The North Hertfordshire venue hosted iconic British artists during its run, including Glen Matlock of Sex Pistols and Neville Staple of The Specials. Club 85’s landlord and owner, Jas Lidder, told Hitchin Nub News, “It wasn’t an easy decision.”

The venue has served the Hitchin community for 60 years, with Lidder going on to further explain the difficult decision in his statement for Hitchin Nub News. Lidder wrote, “The most important thing in life is your health and mental wellness. Therefore, it’s time for both [Jas & Ranjit Lidder] to enjoy their life after working 70+ hours per week for multiple years.”

Lidder continued, “We can assure you that every option was explored and evaluated, but we’ve decided the best choice was to develop the site. The decision wasn’t easy for both after all the hard work that the family has put into Club 85 since 1985 and the sacrifices to make it the best community hub in the area.”

This news comes shortly after NME reported that the UK is set to lose 10% of its grassroots music venues in 2023. 67 venues have already closed this year, with a further 90 currently working with MVT’s Emergency Response. It is predicted that half of these will be closed, marking a 10% loss in venues this year alone.

Club 85’s Lidder pointed towards a potential new grassroots venue project in the works for his colleague Bob Mardon however, writing, “We’d like to additionally pass our thanks on to [manager] Bob Mardon for the last 20 years, his hard work and dedication have led to Club 85 being the best live music venue in the area. We will both support Bob in developing a new grassroots venue.”

Lidder also thanked Club 85’s patrons, saying, “Lastly, we’d like to thank all the great people who have come through the doors over the last 38 years and becoming a part of the Club 85 family.”

The news has been met with negative feedback, with one Twitter user writing, “It’s ridiculous to tear it down to make a handful of flats.”

BOO! Club 85 offers great opportunities for live music and comedy. It’s ridiculous to tear it down to make a handful of flats #Hitchin #Club85 https://t.co/x43d30j270

— Phoenix Phil Morley (@PhoenixPhilM) September 19, 2023

Another called the news “pretty devastating.”  

The last time I played Club 85, I was much smaller.

Hitchin’s lucky to have a full-time music venue with so much love & history behind it. Club 85’s a cultural asset that gives so much to the community. So the news of the proposal to replace it with flats is pretty devastating. pic.twitter.com/tj3o30xyQj

— David Ephgrave (@David_Ephgrave) September 20, 2023

Hitchin councillor, Ian Albert, summed up the news by saying, “This is desperately sad news for the residents of Hitchin and music lovers far and wide.“

ANNOUNCEMENT! In order to get everyone their vinyl on release date we’ve had to move the release of ‘Protest Songs 1924-2012’ back a week to October 1st. You can still pre-order the album here https://t.co/2cDSBRakmp pic.twitter.com/QYGKjbVFB5

— The Specials (@thespecials) August 27, 2021

The Specials are also known as The Special AKA and are a 2 Tone ska group that was formed in 1977. The band have been through various band lineups including the sad loss of their drummer John Bradbury in 2015 as detailed in the mxdwn article here. Terry Hall (Vocals) Lynval Golding (Vocalist and Rhythm guitarist) and Horace Panter (Bassist) now make up the main band lineup.

The origins of the bands new album evolved during the Covid-19 Lockdown when Hall pieced together a collection of protest songs with Golding and Panter, via email. This resulted in the trio putting together 50 songs and then reducing them to 12 songs for their new album.

Hall stated that the word ‘Protest’ has been a keyword in society for the last two years and in wondering if the chosen songs on the album would promote change said “Do these songs change things? I’m not sure they do, but they do have a role in making people aware of issues”

The band’s career spans over 44 years and their lyrics are known for sharing social messages, political ideals, progression and inclusion. At the time of delaying the album, the band released their first single “Freedom Highway” from the album earlier this month. The single was written by The Staple Singers in respect of the Civil Rights marches in the US that took place from Selma to Montogomery in 1965.

Watch The Specials video for “Freedom Highway” here The band achieved their first-ever UK number one album in the UK Officials Albums Charts with their 2019 album release Encore. The band began work on their new album on February 20 with the support of co-producer and touring band member Nikolaj Torp Larsen (Producer, Film Composer and Writer).

Work on the album seized due to the Covid 19 Pandemic and the wave of protests during the first Lockdown last March, inspired the bands’ creative process as they worked together to chose personal singles for the album.

Golding expressed a wish to include the classic Bob Marley single “Get Up, Stand Up” for the album with Panter, choosing The Mothers of Invention’s single “Trouble Every Day” and Hall choosing his personal favourite Leonard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows”. The band then added further personal singles to complete the album.

The band have just wrapped up their UK tour dates for The Protest Tour on September 25th and have announced two further intimate concert dates in Kingston. The first date is set for October 7th and an extra date was added due to public demand. Tickets go on sale tomorrow October 1st at 11.00 am.

See details for The Specials intimate concerts, their new album and tickets in their Tweets here. 

Thank you London for some great shows this week. If you’re wondering now if it’s the end there are still some very special one-off’s to come. Find out more here https://t.co/1jivTSv6SE @Downts @DavidJMarkham pic.twitter.com/4XrvFfUukD — The Specials (@thespecials) September 26, 2021

2nd Show Added! Tickets for our exclusive stripped back intimate show on 7th October at Pryzm Kingston @pryzm_kingston flew out the door so we’ve decided to add a second show.

Tickets available from 11am tomorrowhttps://t.co/1jivTSdw16 pic.twitter.com/2OmHcyMx6u

— The Specials (@thespecials) September 27, 2021

The band are hoping to raise awareness with their new album Protest Songs 1924-2012, set for release tomorrow October 1st by their new record label Island Records. The label is known for releasing music for the late Bob Marley, the late Amy Winehouse, The Streets, as well as Leona Lewis and many other musical artists.

See the tracklist for The Specials Protest Songs 1924-2012 album below and pre-order the album here

Freedom Highway (The Staple Singers)
Everybody Knows (Leonard Cohen)
I Don’t Mind Failing In This World (Malvina Reynolds)
Black, Brown And White’ (Big Bill Broonzy)
Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Us Around’ (Traditional)
F*** All The Perfect People’ (Chip Taylor & The New Ukrainians)
My Next Door Neighbour
Trouble Every Day (Frank Zappa & Mothers of Invention)
Listening Wind (Talking Heads)
Soldiers Who Want To Be Heroes (Rod McKuen)
I Live In A City (Malvina Reynolds)
Get Up, Stand Up (Bob Marley)

Tonic Water is a mental health charity that was founded in 2012 based in the south coast of England. It was created as ‘a direct response to the lack of creative support for people experiencing mental health difficulties. It was founded upon the belief that participation in music and the arts can aid you in your recovery from mental illness.’

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A post shared by Tonic Rider (@tonic.rider)

Tonic Rider will provide guides, mental health first aid training and suicide prevention training to grassroots venues and in-person support stands at music venues and festivals. There will also be videos, blogs and podcast as well as virtual peer support groups during the lockdown period. Mental health professionals have got on board, providing much needed support via e-mail to those seeking advice and help from the programme.  

Ashworth and Hall are both patrons of the Tonic Rider.Ashworth stated his cause for becoming an ambassador to Musicweek, stating “Among my music circle, it’s been devastating to lose friends to suicide since the pandemic. People have lost their livelihoods, their identities, their confidence and have feelings of anxiety, depression and feelings of hopelessness”. The singer covered New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’ with  Canadian artist Dubmatix and dub producer Gaudi to raise funds for the programme.   

Similarly, Hall stated his deteriorated mental state during the lockdown period, telling Musicweek “these are terribly testing times for those of us with mental health issues. My mental health deteriorated towards the end of last year. The thing that got me through was communication. If you’re suffering, then it is incredibly important to tell people, family, friends, doctors, Tonic.”   Terry Hall has been involved with the charity previously, with The Specials funding the Tonic Water Ska choir through their 2019 Encore album launch.  

 

 

 

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A post shared by Tonic Rider (@tonic.rider)

Adam Ficek who is the drummer in Babyshambles will be delivering group sessions in the Tonic Rider, using his own experiences within the music industry and as a psychotherapist. He stated in the press release, ‘I look forward to using my own experiences as a musician and psychotherapist to develop a much-needed resource for everyone in the music industry.’ Tonic Rider was piloted at 100 Club in London and the Wedgerooms in Portsmouth with organisers wishing to roll out the programme to green rooms, festivals and Night Time Industries Association members.

With the pandemic affecting musicians and those in the music industry the most, Tonic Rider aims to provide support to all and advise those who see friends, band members or colleagues suffering. As Ashworth states, ‘With the music industry on its knees and many people having lost their livelihoods, it [Tonic Rider] is needed now more than ever.”

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Thank you @applemusic for giving me the opportunity to be in a room with two people I admire very much Last week I got to sit down and chat with @mosesboydexodus about music and alll of that and record a cover with @hakbaker all can be seen and heard over at @applemusic #applemusicforblackhistorymonth

A post shared by Celeste (@celeste) on Oct 3, 2020 at 6:51am PDT

The session was organised by Apple Music, in celebration of Black History Month. Over the course of October, the platform will be promoting Black British musicians both new and established. We can expect to see exclusive playlists, interviews and performances as part of this worthwhile series.

The recordings of Little Runaway and Both Sides of the Moon were seamless and powerful. It was especially nice to see Celeste preform her first ever single, given the amount of success she has achieved since its release. In contrast to the two down-beat soulful songs, her and Baker’s cover of Rudy, A Message To You was a buoyant track, filled with the joy of collaboration. At the end of the recording you can hear the pair laughing in the background.

After the second chorus, Baker diverts from the original to deliver his own verse. He sings: ‘In a London town, where the smiles wore upside down// Such abundant frowns, everywhere I look and turn around// In a town like London, Babylon run around with a truncheon.’

The original version of the song was recorded in 1967 by rocksteady musician Dandy Livingstone. Later in 1979, The Specials covered it. Livingstone song was originally about social unrest amongst the Jamaican community in England, an address to the so called ‘rude-boys’ ska fans of the time to keep calm and stay out of trouble.

In the 70’s, The Specials cover was a commentary on the disaffection and rioting that took place during the Winter of Discontent. By this time, the white community had appropriated the ‘rude-boy’ aesthetic of sharp suits and trilby hats; particularly within the punk subculture.

A key figure in this was Jerry Dammers (The Specials frontman), who set up 2 Tone Records in ’79 in a bid to dismantle racial tensions using music. The idea was to do so through multi-racial ska-revivalist bands such as The Specials, The Selector and The Beat.

Today, Celeste and Baker’s version takes on a new meaning. Baker’s verse about ‘Babylon [running] around with a truncheon’ is a reference to racial violence within the police force, that is all too often targeted at innocent young black men. The importance of this message, especially in light of George Floyd’s murder and the recent re-examination of cases such as Stephen Lawrence’s, is paramount.

This will go to the wire! Busted and The Specials have been neck-and-neck for this week’s Number 1 album all week – but can either of them clinch the top spot? The latest sales flash: https://t.co/SIauBCWvO8pic.twitter.com/Et0MqJg5HB

— Official Charts (@officialcharts) February 7, 2019

This week The Specials released their 8th studio album ‘Encore’, 40 years after their self titled and now iconic debut album, which featured such classics as ‘Concrete Jungle’ and ‘A Message To You Rudy’. The Specials then continued to develop an incredible career as one of the most important bands of the 1980s, both sonically and politically. Their 1981 anthem ‘Ghost Town’ has left a legacy as one of the most important political and era defining records ever produced.  And maybe that’s why, in Brexit looming Britain, and Donald Trump’s America, their music still sounds so relevant today.

Unlike most 1980s comebacks Encore has received great reviews from fans and journalists alike. Writing for ‘Gods In The TV’ Loz Etheridge describes the album as “an absolute blast” with ‘Embarrassed By You‘ skating the closest to the sound of ska that made their eponymous debut so irresistible, while recent single ‘Vote For Me‘ managed to successfully weld together the ideas behind ‘Ghost Town‘ and ‘What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend'”. Most importantly however she says “It didn’t make my heart sink; it made my heart SING.” Fans on Twitter seem to have been equally as positive about the new material.

The Specials album Encore was awarded a full 5 stars by @ClassicPopMag – order your copy: https://t.co/3mJh5zfcd0#TheSpecialsForNo1 pic.twitter.com/reRe4BcSIU

— Terry Hall Fanpage (@TTYears) February 4, 2019

So here’s a thing: The Specials’ new album is absolutely, completely brilliant. An energetic, experimental, highly politicised experience – https://t.co/6PxNVNdhQc pic.twitter.com/gYVOC1Epyf

— CLASH (@ClashMagazine) 1 February 2019

“It’s a celebration of what The Specials is, and what it’s about. That’s why I still do it.” Terry Hall. Our new album, Encore, is out now. We’re delighted to be able to share it with you all, and we hope you enjoy it. Get it here: https://t.co/U9Vm0CMffV — thespecials (@thespecials) 1 February 2019

Earlier in the year the band released the video for a reworking of the Princess Buster song “The 10 Commandments”. Only The Specials’ version features Birmingham based activist Saffiyah Khan and works to challenge sexism by tackleing issues such as rape culture and abuse. Saffiyah Khan rose to prominence when a photo of her went viral as she stood in the face of an EDL march in Birmingham. Encore is available to buy and stream right now, and it up against Busted’s fourth album “Half Way There”, which has been seen as return to the band’s “punk pop-sound”. It was said that chart battles were dead, that debates of Oasis vs Blur would be combined to the scrapheap of nostalgia, but maybe, as with quite a lot of things in 2019, they are making a comeback.

Just 2,000 combined sales separated the Top 4 albums in our latest sales flash – find out who’s now in the driver’s seat for this week’s Number 1 https://t.co/SIauBCWvO8 pic.twitter.com/wEQwiHzsEV — Official Charts (@officialcharts) February 7, 2019