BBC Somerset Sound's Elise Rayner spoke to Neville ahead of his gig in Bridgwater. You can listen to the interview by clicking on this audio link:
 | | The Communicators |
First up tonight, all the way from sunny Burnham-on-Sea, was The Communicators. This 18-legged bunch of nutty boys may have been in existence for a mere two years, but their act is infinitely more honed than their aptly named singer Big Mitch is toned! Boasting a Chris Moyles lookalike on guitar, a bottle of beer on trombone and a stage full of other assorted loons, they ripped through an hour-long set of ska/reggae classics including both old (5446 That's My Number by Toots and the Maytals), new (Sell Out by Reel Big Fish), plus a healthy smattering of the Two-Tone era (The Prince by Madness, Lip up Fatty by Bad Manners), alongside an up-tempo ska'd up version of Black Night by Deep Purple, their own take on the Eagles' Hotel California and self-penned numbers such as Banging on the Wall and The Communicators. Great singing and fine musicianship Within seconds of hitting the stage, the empty dance floor started to fill nicely. By the time they'd finished, it was evident that a sizeable proportion of the audience had been won over.
 | | The Communicators |
The aforementioned Mitch, a man with a pint glued to his hand, obviously viewed himself as a bit of a comedian and never missed an opportunity to utter a witty (!) remark or a lewd joke, whilst, like a second-hand car-dealer with Tourette's, attempting to promote his band merchandise. Thankfully, this didn't detract too much from his great singing voice, some fine musicianship and a professionally delivered set, of which during the final song, half the band had left the stage to dance along with the enthusiastic audience. I, for one, can't wait to see them again. Neville Staple And so to the headline act. Jamaican-born, and Coventry-raised, Neville was at the forefront of the Two-Tone ska revival as one of the lead singer-songwriters of The Specials, and later the Fun Boy Three.
 | | Neville Staple's band |
It was obvious from the well-populated venue tonight that he is still a well-respected performer. Anyway, lest you forget, this wasn't The Specials and contrary to what a punter "reliably" informed me earlier, neither Rat Scabies (ex-Damned drummer), nor Mick Jones (ex-Clash guitarist) featured in tonight's lineup. Unless Phil Jupitus fulfils his New Year's resolution and persuades the original Specials to reform, this is also the nearest you're going to get to seeing the real thing anytime soon. Thus, while in my heart I knew that this could never match witnessing the original lineup, it came pretty damn close. Wide grins, seething bodies and warm glows Neville is a charming and talented front man who, despite having been in the business for nigh on 30 years, and whilst still recovering from a recent knee operation, moved around throughout - dancing or running and jumping on the spot, displaying energy unmatched by most people half his age. Kicking-off with Man at C&A, he had the audience eating out of his hand - the dance floor became a mass of seething bodies. A few numbers in and Bob Marley's Simmer Down was an understatement - by then, the venue had virtually reached boiling point despite the subzero temperature outside, and Neville was stripped down to his vest.
 | | Neville Staple |
Grinning widely throughout, Neville appeared to be enjoying himself as much as we were, with only a slight hint of annoyance midway through when the stage monitors cut out and the musicians were unable to hear themselves on stage. The set predominantly featured Specials material, with just the one recent Neville Staple number, the refreshing sounding Working Hard. Naturally, the old stuff sounded different without the distinctive voice of Terry Hall, but the lads did us proud as they belted through amongst others: Monkey Man, Too Hot, Rat Race, Gangsters, Rudi and Concrete Jungle before rounding off the set with Ghost Town during which a couple of young ladies evaded the clutches of bouncers Max and Paddy and climbed onto the stage to dance along. Moments later, the band returned to enthusiastic applause to encore with Nite Klub, You're Wondering Now and Rude Boy's Outta Jail, before leaving us with a warm glow inside as we were left to face the bitterly cold Bridgwater night. | 
