Special Beat

It's been a while since I was at a gig and jumping up and down from the first song, but that's what happened at the Special Beat show, as the band kicked into their repertoire of classics from The Beat and The Specials.

The band originally got together in the early nineties and includes members of The Specials and The English Beat, and this was their first appearance in Australia - headed by The Beat's Ranking Roger and The Specials' Neville Staple. The Special Beat have played successful tours of the UK & the US and recently appeared at the Summer Sonic Festival in Japan.

The line up for this tour included:-

Neville Staple - Lead Vox

'Ranking' Roger Charley - Lead Vox

Roddy Radiation - Guitar (The Specials, Fun Boy Three, Ska Billy Rebels)

Everett Morton - Drums (The Beat)

Warren Middleton - Trombone (Bad Manners, The Beat)

Matt Bane - Drums (Bad Manners, The More Specials)

Andrew Pearson - Bass (The Beat)

Christopher Rome - Bass/keys (The Beat)

Neil Deathridge - Guitar (International Beat, The Beat)

Mathew Murphy - Brass (The Beat, The Ordinary Boys)

Mark Antonie Hamilton – Brass


I had a hell of a hangover the next day, but what a great night it was.


The Beat - Mirror In The Bathroom

The Specials - A Message To You Rudy