)
• Wild Horses (1)
• Wilko Johnson (3)
• Will Young (2)
• Willie Nelson (1)
• Windsor Free Festival (1)
• Winkies (1)
• Wishbone Ash (23)
• Wizzard (2)
• Woody Woodmansey (1)
• Wrathchild (1)
• Wreckless Eric (4)
• X Ray Spex (1)
• Y&T (1)
• Yoko Ono (3)
• Young Blood (1)
• Young Knives (1)
• Young Marble Giants (1)
• Youssou N'Dour (1)
• Yvonne Elliman (1)
• Z Z Top (4)
• Zaine Griff (1)
• Zappa plays Zappa (3)
• Zerra One (1)
• Zoot Money (1)

Blog at WordPress.com.

• Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
• Subscribe Subscribed
• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• View post in Reader
• Manage subscriptions
• Collapse this bar

The 2-Tone Tribute Tour

ABOUT THE 2-TONE TRIBUTE TOUR

2-Tone took the British music charts by storm in 1979, and for a short, but incredibly exciting period, turned the country into a sea of black and white check. The seven young men at the heart of this musical revolution were the Specials, a band which created a blend of musical genres, mixing punk and Jamaican ska, producing an energy not seen on stage before. The Specials led the way for other bands that joined the 2-Tone movement such as The Selecter, Madness, the Beat, and the Bodysnatchers.

“Saw this band for the first time along with The Special Brew in St. Albans on Saturday. I’ve been to many concerts/tribute tours in my time and this was by far and away the best concert ever. Absolutely brilliant!” – Brett Miller

Bad Manners were not so much about politics, but all about dance! Whilst not part of the 2-Tone label, their infectious ska tunes were perfect for the music of the time. They were led by their iconic lead singer, Buster Bloodvessel. Hot and sweaty in his oversized jump suit and his huge tongue seemingly permanently out, Bad Manners soon built up a massive following.

“This has to go down as one of the best nights out I’ve had! Thanks guys.. you’re brilliant!” – Samantha Hill

The Beat were a tour de force of the 2-Tone label with singers Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger pumping out numerous top ten hits between 1979 and 1983 when they split up. Known for his complex rhythms on drums, original Beat drummer Everett Morton was the driving force in the Beat. He now plays alongside Mickey Billingham (original member of Dexy’s Midnight Runners) and Neil Deathridge (long term member of the Beat) with Beat Goes Bang on the 2-Tone Tribute Tour.

Madness have been a favourite band of the British public ever since their early days as part of the 2-Tone movement. Although they moved away from 2-Tone for their 2nd album, they are still loved by rude boys and rude girls across the UK. Their ‘nutty’ sense of humour and their longevity as a band has won them a place in the hearts of many. Oh, and their incredible knack of producing memorable songs time after time.

“What a great night. Felt young again.” – Mark Rust

The 2-Tone Tribute Tour was formed to bring back that fantastic moment in time for a generation who lived through it. It’s all about the look, the attitude and, of course, the dancing!

These iconic bands will be represented by London-based Special Kinda Madness, who play as The Specials and Madness, and The Special Brew from Cardiff who perform as Bad Manners. Two top tribute bands who tour nationally.

“Absolute blinder!! Such a great fun night. We all had a ball!! Can’t wait for the next 2TTT.” – Angela Ska Ga Wakeham

So dust down your pork pie hats, and put on your Fred Perry, your Harrington, your DMs or your loafers. Because you’re on for a BIG night out. Three and a half hours of live 2-Tone and ska music from your favourite bands. Let’s relive 1979 all over again!

Tributes to the Specials, Bad Manners/The Beat and Madness, all on one stage.*

3 bands … 2-tone … 1 fantastic night.

* Each show features either the Bad Manners tribute or the Beat tribute – not both.

SHOW VIDEOS

Sun and the Rain

Wooly Bully

WHAT THE AUDIENCE SAY

If you are a promoter or venue looking to book the show, or need some details about an upcoming show, please contact us using the details below.

Iconic Promotions Ltd 11 Southfield Way St Albans AL4 9JJ

Tel: +44 (0)7916 311396 Email: [email protected]

If you want to help promote the show in your town, why not join our Street Team? You will be rewarded with a free ticket, amongst other things. Find out more here .

The 2-Tone Trail first began in the form of a book written by Coventry Music Historian and 2-Tone authority Pete Chambers. Pete became frustrated by the lack of any tangible evidence of Coventry being the birthplace of this black and white ska-based phenomenon. This first book (and later the 2-Tone-2 title), both highlighted the trail, and the tour has been enjoyed by many locals and visiting 2-Tone fans alike.

View interactive version, coventry university.

Coventry University, was known as the Lanchester Polytechnic in the days Pauline Black and Jerry Dammers and Horace Panter attended. It was here where Jerry first met Horace, a meeting that proved to be crucial to the creation of The Specials. The song “Rat Race” was conceived here and the promotional video was recorded in the main Hall in 1980. The Specials played there in September 1980.

The Hand and Heart pub

The Hand and Heart pub played host to the emerging Coventry punk scene in the late 1970’s. Reggae band Hardtop 22 played there a few months later key members of the band would form the core of the Selecter. On February 23rd 1978 a band called The Coventry Automatics played the venue, on Friday 1st December 1978 they returned as the Specials.

The Binley Oak

Just an ordinary pub in an ordinary street, but the Binley Oak was the prime rehearsal space for the would-be 2-Tone artists in the late 1970’s. It’s where Pauline Black first became a member of the Coventry ska band The Selecter. It was also here that The Specials first perfected that familiar sound that eventually would become known as 2-Tone. The overriding memory of the venue was just how cold it was, Horace Panter recalled playing sunny Jamaican ska in fingerless mittens, with froze

Coventry Canal Basin

Coventry Canal Basin was very run-down the day The Specials arrived for a photo shoot in 1979. It’s pretty obvious that neither the band or the photographers Chalkie Davies andCarol Starr, had any idea the images they created that day would become so iconic.Those images graced the front and rear covers of TheSpecials first album, and the rear of the More SpecialsLP. Though photographer Chalkie did say, “We always felt that our work for The Specials was the best we had ever done”. Jerry wanted the cover to be a pastiche of the Who’s “My Generation” LP cover, with the band all looking up at the camera. Today the canal basin is home to many of Coventry’s art fraternity and there’s actually water in the canal now.

51 Albany Road

51 Albany Road, is the Holy Grail for 2-Tone fans, for it was up in that front-bedroom flat where the 2-Tone phenomenon was born. In 1979/80, it became the HQ of Britain’s most creative record label. As well as being Jerry Dammers home, and a ‘hang out’ area for the rest of the band. It was featured in the BBC Arena documentary on the rise of 2-Tone, where the band along with Music Journalist Adrian Thrills are gathered in party mood in this one-bedroom record company head-office.

The Rocket public house bears the plaque that should have been located on Horizon Studios, sadly the studios and indeed the building that housed them has long gone. Horizon studios was very much the tangible face of 2-Tone during its rise to fame. It was here most of the Selecter’s body of work was recorded, and of course The Specials first vinyl outing “Gangsters” and their second album “More Specials”. Roger Lomas produced Bad Manners here too of course. While The Rocket provided liquid lunches between long recording sessions. The exact location of the studios are opposite the Rocket, where the bollards to the entrance road to Central Six now lies.

The Holyhead Youth Club and Music Workshop

The Holyhead Youth Club and Music Workshop, was where Neville Staple first met the rest of the Specials when they rehearsed in the basement of this club. Coventry Soul singer and 2-Tone catalyst Ray King became the club’s manager and installed Neville Staple and Trevor Evans with their Jah Baddis Sound System, as resident DJ’s for the club. The Holyhead became pivotal in the development of the various musicians who would eventually form the 2-Tone bands The Specials and The Selecter. Much of the graffiti from those days is tantalisingly still in evidence on the basement walls here, making this a special place for the fan.

When The Sex Pistols played at Mr George on 17th December 1977, a certain Jerry Dammers was looking for his band to support them. History tells us that never happened, but that band (The Automatics) did secure a four month Monday night residency here. During that residency, Roddy joined the band, they picked up manager no 2, and supported Ultravox at The Marquee for just £10. A little over a year later, The Automatics had rebranded themselves as The Specials and with the launch of Gangsters were enjoying chart success for the first time.

Tiffany’s

Tiffany’s (or The Locarno or The ‘Rockhouse’), was a major venue for the city in the 60’s, and 70’s, before it became a public library that is. Chuck Berry recorded his only number one here (My Ding-A-Ling), and all of the major 2-Tone bands played this venue at some time or other (The Specials, Madness, The Selecter, The Beat, The Swinging Cats & The Bodysnatchers). Live B-sides “Skinhead Symphony” (The Specials) and “Carry Go Bring Home” by The Selecter, were both recorded here. The Locarno is also immortalised in the lyrics of The Specials song Friday Night Saturday Morning.

Virgin Records / Soul Hole

In the 70’s Virgin Records provided a base for the music-minded in the city. John ‘Brad’ Bradbury, AKA Prince Rimshot, worked here, and developed his love for various forms of music, including reggae, soul and of course ska. The original Coventry Automatics vocalist Tim Strickland, and Swinging Cat Chris Long also earned a wage at the shop. Upstairs, the Soul Hole was the domain of Pete Waterman, Locarno DJ and the very first Specials Manager. If you couldn’t get it anywhere else, Pete would get it for you here. That’s long before he became a global phenomenon of course.

The Heath Hotel

This building has a ‘special’ piece of history, because back in October 1977 The band that would become The Specials played their very first gig at this building. Jerry’s own hand written diary of the time, states the band were called The Automatics (not the Hybrids as many think). He also mentions that the organ wouldn’t fit on the stage, so he played it in the audience facing the band. This was in the pub’s Rainbow Lounge whilst supporting the punk bands Urban Blight, Certified, The Wild Boys and Squad (a band that included a certain Terry Hall, but not for much longer).

• From the home of Lieutenant Pigeon …
• WHAT TO SEE – T.E. DUNVILLE
• WHAT TO SEE – DELIA DERBYSHIRE’S TAPE RECORDER
• WHAT TO SEE – THE 60’S SOUND BOOTH
• ACORNS FOR PEACE
• WHAT TO SEE – THE 70S & 80S
• The Rude Boy’s Bedroom
• WHAT TO SEE – The 2-Tone Sound – Made in Coventry
• Into the 90’s
• New Millennium Sounds
• CELEBRATING HORACE
• Doing things the Delian Way
• Three Minute Heroes-The Exhibition.
• Coventry Hit Parade
• Coventry Hitmakers
• 2 TONE TOUR
• THE GALLERY
• Our Honorary Patrons
• About our Curator
• Read the TripAdvisor reviews
• With Thanks…
• Where we are

Username or email address *

Remember me Lost your password?

www.2toneontv.com

A message to you…

Under the guidance of creative enforcer Jerry Dammers, 2 Tone Records blazed its way onto the music scene in 1979 with a sound and identity of its own.  The music captured within its grooves was exciting and vital, possessing a real edge and usually a message to boot.  But 2 Tone was more than just a record label.  It was a movement, a style, a spirit, a cultural phenomenon.  It was meaningful, influential and to many like myself, life changing. 

Much has been written about this iconic record label so I’m not going to try to repeat the story of it here.  The message above all from 2 Tone was one of unity so it was ironic to see most of the bands ultimately fall apart amidst a barrage of bitterness and equally sad over the years to see the way some of these bands have been resurrected.  The music does still sound exciting today and what it stood for is of course still as relevant however for me, 2 Tone was of a time and a place…which was from 1979 to 1984 in a bleak and gloomy Britain .

Way back then, my week somewhat revolved around Thursday evenings and the golden era of Top of the Pops.  The charts felt so important then and fortunately bands which I followed like The Specials, Madness, The Selecter and The Beat were often riding high in the Top 40 and therefore playing regularly in our living room.   Videos were not produced for most singles on 2 Tone however there were many television appearances featuring these releases and that’s what I’ve tried my best to document on here.  I’m not claiming this list is complete however hopefully it’s not too far off.  Both Madness and The Beat only released one single on 2 Tone Records so I’ve only included their appearances from around those periods and the same applies to other bands.  The dates provided are either when the performances were filmed or broadcast and sometimes shows were broadcast live of course.  There are gaps to fill in and any extra information would be much appreciated!

I’ve included details of some official VHS/DVD releases as clips from these would’ve often been shown on television programmes.  I have however left out such programmes where only promo videos were shown and the odd performance which may have been recorded but never broadcast.  I’m afraid I can’t provide copies of appearances, for sale or otherwise (I don’t have many of them myself) however I’ve posted links to the vast majority which I have found online and will upload some others myself too if I can.  This are 2 Tone on TV…

Mr. Wheeze www.madnessontv.com

Last Update: 24/04/20

Share this:

8 thoughts on “a message to you…”.

He wants to go out but he has to stay home Sit in and watch colour TV on his own.

Absolutely Amazing !!! Thank you for your hard work and dedication for bring these mostly rare gems to the masses, Something quite special indeed

Thank you Declan!!

Thanks Declan!

Proper website, cheers for compiling all this mate

Like Liked by 1 person

Cheers Andy, good to hear someone’s looking in

Great to find your site. (Do you do ‘Madness in Quotes’ as well? I’ve just seen the footage of ‘Why?’, Coventry 1981. I went to their Leeds RAR concert not long after.

No, I’ve nothing to do with Madness in Quotes. Great that you saw them in ’81 and that some live footage exists from then

Leave a comment Cancel reply

• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• Manage subscriptions

Apollo Magazine

Username or Email Address

Remember Me

Lost your password?

← Go to Apollo Magazine

2-TONE 4-EVER

CLASSIC 70'S & 80'S 2-TONE MUSIC & INFORMATION

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Madness & the specials 2-tone tour 1979 newcastle mayfair.

4 comments:

November 9th: Newcastle Mayfair Madness and The Selecter join The Specials for an all band finale of Skinhead Moonstomp which has by now become a tradition of the tour. A horde of fans invade the stage and cause chaos. Which has by now become a tradition of the tour. Tarzan's Nuts Mistakes Believe Me My Girl Swan Lake Razor Blade Alley Land Of Hope & Glory In The Middle Of The Night Bed & Breakfast Man One Step Beyond Rockin' In A Flat Night Boat To Cairo Madness The Prince Download Link: http://www.fileserve.com/file/jjckwRF/MAD091179.rar =)

The Specials at the same gig : https://rs20tl4.rapidshare.com/#!download|20dt|330415188|The_Specials_-_Newcastle_Mayfair_09.11.1979.rar|85974|R~1146A71A62AD7C58A2772FFEAC934389|0|0 =)

While many learned professors have abandoned hope of ever discovering the truth behind Two Tone, I for one feel that it is still a worthy cause for examination. At first glance Two Tone may seem unenchanting, however its study is a necessity for any one wishing to intellectually advance beyond their childhood. Remarkably Two Tone is heralded by shopkeepers and investment bankers alike, leading many to state that it is important to remember that ‘what goes up must come down.

hi there...how do I go about getting a copy of the Madness set here? all the best from a life-long fan - scott

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Label of love: 2 Tone Records

Think we've got it bad now? Thirty years ago, Jim Callaghan's useless Labour government was trounced by a certified snatcher of children's milk. And while leftwing politicians licked their wounds, fascists were busy indoctrinating disenfranchised white youth with racist ideas.

But there was a tonic for collective despair: from the decaying motor town of Coventry, 2 Tone Records promoted a "black and white, unite and fight" stance while launching a fashion, dance and musical craze that peaked with the 1981 summer of riots.

It started, not with a tune, but with a 'toon. Fusing an early Peter Tosh album-cover image and the rude-boy guise of Clash bassist Paul Simonon, label founder Jerry Dammers created the cartoon Walt Jabsco , 2-Tone's monochrome dancing mascot, aped by pork pie hat-wearing youth across the country.

Originally known as the Coventry Automatics , 2 Tone's mainstays the Specials were formed in 1977. The Clash's manager briefly took them under his wing where they morphed into the Special AKA, evolving from clunky reggae-rock to their own punk take on Jamaican ska. Their short-lived relationship with the Clash camp gave them the impetus to write the first 2 Tone salvo Gangsters , based on Prince Buster's Al Capone, with its opening line: "Bernie Rhodes knows, don't argue!"

The Specials needed a flipside but had spent their £700 studio budget, which had been raised from friends and family. So Dammers unearthed an instrumental rocksteady cut, made two years previously by drummer John Bradbury (who soon joined the band). The track was called the Selecter by the band of the same name. The success of the split single prompted guitarist Neol Davis toswiftly recruit musicians from Coventry's tiny reggae scene, including singer Pauline Black, to make the Selecter the second 2 Tone septet.

"At the beginning, all 14 of us in the Specials and the Selecter collectively made decisions on how 2 Tone was run and who we signed – we were terribly egalitarian and high principled," says Black.

After the first single, 2 Tone made a deal with Chrysalis to become its autonomous subsidiary, rejecting an approach from Mick Jagger and Rolling Stones Records.

The Specials soon discovered the ska revival went beyond Coventry. The North London Invaders, renamed Madness, provided 2 Tone with its second single, another Buster tribute ( The Prince ) before heading to Stiff Records. The Beat, from Birmingham, stayed for just one cut, ( Tears of a Clown ), before launching their label, Go-Feet .

In November 1979, six months after Gangsters reached the top 10, the Selecter, the Specials and Madness all appeared on the same episode of TOTP (with On My Radio, A Message to You Rudy and One Step Beyond) and took turns in headlining a frantic tour – captured in the film Dance Craze .

But within six months the first cracks had appeared. In interviews, Dammers was depicted on the verge of a nervous breakdown and comparing 2 Tone to Frankenstein's monster.

The Selecter, feeling that 2 Tone had become just another commodity, implored Dammers to dissolve the label. Announcing their departure after one disappointing album and three hit singles, the band said in a statment stated: "Due to the success of 2 Tone, many of our ideas have been hampered."

Black says now: "The problems started when all the bands started going their separate ways with their own British and US tours. There was infighting. We were all in different places and our shared vision fragmented quite quickly. Initially we'd all shared the same stage and based the 2 Tone tour on a Motown revue."

Dammers caused further ructions when he insisted on widening 2 Tone's musical palette. He brought exotica, muzak and music hall to the More Specials album, and signed funk-punk band the Higsons from Norwich and Leicester no wave funk band the Apollinaires.

Despite internal troubles, Ghost Town proved the pivotal 2 Tone release, encapsulating the urban alienation, decay and the violent mood on the streets in 1981 – few would agree its reign at the top of the charts as Britain's inner cities blazed was coincidental. It also destroyed the Specials.

Dammers soldiered on with the remaining half of the band, and made increasingly uncompromising records while reverting to the Special AKA – including The Boiler with Bodysnatchers singer Rhoda Dakar, a horrific monologue about an attempted rape.

He nearly bankrupted the label with 1984's In the Studio, savaged by critics but saved by the success of single Free Nelson Mandela. Despite being over-orchestrated and a tad cheesy, the song raised anti-apartheid awareness to the point where it became untenable on the world stage.

History seems about to be repeated as the re-formed Specials ( minus Jerry Dammers ) could be playing Ghost Town live as a summer of rage erupts around them, should police prophecies come true. Black says: "We're in the same situation now as when 2 Tone began. I still live in Coventry and it really is turning into a ghost town – like everywhere else, I guess."

People are getting angry this time too, but who will play 2 Tone's pied-piper role 30 years on?

2 Tone tonics The Selecter: On My Radio / Too Much Pressure (1979) The Selecter had the edge over the Specials when it came to creating authentic skinhead reggae – although Pauline Black's vocals owed more to punks such as Lena Lovich. Ironically, it was the radio the lyrics castigated that propelled the Selecter into the top 10. Both tracks captured the band at their most exhiliarating and anthemic, with a fuller sound than the Specials.

The Beat: Tears of a Clown / Ranking Full Stop (1979) Given that Jerry Dammers's original concept for 2 Tone was as a British Motown, it was only fitting that Birmingham's Beat dared to reinvent Smokey Robinson for their debut. The dextrously slick and sharp punk-reggae guitar sound developed by Dave Wakeling, and the hyperactive call-and-response between him and Ranking Roger on the B-side, would briefly up the 2 Tone ante, until they left to set up their own label operation, Go-Feet.

The Specials: More Specials (1980) The first Specials album was striking for its immediacy, but the second album has far greater depth and inventiveness. The best muzak ever made can be heard on International Jet Set while a nuclear holocaust has never sounded so imminent as on Man At C&A. And it's hard to top the lyric on the organ-fuelled Pearl's Cafe: "It's all a load of bollocks, and bollocks to it all."

• The Specials
• Label of love

Comments (…)

Most viewed.

The Specials, Madness, The Selecter 2-Tone UK Tour 1979

• View history

• Statistics Stats
• You are here:
• Specials, The
• November 13, 1979 Setlist

The Specials Setlist at Ruffles, Aberdeen, Scotland

• Edit setlist songs
• Edit venue & date
• Edit set times
• Add to festival
• Report setlist

Tour: Two Tone Tour Tour statistics Add setlist

Sorry, there are no songs in this setlist yet, but ...

If you were there then add whatever song you remember!

And you might also get help in the setlist request forum

Edits and Comments

1 activity (last edit by mmstang , 27 Aug 2021, 00:47 Etc/UTC )

The Specials

More from this artist.

• More Setlists
• Artist Statistics
• Add setlist
• The Selecter Add time Add time
• Madness Add time Add time
• The Specials This Setlist Add time Add time

The Specials Gig Timeline

• Nov 11 1979 Tiffany's Glasgow, Scotland Add time Add time
• Nov 12 1979 Tiffany's Edinburgh, Scotland Add time Add time
• Nov 13 1979 Ruffles This Setlist Aberdeen, Scotland Add time Add time
• Nov 14 1979 Ayr Pavilion Ayr, Scotland Add time Add time
• Nov 15 1979 Market Hall Carlisle, England Add time Add time

1 person was there

• LesClarkArt

Share or embed this setlist

Use this setlist for your event review and get all updates automatically!

<div style="text-align: center;" class="setlistImage"><a href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-specials/1979/ruffles-aberdeen-scotland-6b8cf2f2.html" title="The Specials Setlist Ruffles, Aberdeen, Scotland 1979, Two Tone Tour" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.setlist.fm/widgets/setlist-image-v1?id=6b8cf2f2" alt="The Specials Setlist Ruffles, Aberdeen, Scotland 1979, Two Tone Tour" style="border: 0;" /></a> <div><a href="https://www.setlist.fm/edit?setlist=6b8cf2f2&amp;step=song">Edit this setlist</a> | <a href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlists/the-specials-bd6b12e.html">More The Specials setlists</a></div></div>

Last.fm Event Review

[url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-specials/1979/ruffles-aberdeen-scotland-6b8cf2f2.html][img]https://www.setlist.fm/widgets/setlist-image-v1?id=6b8cf2f2[/img][/url] [url=https://www.setlist.fm/edit?setlist=6b8cf2f2&amp;step=song]Edit this setlist[/url] | [url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlists/the-specials-bd6b12e.html]More The Specials setlists[/url]

Tour Update

Marquee memories: alien ant farm.

• Alien Ant Farm
• Apr 27, 2024
• Apr 26, 2024
• Apr 25, 2024
• Apr 24, 2024
• Apr 23, 2024
• Apr 22, 2024
• FAQ | Help | About
• Terms of Service
• Ad Choices | Privacy Policy
• Feature requests
• Songtexte.com