MORE SPECIALS: A Two-Hour Celebration of The Specials

Name: MORE SPECIALS: A Two-Hour Celebration of The Specials
Start: 2026-09-05T19:00:00+10:00
End: 2026-09-05T19:00:00+10:00
Location: Thornbury Bowls Club

About

MORE SPECIALS arrives at Thornbury Bowls Club on Saturday 5 September for an extended two-hour live celebration of the music, energy and enduring legacy of The Specials.

Created by members of Australia's longest-running regularly performing ska band, Loonee Tunes, MORE SPECIALS revisits one of the most influential catalogues to emerge from Britain's legendary Two Tone movement. Across two sets, the show captures the excitement, urgency and infectious rhythms that made The Specials one of the defining bands of the late 1970s.

Formed in Coventry in 1977, The Specials fused Jamaican ska and rocksteady with the raw energy of punk, creating a sound that transcended musical boundaries while confronting issues of race, unemployment, class and social change. Songs such as A Message To You, Rudy, Gangsters, Too Much Too Young, Concrete Jungle, Rat Race, Ghost Town, Do Nothing, Nite Klub and Stereotype remain as exhilarating and relevant today as when they first appeared.

Rather than presenting a straightforward greatest-hits tribute, MORE SPECIALS explores the breadth of The Specials' remarkable catalogue, balancing iconic singles with deeper album tracks that reveal the band's musicianship, songwriting and lasting influence. Tight rhythms, soaring horns and irresistible grooves recreate the spirit of a band whose music continues to fill dance floors more than four decades later.

For over forty years, the musicians behind More Specials have lived and breathed ska. Through Loonee Tunes, they have shared stages with Bad Manners and From The Jam, performed at major festivals and iconic Australian venues, and earned a reputation for authentic, high-energy performances that keep audiences moving from the first note to the last.

Limited Collector Vinyl Bundles are also available. Purchase five tickets and add just $4 to receive The Specials (40th Anniversary Edition) (Half-Speed Master) - the acclaimed 180g 45 RPM 2LP edition of the band's classic debut album (RRP $80). Strictly limited to eight bundles, with records collected on the night.

Whether you're a lifelong fan or discovering The Specials for the first time, MORE SPECIALS promises an evening of dancing, singalongs and timeless ska classics celebrating one of Britain's most influential bands. Bring your friends, wear your dancing shoes and experience the music of The Specials as it was always meant to be heard - live, loud and with a packed dance floor.

Wheelchair Accessible: Thornbury Bowls Club is wheelchair accessible. If you have any specific accessibility requirements, please feel free to contact us prior to the event.