Thursday, May 28, 2009

24 May 2009: The Specials - Millennium Square, Leeds, England, UK

Young and old skankers alike turned out in force on Sunday, to welcome legendary Two Tone ska band The Specials back to Leeds. After a thirty-year absence, Terry Hall marked the Millennium Square leg of the group’s long-awaited reunion tour by apologising for “taking so long to come back”. All was forgiven though, as the diverse congregation of contented cider-infused spectators (save for the few miniature offspring of original ska aficionados) were just thrilled to be present on such a momentous day.

The absence of Jerry Dammers prompted the question of whether relations are quite what they once were in the rude boy camp, however the evening was not sullied by this one exception and the remaining members-Terry Hall, Lynval Golding, Neville Staple, Roddy Byers, Horace Panter and John Bradbury-performed as passionately and energetically as they did back in 1976, when they first notably Rocked Against Racism...[more]

Thursday, May 07, 2009

06 May 2009: Ginger + Laika Dog + Dear Superstar - Seven, Nottingham, England, UK

When Junktion 7 closed down at the end of last year I feared for the future of live music in Nottingham. Thankfully, somebody saw sense and rebooted the venue and here I am back at, the renamed, Seven for another Ginger gig.

Other than the name, nothing much else has changed, and the venue remains probably the best small venue in the city.

For once, due to unprecedented levels of organisation, a little luck and deliberately ignoring the fact that the Champions League semi-final second leg was on the Telly, I found myself in the venue before the first band had started.

Dear Superstar were enthusiastic, slick and...[more]