Longstanding English heroes The Specials returned last year with their politically charged new album Encore (their first album of originals since 1998 and the first new material with vocalist Terry Hall since 1981’s “Ghost Town”), which was released via Island Records. The band’s tour in support of the new record dropped into New York on June 14th for a performance at Brooklyn Steel.
The politically charged flavor of the new songs dripped into their performance, with political messages and signs adorned on the back of the stage and plenty of comments coming from both Hall and Lynval Golding. There was a good chunk of new material played but plenty of the expected old favorite such as “Nite Klub,” “A Message to You, Rudy,” and of course, “Ghost Town.” The band sounded great and had the packed room of mostly older fans, dancing and moshing throughout the night proving that after 40 years, The Specials have still very much got it.
Find a full gallery of photos posted below, along with the setlist.
The Specials setlist:
1. Man at C&A
2. Rat Race
3. Do Nothing
4. Vote for Me
5. Friday Night, Saturday Morning
6. Embarrassed by You
7. Blank Expression
8. Doesn’t Make It Alright
9. The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum (Fun Boy Three cover)
10. Blam Blam Fever (The Valentines cover)
11. A Message to You, Rudy (Dandy Livingstone cover)
12. Stereotypes
13. 10 Commandments
14. Nite Klub
15. Do the Dog (Rufus Thomas cover)
16. Concrete Jungle
17 Monkey Man (Toots & The Maytals cover)
18. Gangsters
19. Too Much Too Young
Encore:
20. Breaking Point
21. Ghost Town
22. You’re Wondering Now (The Skatalites cover)
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