seventeen classics from The Specials get the crowd skanking

T in the Park 2009 review

By Gary Walker | Published: Wed 15th Jul 2009

T in the Park 2009

Friday 10th to Sunday 12th July 2009
Balado, nr Kinross. Scotland, KY13 0NJ, Scotland MAP
weekend £170 - SOLD OUT, day tickets Friday £60, and Saturday or Sunday £72.50
Daily capacity: 80,000

It's back over to The Main Stage to catch a tour de force 17-song set from The Specials.

After opening with 'Do The Dog' they wheel out a gigantic crowd-pleaser in the shape of 'Too Much Too Young', which has everyone within a square mile of the stage skanking furiously.

Reformed this year, they still sound formidable – tight, committed and hugely relevant – and look immaculate in two-tone suits.

The lazy, summer's day-shuffle of 'Up To You' with its choppy reggae guitars and snare rim shots, goes down a treat in the sunshine and the bouncy, yet eerie Gangsters, spitting fearful predictions for what the future in Britain holds, sounds every bit as prophetic today as it did on release.

'Rat Race' has 30,000 people defiantly thundering out the chorus line: "Working for the rat race/ You know you're wasting your time/ Working for the rat race/ You're no friend of mine" and the classics keep coming with the cheeky, bouncy 'Monkey Man' and the joyful festival-campsite anthem 'Message To You Rudy'.

The latter's sweet harmonica intro, triumphant horns and lolloping bassline provide another moment to savour on a day heavy with crowd-pleasing performances.

They close with the brilliant, dark polemic 'Ghost Town' and are roared from the stage like true, returning heroes.
review by: Gary Walker


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