Review: The Specials in Auckland

The Specials gave the audience a blast from the past which was hard to dislike at their Auckland concert, reviewer Jeff Neems was there.

What: The Specials
Where: Logan Campbell Centre
When: Saturday, August 1

This was always going to be a show where the average age of the crowd was well past 40.

And so on the Sunday morning afterwards, there’ll be some creaky knee and hip joints today, and their owners will be nursing some pounding hangovers as they rest weary arms on ample beer bellies.

It was, after all, the 30th anniversary tour for The Specials, the multi-racial Coventry band which effectively led the British ska revival of the late 1970s and early 1980s through their limited but much loved work on the 2 Tone label.

And for the old mods, European scooterists and smattering of punks in the crowd, it was music of their teenage years. Pub music, dance music and skanking music from a different era.

Casting aside the issue the non-involvement of Specials founder and keyboardist Jerry Dammers, and this was a ripping good gig – a long-awaited birthday party where grey or short-cropped hair were de rigeur, and where one in 20 punters wore a pork pie hat, just like the band.

After a crucial selection of heavy roots, dub and Studio One ska from the band’s tour DJ, The Specials came on stage, back-lit to create a silouhette.

During the opening bars of Do The Dog, the white curtain remained fixed, only to be torn from it’s place in time for the band to rip into the first tune from their celebrated self-titled 1979 debut album.

Indeed, it was that 2 Tone long-player classic which provided the foundation for the band’s 90-minute set.

The huge hits Monkey Man, Concrete Jungle and Gangsters had the crowd heaving, a giant sweaty, bouncing, skanking melee from which it was impossible to escape.

The only tune from The Specials to miss the cut was Stupid Marriage, but otherwise the packed house was treated to near flawless renditions of Too Hot, Nite Klub, Too Much Too Young, the cracking Little Bitch – almost a rock cut, truth be told – and the one everyone came to hear, Message To You Rudy.

A few of the better tunes from the second album, More Specials, also got an airing, with Enjoy Yourself, Man at C&A and Hey Little Rich Girl all in the mix.

And the energy was immense. Self-described “original rude boy” Neville Staple, who has just released his biography, strutted and skanked across the stage incessantly, barely stopping at any point during the show.

Guitarists Roddy Byers and Linval Golding traded riffs, Byers ripping through some excellent rockabilly-esque solos. Replacing Dammers on keyboards was Nik Torp, who did an admirable job and had one of his instruments perched at such a bizarre angle it looked set to fall over (thankfully, it didn’t).

Horace Panter was as solid as a rock on bass, while original drummer John Bradbury kept things chugging beautifully during a fast-paced set which never let up and seldom allowed the fans to catch their much-needed breath.

But it was lead vocalist Terry Hall who was the highlight. His voice in the live setting was perfect, and could’ve been lifted directly from the studio material.

Yes, he sounded that good. Although he appeared almost surly and disinterested on-stage at times, it was surely a façade, and when he sang it was pure magic. At times the renditions were so faultless it was as if they’d never been apart.

With their name in 8-foot tall letters behind them on-stage, The Specials gave us a blast from the past which was hard to dislike.

They closed with a three-song encore, including the so-called Skinhead Symphony and the appropriate ending You’re Wondering Now.

For the old boys and girls in the crowd, there was no wondering.

The Specials still had it, and their fans are still “ska’d for life”.

*Were you at the gig? Post your comments below.

- © Fairfax NZ News