Jesus :P

The Specials reunite for 2009 tour

Coventry band set to hit the road next April

The Specials are reuniting for a 2009 tour to celebrate their 30th anniversary.

The legendary ska band have announced they are getting back together to play a series of UK gigs next April.

In an exclusive interview in this week's issue of NME, which hits newsstands tomorrow (December 3), frontman Terry Hall said that the band were playing in 2009 to celebrate their significant birthday.

"It's the right time to do it [reunite] - we talked about it at 25 but we weren't together enough. Now we're all getting on and it feels comfortable again," he said.

Original members of the band including Hall, Neville Staple, Sir Horace Gentleman, Roddy Radiation, Lynval Golding and John Bradbury are all confirmed to play the gigs.

Hall revealed that Specials founder member Jerry Dammers is not set to join the band on the tour, although relations between the two parties are strong. "The door remains open to him," Hall said.

The gigs will mark the first time the Coventry band have officially worked together since 1981. As NME.COM previously reported, members of The Specials did play a secret show at this year's Bestival under the title Terry Hall And Friends.

Tickets for the tour go on sale at 9am (GMT) on December 11.

The Specials will play the following dates:

Newcastle Academy (April 22)

Sheffield Academy (23)

Birmingham Academy (25, 26)

Glasgow Academy (28)

Manchester Apollo (May 3)

London Brixton Academy (6, 7)

I might actually go and queue for this!!

I'd go see them if I lived in the UK, even if it's not a proper Specials reunion. Without Dammers it's not The Specials, but I think it might still be worth seeing.

I'd go see them if I lived in the UK, even if it's not a proper Specials reunion. Without Dammers it's not The Specials, but I think it might still be worth seeing.

Without Dammers, it is of course not 100% proper. But it will still be a good night im sure. Will be great to see Terry Hall at least.

I will be going for sure.....

went to the Beat last month.. Madness last year ....and going to Bad Manners tonight ! na ni ni ni na na na nu nu !

But they are nothing compared to The Specials :lol:

...went to the Beat last month...

What lineup? They haven't done a proper reunion, have they?

I got free tickets to see Madness at the Tripod in Dublin earlier this year but i couldnt go because i got the flu - my missus went and said Suggs came back for the encore with a Chelsea scarf on!

Obviously for the Dub Red masses that didnt go down too well!!! :lol:

The Beat are always playing Brum, i must go one of these days.

What lineup? They haven't done a proper reunion, have they?

Yeah, what line up? Used to be into The Beat - Dave Wakeling with his funny looking guitar and Ranking Roger.

Surely old Saxa still can't be about?

Stand Down Margaret............

Edited December 2, 200817 yr by Nibs

Surely old Saxa still can't be about?

I think he's retired. Rico won't be joining The Specials either, but that's understandable considering his age.

Then again, I saw the Skatalites this year with some of the original members and they still put on a great show.

I am not sure really.. all I know for sure is it is Rankin Roger.. I think he is the only original.. but really good still, his son sings as well who is also excellent. We had a great time, but your right not a proper reunion.

I only like the first Album stuff from Madness to be honest, I saw them at the O2 last Christmas and the first album stuff always go down the best.

I saw both the Beat and Terry Hall with Lynval and the Dub Pistols at Guilfest a couple of years back. There are very few greater sounds on earth than hearing TH sing Gangsters.

There are very few greater sounds on earth than hearing TH sing Gangsters.

Bernie Rhodes knows don't argue... :lol:

Havent heard TH in years would love to hear Gangsters and Night club again..

Just got from Bad Manners.. Love him or loath him he is doing the best Ska around today in my opinion until the Specials reform of course :D

,.. had just the best night, much better than The Beat and Madness.

Maybe I am becoming middle aged, but I am not sure that anyhting since compares ;)

I got free tickets to see Madness at the Tripod in Dublin earlier this year but i couldnt go because i got the flu - my missus went and said Suggs came back for the encore with a Chelsea scarf on!

Obviously for the Dub Red masses that didnt go down too well!!!

That alone would have been worth the ticket price. :)

Terry Hall hasnt smiled in years , will this all change ??

got my tickets! andy, did you get yours ?

got my tickets! andy, did you get yours ?

Not yet .. I want Brixton but dont think they are on sale yet..

Manchester seem to be able to get those. Where are you going ?

Im going to Brum (youve got to see The Specials in the Midlands!)

I thought tickets were going on sale on Thursday but you can buy them on the Birmingham Academy website now

Andy - pre sale link for you http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/INFO/THESPECIAL..._id=tw_uk_buyat

Andy - pre sale link for you http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/INFO/THESPECIAL..._id=tw_uk_buyat

Thanks for you help mate.... can't bloody wait...

They added loads more dates, and tickets are going in minutes. they could fill some much bigger venues, they seem more popular now than in their hayday....

Andy - pre sale link for you http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/INFO/THESPECIAL..._id=tw_uk_buyat

Would have loved to have gone to one of the gigs but dates didn't really fit in. As a matter of interest what were the ticket prices? A mate of mine reckons he was quoted between £80 and £120. Seems pretty steep?

Would have loved to have gone to one of the gigs but dates didn't really fit in. As a matter of interest what were the ticket prices? A mate of mine reckons he was quoted between £80 and £120. Seems pretty steep?

£35 for the Brum gig and £30 for the Coventry gig. He mustve been talking ebay prices!

That's a bit more like it. That's exactly what I paid for the Weller gig at Southend recently.

Hope to get to see them at some point as the way they have been selling out, it looks like they'll do another tour.

Well, Andy youre in for a treat.

What a gig, what an atmosphere! Never seen so many portly balding mid 40s bloke dancing badly in one place before!!!

Utterly brilliant. Skinhead Moonstomp will knock you out.

completley missed all the gig info for the specials tour

i would have loved to go and see them

Probably the best thread for this. Just relased today is a cracking Ska box set. 54 tracks and not a bad price on Amazon at a tenner

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ska-Mania-Various-...ks_all_1#disc_1

Probably not of interest if you are a big Ska fan and have a lof of this stuff anyway but a good box set if you want to get into it a bit more.

Well, Andy youre in for a treat.

What a gig, what an atmosphere! Never seen so many portly balding mid 40s bloke dancing badly in one place before!!!

Utterly brilliant. Skinhead Moonstomp will knock you out.

Cant Wait, going the day after the Barca match so hopefulyl celebrate a bit.

Me and my brother have been on a bit of a ska revival tour over the last couple of years so used to the balding middle age spread crowd.

I was a little worried because after seeling out so quickly, there are now plenty of tickets for sale all over the web, I was concerned they have dsappointed a few.. maybe it is just the JCL's dont get it ;)