https://i.imgur.com/OLBKVoo.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/9QfeAKE.jpgJust a couple of phone photos to give atmosphere, it was a better view of the stage than that suggests.
Anyway, I have no voice this morning after an evening of standing around in light drizzle singing along. About 1500 people per night for four nights in the ruins of the old cathedral. A different support each night plus a local band playing on a stage outside near to the entrance.
The live sound wasn't amazing but it was alright. Steve Craddock ( OCS, Weller) has the Roddy Byers role, quite a lot of wah which Roddy wouldn’t have used but the focus really is on the three remaining original members. Lynval was hanging around outside as people were queuing up, talking to the press and to the religious people who were objecting to the misuse of scared ground. Terry dedicated Friday Night, Saturday Morning to The Parson’s Nose which got a big cheer. This was the late night chippy were the young Specials got their sustenance as did I as a student in Cov and this raised a big old cheer from those in the know. Horace bopped around and his basslines held the band together.
Sophia Khan came on stage to reprise her role off the Encore album and then BVs on You're Wondering Now.
https://i.imgur.com/9QfeAKE.jpgThe Specials were 30 minutes late going on and 15 minutes late finishing, wether that means we had 15 minutes chopped I don’t know but including encores we had 105 minutes and that was enough I think. Enough for my knees and throat anyway. I think my son enjoyed it, at least the bands gave him some relief from my ‘when I was a student’ stories.
Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell.
Comments
The recent album Encore has done really well for them so it's been a good year for The Specials.
https://i.imgur.com/cfJiijn.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/y6GMeeo.jpg
I’ll stick in some borrowed photos.
My throat is soo soar.
I had many a happy Friday night queuing up to get a puckka pie and chips to eat on the bus home.
I don’t think it still exists. I probably last went there in 1990 so I don’t really have up to date information.
My memory of it was that it was nearly always open and chips and mushy peas at 2am tasted pretty good.
The area around the cathedrals is nice and there are some smart pubs and eateries but the more you get into the city centre the more it turns into decrepit sixties architecture and charity shops. Impressive Ikea though.