Is it really the specials playing?

[daveinafield]

i take the floyd argument, but moon was hardly the creative driving force behind the band.even the floyd argument is flawed seeing as they all wrote the music up till the wall.

But Dammers IS the specials, much like Strummer WAS the clash (albiet very ably assisted).

[daveinafield]

the specials are gonna be so awesome get your best skanking boots on boys and girls!!!!! almost made up for losing 1-3 tonight

[Harrow Strongbow Ciderman!]

the specials are gonna be so awesome get your best skanking boots on boys and girls!!!!! almost made up for losing 1-3 tonight

[Harrow Strongbow Ciderman!]

With or without Jerry Dammers. The Specials will still be brill.

I accept how important JD was in forming the band and his key role in the whole Two Tone thing.

I've said it before & I'm still of the opinion that The Specials without Jerry Dammers is similar to Madness without Mike Bedders!

If the Keyboard player ain't in the band then it is not the same as when the frontman (ie Lead Singer/lead guitarist) is not with the band.

The Jam just would not be The Jam without Paul Weller. Even though I'm still keen to see Bruce Foxton & Rick Buckler in their combo without Weller.

IMO, The Specials with Terry Hall, Neville Staple, Lynval Golding, is still good enough to be The Specials without JD!

[daveinafield]

Shock a Liverpool fan from London!!

On a serious note, flaming fantastic news if The Specials defo do Glasto this year. But either way I'll be looking forward to seeing that @ Brixton Academy in May.

[Harrow Strongbow Ciderman!]

i moved to london when i was 18 and have been back in nw for a year (now 37) forgot to change it

[daveinafield]

No worries mate. Going off topic here but after Torres scored that early goal I was really hoping you were gonna beat Chelsea tonight (I support another London club! )

Sorry to post Footie stuff on a thread about The Specials.

...Who have got to be one of the most important bands in British music history. The Two Tone thing from 1979 has been just as important as Punk, New Romantics, Britpop in the 90's etc.

A landmark era in British Music history and admittedly alot of creedance goes to Jerry Dammers for forming The Specials. But to me it'll always be Terry Hall that I see as the key man in The Specials.

[dj267]

Here's Jerry's statement, explaining why the band are playing without him, how he attempted to attend rehershals, but they didn;t accept his presence and kick him out.

http://thequietus.com/articles/00862-jerry...pecials-reunion

It'd be more sad, probably if any of the three singers didn't turn up - the difference between with-Dammers and without is that now there is zero chance of them reforming as a new band - rather, they'll just peddle round the hits that Dammer wrote all those years ago. As a Glastonbury prospect, this isn't nessecarily a bad thing. Apparenly they're going to concentrate on the first album.................. Thats maybe a shame, as there's some great stuff on "More Specials", and even on "In The Studio".

Edited April 9, 2009 by dj267

[sinhala]

Maybe just me, but I thought they were a bit lacklustre on Jools. Terry Hall looked like he was on another planet. Will watch again on Friday to see if a second viewing alters my opinion !

[William of Walworth]

Maybe just me, but I thought they were a bit lacklustre on Jools. Terry Hall looked like he was on another planet. Will watch again on Friday to see if a second viewing alters my opinion !

[toffeeal68]

F*cking great news. Any chance of a Specials, Madness, Blur finish on the Pyramid Stage?

[ShadyBlueBell]

excited as i am about seeing them at the Big G, is it really the specials if Dammers (founder of the band, 2 tone records and general inspiration behind the ska movement) isnt there?

personally, i think not!

[Tugger2k]

The Specials would not be the special without Terry Hall and gang and as long as Terry is singing the songs who really cares???

[daveinafield]

i find that quite astonishing

i have stated that im excited to see them, but to state 'who cares' when the bloke who actually wrote the songs, without whom terry hall could still be a sruggling pub singer, shows a lack of knowledge about the specials and the whole ska scene!!

without dammers, there is no specials, without terry hall, somebody else with a voice gets the break!!

[Tugger2k]

but anytime i can see neville staples et al playing those songs im gonna skank like mad! the rest of the band were great musicians too. some of my favourite songs he did not write (concrete jungle - ronnie radiation) - (do the dog- r.thomas) (stupid marriage - neville co wrote with dammers and the band co wrote quite a few songs on the first album, its a shame that jd wont be there but the music lives on- maybe they should be specials aka- but lets face it, will still be f****** amazing

[Harrow Strongbow Ciderman!]

but anytime i can see neville staples et al playing those songs im gonna skank like mad! the rest of the band were great musicians too. some of my favourite songs he did not write (concrete jungle - ronnie radiation) - (do the dog- r.thomas) (stupid marriage - neville co wrote with dammers and the band co wrote quite a few songs on the first album, its a shame that jd wont be there but the music lives on- maybe they should be specials aka- but lets face it, will still be f****** amazing

[Harrow Strongbow Ciderman!]

Maybe just me, but I thought they were a bit lacklustre on Jools. Terry Hall looked like he was on another planet. Will watch again on Friday to see if a second viewing alters my opinion !

[dj267]

What I find troubling about this is that THESE ARE THE GUYS WHO LEFT JERRY ALONE IN THE BAND. It's not like he's turned his back on them, so they're soildering on without him. They left him, and in his own words, broke his heart, and have now reformed the group without letting him in. I find it a bit upsetting really, when you consider what Jerry Dammers gave all of us Specials fans. It won't affect the quality of the set, or how much the crowd enjoys it, at all. But it will leave a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth personally.

Without Dammers, they're a total heritage act, who are obviously going to be focusing primarily on re-creating their glory days, rather than moving into the future arytstically. If you have no problem with that (and I'm sure many won't) it won't make a shred of difference that Dammers isn't there.

[Harrow Strongbow Ciderman!]

What I find troubling about this is that THESE ARE THE GUYS WHO LEFT JERRY ALONE IN THE BAND. It's not like he's turned his back on them, so they're soildering on without him. They left him, and in his own words, broke his heart, and have now reformed the group without letting him in. I find it a bit upsetting really, when you consider what Jerry Dammers gave all of us Specials fans. It won't affect the quality of the set, or how much the crowd enjoys it, at all. But it will leave a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth personally.

Without Dammers, they're a total heritage act, who are obviously going to be focusing primarily on re-creating their glory days, rather than moving into the future arytstically. If you have no problem with that (and I'm sure many won't) it won't make a shred of difference that Dammers isn't there.

[daveinafield]

saw the footage on tv and thought they were good. sometimes its easy toforget how great the guitar playing is in the band. Did you notice that jools was a little frosty with them, well i guess he had just been on the phone with his fellow keyboard type mr dammers.lynval and neville were always my favourites in the band tho. shame he is not there, but i guess we could all just watch pama international instead! - who were brill last year too. Tho i think The Beat edged my best ska experience at glasto - tho im sure the specials will go right to the top of that chart this summer

am now officially excited!!

[Harrow Strongbow Ciderman!]

saw the footage on tv and thought they were good. sometimes its easy toforget how great the guitar playing is in the band. Did you notice that jools was a little frosty with them, well i guess he had just been on the phone with his fellow keyboard type mr dammers.lynval and neville were always my favourites in the band tho. shame he is not there, but i guess we could all just watch pama international instead! - who were brill last year too. Tho i think The Beat edged my best ska experience at glasto - tho im sure the specials will go right to the top of that chart this summer

am now officially excited!!

[fullfathom5]

I'm goin to see them in Brum - can't wait!

[Vectrex]

What stage do you think The Specials will be playing? I hope it's not that tiny tent in Los Vagueness that Madness were playing in 2007. They should be on the Pyramid Stage, say on the Saturday afternoon.

I also wondered why on Later with Jools Holland, the lead singer Terry Hall wasn't up there talking to Jools Holland? Instead it was Neville and those two other band members. You would have thought Terry would be up there. Does he not do interviews?

Edited April 12, 2009 by Vectrex

[daveinafield]

What stage do you think The Specials will be playing? I hope it's not that tiny tent in Los Vagueness that Madness were playing in 2007. They should be on the Pyramid Stage, say on the Saturday afternoon.

I also wondered why on Later with Jools Holland, the lead singer Terry Hall wasn't up there talking to Jools Holland? Instead it was Neville and those two other band members. You would have thought Terry would be up there. Does he not do interviews?