Tag Archives: The Specials

The Undertones / The Neville Staple Band – The Ritz, Manchester

Posted on May 17, 2019 by writewyattuk

An early start caught me out, my train arriving after seven, The Neville Staple Band already in charge by the time I’d made it from nearby Oxford Road station. And to channel ska inspiration Prince Buster and fellow 1979 breakthroughs … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged 1979, Bexhill, Billy Doherty, Buzzcocks, Damian O'Neill, Fun Boy Three, Hypnotised, John O'Neill, Manchester, Manchester Ritz, Mickey Bradley, Neville Staple, Paul Hanley, Paul McLoone, Pete Shelley, punk, ska, southampton, The Specials, The Undertones | Leave a comment

Family Entertainment – celebrating The Undertones, part two – back in touch with Damian O’Neill

Posted on May 8, 2019 by writewyattuk

With the 40th anniversary of the self-named LP by The Undertones just a few days away, here’s part two of a special WriteWyattUK feature celebrating a momentous 1979 album, this time tackling guitarist Damian O’Neill about that fantastic debut, amid … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Comedy & Theatre, Music | Tagged Billy Doherty, Damian O'Neill, Derry, Derry Girls, Eden Studios, Elvis Costello, Feargal Sharkey, Hypnotised, John O'Neill, Lene Lovich, Locky Morris, Mickey Bradley, Mike Hedges, Neville Staple, New York Dolls, Paul McLoone, Rare, Roger Bechirian, That Petrol Emotion, The Clash, The Specials, The Undertones, Wisseloord | Leave a comment

Family Entertainment, part one – celebrating 40 years of The Undertones’ debut LP with John O’Neill

Posted on May 7, 2019 by writewyattuk

May 13th marks the 40th anniversary of the self-named debut LP by The Undertones, as good a reason as any to track down two of my guitar heroes, brothers Damian and John O’Neill. I don’t tend to do double interviews, … Continue reading →

Nouvelle Vague – Manchester Gorilla

Posted on May 5, 2019 by writewyattuk

I’ve witnessed some effective starts to live shows lately, with the arrival of Mélanie Pain and Phoebe Killdeer to the stage at The Gorilla particularly jaw-dropping. The price of the drinks already had me a little dazed, but this was … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Comedy & Theatre, Music | Tagged Depeche Mode, Echo and the Bunnymen, Joy Division, Manchester, Marc Collin, Mélanie Pain, New Order, Nouvelle Vague, Olivier Libaux, OMD, Pete Shelley, Phoebe Killdeer, Ramones, The Smiths, The Specials, The Undertones, Tuxedomoon, Violent Femmes, Visage | Leave a comment

A Message from our Rude Boy – the Neville Staple interview

Posted on March 28, 2019 by writewyattuk

It will be 40 years in May since debut Special AKA single ‘Gangsters’ thrilled a nation, the first single on 2 Tone Records a fine example of all that followed from that ground-breaking independent label. Before 1979 was out, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged 2 Tone, Bernie Rhodes, Coventry, Fidel Glasgow, Fun Boy Three, Gangsters, Ghost Town, Jamaica, Neville Staple, Pauline Black, Pete Waterman, punk, Put Away Your Knives, Ranking Roger, Rat Scabies, Roddy Radiation, Rude Rebels, ska, Terry Hall, The Beat, The Clash, The Specials, The Undertones | Leave a comment

Looking back at 2018. Part one – the first six months

Posted on December 30, 2018 by writewyattuk

As another busy year draws to a close, let’s take a trawl through 2018’s WriteWyattUK feature/interviews, selecting a few choice quotes from within, starting with the half-year up to … well, in the words of Neil and Tim Finn, ‘You … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Action Records, Ajay Saggar, Bill Bailey, Chas and Dave, Chas Hodges, Chris Hewitt, Chumbawamba, Damian O'Neill, Darron Robinson, Dave Peacock, Dave Robinson, Dave Wakeling, David Baddiel, Days of Future Passed, Deeply Vale, Donald Trump, Dunstan Bruce, Fun Boy Three, Gaz Birtles, Gordon Gibson, Gretchen Peters, Heather Small, Holly Ross, hygge, Interrobang, JC Carroll, Justin Hayward, Knebworth Park, Lee Thompson, Levellers, London, M People, Madness, Mark Chadwick, Mark E Smith, Mark Steel, Mary Whitehouse Experience, Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene, One Man's Madness, Preston, Rick Buckler, Roddy Radiation, Simon Fowler, Steve Smith, Stiff Records, The Beat, The Clash, The Common Cold, The Fall, The Jam, The Lovely Eggs, The Members, The Moody Blues, The Sha La La's, The Sound of the Suburbs, The South, The Specials, The Swinging Laurels, The Undertones, The Vapors, The Wesleys, Tom Williams, Top of the Pops, Wilko Johnson | Leave a comment

Back with a Special Beat Service – the Dave Wakeling interview

Posted on April 20, 2018 by writewyattuk

It gets a tad confusing with a few of the bands doing the rounds again all these years on, not least when original members have gone their separate ways, starting their own versions of the same group. Take The Beat, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged 2 Tone, California, Dave Wakeling, Fine Young Cannibals, General Public, Here We Go Love, I Just Can't Stop It, John Peel, Mick Jones, OTT, Ranking Roger, Roddy Radiation, Saxa, Special Beat Service, Stand Down Margaret, The Beat Birmingham, The English Beat, The Selecter, The Specials, The Undertones, Tiswas | 2 Comments

Continuing Songs of The South – in conversation with Gaz Birtles

Posted on March 15, 2018 by writewyattuk

When founder member Dave Hemingway and long-serving keyboard player Damon Butcher called time late last year on live involvement with The South – the band that rose from the ashes of The Beautiful South – discussions followed about what to … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged Alison Wheeler, Andy Mackay, Crazyhead, Damon Butcher, Dave Hemingway, David Rotheray, Fun Boy Three, Gaz Birtles, Laurel Aitken, Leicester, Paul Heaton, Roxy Music, Su Robinson, The Beautiful South, The Housemartins, The South, The Specials, The Swinging Laurels | 1 Comment

July to December 2017 – the writewyattuk review: the second six months

Posted on December 29, 2017 by writewyattuk

Former Status Quo ‘frantic four’ drummer John Coghlan on the key moments that will always stay with him: “Those six weeks at Butlin’s were an eye-opener, doing it – in a sense – professionally, getting to play to people and … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Comedy & Theatre, Music | Tagged 10cc, Andrew Roachford, Belinda Carlisle, Billy Bragg, Blancmange, Brian Cox, Cabbage, Clean Bandit, Don Powell, Ellie Rowsell, Eric Stewart, Francis Rossi, Go-Go's, Grace Chatto, Graham Gouldman, Haircut 100, Hannah Peel, Happy Mondays, Howard Hewett, Ian Snowball, Jason Byrne, Joe Martin, John Coghlan, John Lydon, Josie Long, Manchester, Mary Casio, Michael Jackson, Mickey Bradley, Neil Arthur, Nick Heyward, Ozzy Osbourne, paul weller, Pauline Black, Pete Waterman, Peter Hook, Phill Jupitus, Richard Houghton, Richie Malone, Rick Parfitt, Robin Ince, Roland Gift, Rowetta, Sex Pistols, Shalamar, Sharon Osbourne, Slade, Status Quo, Steve White, The Bootleg Beatles, The Clash, The Selecter, The Specials, The Stone Roses, The Undertones, The Who, Tito Jackson, Tom Robinson, Wolf Alice | Leave a comment

Stepping back into Daylight – the Pauline Black interview

Posted on October 5, 2017 by writewyattuk

You need only take a couple of listens to the new album by influential ska favourites The Selecter to be convinced this is not a band content to sit back on past endeavours. What’s more, vocalist Pauline Black doesn’t do … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged 2 Tone, Coventry, Daylight, Gaps Hendrickson, Heather Heyer, Jake Burns, Jean-Jacques Burnel, Jerry Dammers, Lynval Golding, Neil Pyzer, Neol Davies, Pauline Black, Ranking Roger, ska, The Beat, The Roundhouse, The Selecter, The Specials | 3 Comments

Tag Archives: The Specials

The Undertones / The Neville Staple Band – The Ritz, Manchester

Family Entertainment – celebrating The Undertones, part two – back in touch with Damian O’Neill

Family Entertainment, part one – celebrating 40 years of The Undertones’ debut LP with John O’Neill

Nouvelle Vague – Manchester Gorilla

A Message from our Rude Boy – the Neville Staple interview

Looking back at 2018. Part one – the first six months

Back with a Special Beat Service – the Dave Wakeling interview

Continuing Songs of The South – in conversation with Gaz Birtles

July to December 2017 – the writewyattuk review: the second six months

Stepping back into Daylight – the Pauline Black interview

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