The Specials Tour Interview

The Specials


The Specials are back and here is an interview with Lynval Golding, Horace Panter and Roddy Byers from the Coventry Telegraph by2-Tone fan Pete Chambers. Tickets for The Specials UK Tour are on sale now and here is the interview talking about the upcoming reunion tour.

How does it feel to be a Special again?

LYNVAL: "It's been a really slow process, but we were intent on celebrating something we created 30 years ago. So we are finally here, and to get up there on stage again to play to the fans is going to be a real celebration. I have to stop and pinch myself, it's simply a lovely dream that I don't want to wake up from".

RODDY: "I hope it's less painful this time!"

Horace: "I think physically it will be more painful – I'm not 25 any more! Seriously, I think it's going to be a lot easier".

The Specials @ Bestival Festival in September

At Bestival (a festival the six of them played in the Isle of Wight in September) we basically got the first album, I presume the set-list this time will include the second album and Ghost Town?

HORACE: "For our dance hall shows in April/May we will be playing for 90 minutes, twice as long as we did on the Isle of Wight, so there's room for second album stuff and beyond".

When next year's tour was announced it all went mad, even I was surprised of the emotion people still had for The Specials, how was it for you?

HORACE: "It hasn't really sunk in yet".

Do you think we will see the stage invasions of 1979/80. Indeed has The Specials ethos changed in 30 years?

HORACE : "Thirty years ago I was always concerned that someone would get badly hurt during the stage invasions but the health and safety aspect of rock'n'roll shows has changed dramatically over the past 25 years. Whether our attitude has, remains to be seen".

Will you, as The Telegraph reported last week, be playing in Coventry?

STEVE BLACKWELL (Specials manager) : The answer to that is a great big YES. There is no big secret about it, the reason there is no news on the date as yet, is that it must be planned properly.

"The band are still working on plans for Coventry and no decision as to where or when have yet been made". I can assure everyone that the band want this to be a very Special gig for the people of Coventry!

Tour News and Views:

* The last time The Specials played in Coventry was at the Butts Stadium on Saturday June 20 1981, for the Rock Against Racism concert.

* A large percentage of latter-day Specials fans, are far too young to have ever seen them play. This is something the band are happy to rectify.

* The 'Where's the Coventry date' scenario, is nothing new. The Specials' first tour back in 1979 didn't include a Coventry date when originally announced either. That was also rectified before the tour was out.

* The tickets for the tour on sale priced at £32.50 in advance, except London £35. 24-hour Hotline: 0871 2200 260 / Online: www.gigsandtours.com

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