2 Tone ska emerged from the late 70s punk scene taking the punk mentality and fusing it with Jamaican Ska. 2 Tone was the record label that launched many of the bands. I’ve always considered 2 Tone to be a “Big 5” (Dance Craze bands)…The Specials, The English Beat, Madness, Bad Manners, and The Selecter. And while these bands are still around it’s rare to be able to catch them (Dave Wakeling as an exception…RIP Roger). So if you want to see one of the bands that set the course for that third wave of ska…the No Doubts, The Reel Big Fish’s, the Less Than Jakes, even the Rancids and the Interrupters…you should check out The Selecter.
This “Selecter” is two only two of the original members; both singers Pauline Black and Gaps Henderson lead this version of The Selecter. (Founder and main songwriter Noel Davies has a version as well). They’re playing their debut album “Too Much Pressure” in its entirety and it will be a good set as it has five or six great songs. I’ve seen them twice…Coachella in ’13 or ’14 and they opened for Rancid and Dropkick on their Boston to Berkley tour. They were “okay”. They’d be so much fun in a small venue late at night (like the Cobra), and might not be great on a big stage. But they may be worth a look.
