One of the seminal bands of the UK 2 Tone era, The Selecter rolled into Nottingham last Saturday as part of a string of performances off the back of their latest album Subculture released last summer. With their lively stage presence, poignant lyrics and strictly good-time attitude, the audience was treated to a night of boisterous suave and a masterclass in ska.
Dressed head to toe in black, they were received with rapturous applause and opened proceedings with the instantly recognisable up-tempo chops of ‘Too Much Pressure’. After drinking away the support act – credit it to them for playing their heart out to an empty room – the immediate shot of energy brought by the band put the bounce back in the bungee of the now comfortably full dancefloor and the room came to life. What followed was a slick and polished show brimming with the puissance of a group that’s been around the block more than a few times taking the night right by the balls.
The set list was finely wrought of new releases fresh off the album, with the likes of ‘Karma’ and ‘Walk The Walk’ particularly pleasing the ears, affirming that theirs is still a sound for the now, while retaining the timeless rocksteady 2 Tone atmosphere. Not to deprive the crowd of hits, a strong back-bone of classics kept plenty of familiarity: ‘Three Minute Hero’ and ‘James Bond’ keeping an air of nostalgia flowing through the venue, stirring the feet of all those in attendance. Of course it was the iconic and infectious ‘On my Radio’ which provided the climax of the performance. The restless off-beat cuts roused the audience, taking up the notorious chant of the chorus in what was a truly special moment. As is often the case with ska, we were also treated to a cover of a pop number, this time taking on Patti Smith’s ‘Because the Night’, breathing a lively pace to the already popular track.
“The audience was treated to a night of boisterous suave and a masterclass in ska”
The tight cohesive performance of the band was crowned by the effervescent form of front-woman Pauline Black. The original rude-girl, it would be a crime to discuss The Selecter without paying special attention to her care-free and invigorating style. Coming out with lines like, “The only thing you can do after that is dance or fuck off”, the first lady of 2-Tone was in complete control from start to finish, owning the room. Accompanied by the MC-like vocals of Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson, the swaggering duo oozed attitude, adorning an already class act with their unique partnership.
A mild disappointment came with the slightly alarming realisation that I was the only guy there with a full head of hair. Though it wasn’t necessarily a surprise that the night should turn out an older crowd, one couldn’t help but feel that the injection of a bit of youth wouldn’t have gone amiss. That said, the older generations can apparently still move if they’re feeling it.
“I was the only guy there with a full head of hair”
But in the end none of that mattered. It’s not often that a band shows up and just sweeps you away to the point you can’t remember what you did all week other than go and see their show. Many groups who peaked back in the day all seem to share the same fate: destined to settle into something of a heritage band, to get by milking their old hits and aging more like Chandler than fine wine. The Selecter’s ability to retain their flare combined with the quality of their new material highlights a sizable gulf between themselves and the rest of the Matthew Perrys out there struggling to stay relevant. 17 Again was such a bad film.
Thomas Ingram
