It could have been a last-minute highlight. It should have been the place to be on the closing night of the 34th Montreal International Jazz Festival.
The Specials, with five of the band’s original members still in the lineup, brought back the spirit of `79 in Metropolis Sunday night, much to the delight of a constantly leaping and pulsating crowd, some of whom had exhumed the porkpie hats and two-tone garb from the attic.
The band’s punk-infused ska still sounded great and their delivery of the often politically-charged material was as committed and frenetic as ever as they navigate their 50s. They played almost every track from their brilliant first album, a few from their strange, wonderful and underrated followup and the still-incredible Ghost Town, among other things.
Before long, even aging stick-in-the-muds were debating whether to skank. (Don’t ask me how I know that.)
So how was this not the show of the year?
Simple. Whoever was responsible for the dreadful sound in the club gave the Specials an almost insurmountable obstacle. Everything was turned to 11, with vocals and instruments all buried in some glutinous guck of a mix. If you didn’t already know the songs – which, admittedly, almost everyone did – you had no chance of understanding the magic of these anthems.
We have become too complacent about the patently crappy sound that is imposed on audiences at rock shows. Until people start making their opinions widely known, we will continue filling in all the blanks in the sonic sludge with our imaginations.
But given that we were forced to do that, the Specials still delivered – that is, after a the time-wasting opening set was inflicted by San Diego’s Little Hurricane, a poor man’s White Stripes (they couldn’t have asked The Fabulous Lolo band – which backed up Ernest Ranglin when he was here at the festival in 2011 , for Pete’s sake – to open?).
Gripes aside, it was still possible, with some effort, to throw yourself into the dub section of It’s Up to You, marvel at the still-cool Gangsters, sing along with the indelible chorus of Rat Race, rediscover Stereotypes, a highlight of the show Sunday night, and take a voyage to the memory palace during the crazily catchy Message to You Rudy, with its unforgettable horn hook. From an early point on, singer Terry Hall and rhythm guitarist Lynval Golding were clearly enjoying themselves as much as the audience.
Who wouldn’t want to do it all over again? Next time, however, a more careful sound check in the afternoon would help.
