“Most of The Specials' material has been protest songs in one form or another,” says Panter from his home in Birmingham. “It’s not like we sing about girls and rock’n'roll.”The Specials have come to be seen as one of the most important groups of their generation. At the Ulster Hall, two gangs of skinheads introduced themselves to The Specials, thanking the Englishmen for making the journey. “I’m very proud of the fact that The Specials along with The Beat played in Ireland,” agrees Panter. Nevertheless, the sort of causal prejudices commonplace when The Specials came of age are arguably unthinkable today.

Source: Irish Examiner September 22, 2021 18:56 UTC