What would the UK’s music landscape be like without the West Midlands? A lot more bleak that’s for sure. For once, we’re not talking about heavy metal, but 2 tone (also known as the ska revival) – which saw the likes of The Specials, The Selecter and The Beat fuse Jamaican ska rhythms with punk rock attitude during Thatcher’s Britain.
If you’ve been watching Stephen Knight’s This Town on the BBC recently, you’ll have a better understanding of what we’re on about. This fictitious drama set in Birmingham and Coventry was inspired by this era of huge social tension and two-tone music. Now, the Midlands’ role at the heart of this global phenomenon will be celebrated at a special BBC live event at The O2 Institute in Birmingham.
Hosted by journalist Adrian Goldberg, BBC Radio WM invites you to a special evening celebrating 2 Tone in Birmingham. There’ll be live music from The Beat featuring Ranking Jnr and BBC Introducing stars Lobster. Plus, a trip down memory lane with conversations with Horace Panter (The Specials), Pauline Black (The Selecter), and Mark Almond (costume designer, This Town).
A DJ set from Mazzy Snape will round off this one-off event on May 2 – that’ll be recorded for broadcast. Starting at 7:30pm at the Digbeth venue (doors open at 7pm) the event will run for 3 and a half hours. While free, tickets for the celebration of 2 Tone in Birmingham will be allocated via a random ballot.
How do I get tickets to BBC Radio WM celebrates 2 Tone in Birmingham?
You only have until 11pm on Friday, April 19 to enter the random draw, so we suggest doing so now! You can apply for a maximum of two tickets through BBC Shows and Tours website, where you’ll be asked to fill in various details and submit your ballot. If you’re lucky enough to get one, a text will be sent to your phone and your e-ticket(s) sent to your email. Just remember to bring your tickets and a photo ID to the show!
To enter into the ballot and get your tickets head here.