As we’re all in the pit of the so-called Dog Days of August, this week we’ll be spotlighting a classic band whose music always felt tailor-made for the steamy and oppressive heat that feels so prevalent this time of year: The Specials. Hailing from Coventry, England, the band rose to prominence in the late 70s thanks to their decidedly danceable yet raw variety of ska that naturally resonated with the burgeoning punk-rock scene at the time. Indeed, the frantic exuberance of their music often resulted in plenty of unhinged live performances, like this one of “Concrete Jungle” at the Rotters Club in Liverpool from 1980. The excellent live-action nature of the footage here (which includes some fisticuffs on stage at one point) brilliantly captures the manic intensity of what The Specials were like in a live setting with their OG lineup in their prime. Dig it:
