Shocking anti LGBT bigotry in parliament in the 1980s
A debate in the House of Lords on the Local Government Act reveals 1980s homophobia at its very worst as Tony McMahon discovers
ska
Read More
Dave Wakeling of The Beat draws himself
Dave Wakeling was the front man of the British ska combo The Beat and here is a self-portrait he penned when the band was at the height of its fame
WH Smith goes ska in 1980
1979 and 1980 were the glory years of the so-called “second wave” of ska music – first wave in Jamaica twenty plus years before and now the 2Tone wave came crashing out of Coventry. The Specials seized the charts by the scruff of the neck with a string of hits. And even WH Smith felt…
Heroes of 2Tone in the Record Mirror
Heroes of 2Tone in the Record Mirror – from my archives!
Neville Staple: Original Rude Boy
Tony McMahon co-wrote Original Rude Boy – the authorised biography of Neville Staple, vocalist in the legendary group, The Specials
Queen’s Speech for a nuclear war
In 2003, it was revealed that in the event of a nuclear war the Queen would deliver a special speech before being bundled to safety as Tony McMahon discovers
The Specials in Northern Ireland
In early 1981 The Specials and The Beat were set to play gigs in Northern Ireland to raise money for deprived children in Ulster
When Thatcher caved in to the miners
In 1981, Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher caved into the miners but was simply biding her time for a future showdown