The Specials...not a shambles!!

When was the last time a band really made you smile and were beyond expectations???  Not often, huh?!  Have you seen 'The Specials' live??

Knowing they were one of those bands that I had to see I bought a ticket.  Then did some research and my embarrassing naivety of the band did a 360, once I realised that songs like Gangsters, A Message to you Rudy, Too Much too Young and Rat Race were a memory from my childhood.  Formed in 1977 in Coventry, they had released two albums by 1980 (the year I was born) in the upbeat but two fingers to the world attitude of Ska.

Now the Logan Campbell Centre is a reasonable venue, capacity 3000, seating and GA (depending on your ticket) but has one enormous problem...the bar.  Why did it take me 30 minutes to get a couple of beers???  I can tell you, the bar staff were woefully under prepared.  The boy I was served by (who looked about 15) poured each of my 4 beers into a plastic cup - no problems there - however the speed was so slow, it was as if they were working to rule.  No speed, no energy, no brains.  I offered to help the bar tender and show him how to pour 2 to 4 beers all at once, he preferred not to take me up on the offer, thus the annoyance of it all.  Luckily most of the people there were Brits, who if you don't know are prepared to queue and queue...but even though they were keeping their chins up, were still grumbling.

Great gig, good venue, crap bar.  I must remember to take this into account next time I am considering buying tickets for a gig there.  Darn, Slayer and Megadeath are playing there in October and so is Luger Boa.  Maybe it'll be a chance for them to redeem themselves...watch this space!