'A Bit Of Civic Pride'
Uncut UK|January 2020
2019 has been a landmark for THE SPECIALS. A No 1 album, a massive world tour and the declaration of The Specials Day in Los Angeles. For their singer, TERRY HALL, the year has also meant a more personal milestone: collecting his bus pass. Here, Hall – along with bandmates HORACE PANTER and LYNVAL GOLDING – reflects on the triumphs of the past 12 months. But as John Lewis discovers, just don’t ask Hall what he’s planning to call his autobiography…
John Lewis
'A Bit Of Civic Pride'

TERRY Hall turned 60 this year. “It means I got my Freedom Pass from Transport For London,” he says with a grin. “I bloody love travelling around London on buses, and I plan to fully abuse this pass as much as I can. I also bloody love being 60. I’ve wanted to be 60 since I was in my twenties. I’ve always thought I’d make my best music in the years between 60 and 70.” Hall has been able to put this notion to the test during 2019. The Specials started the year with their first-ever No 1 album, Encore, and continued with an 80-date world tour, including a homecoming in the ruins of Coventry Cathedral. Los Angeles even named May 29 ‘The Specials Day’ in the city. Not bad going, then, for a band who celebrated their 40th anniversary this year.

Today, meanwhile, at the Universal Music offices in King’s Cross – just a short bus ride away from Terry Hall’s home in Islington – Uncut’s reporter is sitting on a high office chair, taking notes on a pad, while Hall is slumped on a sofa, occasionally puffing on a vape. The seating position quickly starts to resemble a psychotherapy session, especially when Hall starts to elucidate about mental illness, medication and a track on their album called “The Life And Times Of A Man Called Depression”. It’s also led him to get involved with a mental health charity called Tonic. “They came on tour with us, and we’ve raised a ton of money for them, so they can run choirs and get people with mental health issues to piss around on instruments. It’s great. That’s where my politics are now – direct action.”

This story is from the January 2020 edition of Uncut UK.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the January 2020 edition of Uncut UK.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM UNCUT UKView All
Kim Gordon: La Ghosts & Flowers
Uncut UK

Kim Gordon: La Ghosts & Flowers

As KIM GORDON prepares to release No Home Record – her brilliant debut solo album – she takes stock of her consistently adventurous career so far. To discuss: her early days in New York’s Downtown, cooking with Neil Young and the perils of gentrification. “Life is unexpected,” she tells Tom Pinnock

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2019
Tinariwen: Even Nomads Get The Blues
Uncut UK

Tinariwen: Even Nomads Get The Blues

A lot has changed for TINARIWEN since they became superstars of desert rock’n’roll. But their Saharan homeland remains as troubled as ever. We track the band down in Morocco, where Michael Bonner hears tales of exile, insurgency and belonging. “As long as people are oppressed, there will be room for protest music,” they explain

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2019
Angel Olsen: Her Bright Materials
Uncut UK

Angel Olsen: Her Bright Materials

Welcome to Asheville, North Carolina, where ANGEL OLSEN is poised to release her new album, All Mirrors. Erin Osmon joins the singer-songwriter at home to discuss heartbreak, fantasy property deals and her latest bold pop experiment. “Sometimes your dreams are not what they seem,” she says

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2019
“I Was Insatiable!”
Uncut UK

“I Was Insatiable!”

From a back garden in Epsom to the stage of the O2 – via Bombay, New York, Marrakesh and Beijing – join us as JIMMY PAGE guides us through 60 years’ worth of his marvellous adventures. CliffRichard! Exorcisms! “A cauldron of inspiration”! There are road trips with The Yardbirds, magical recording sessions at Headley Grange, his ongoing relationship with Robert Plant and the vast musical legacy of Led Zeppelin to consider. “I was dealt a very good hand,” Page tells Michael Odell. “And I like to think I played it well.”

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2019
'I Was Pretty Bad At Being A Pop Star'
Uncut UK

'I Was Pretty Bad At Being A Pop Star'

Riding high on the back of Bon Iver’s endorsement and his finest album in years, the piano master discusses the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, cryogenics and appearing in “some of the worst videos ever made”

time-read
7 mins  |
November 2019
The Go-Betweens - G Stands For Go-Betweens: Volume 2 – 1985–1989 Domino
Uncut UK

The Go-Betweens - G Stands For Go-Betweens: Volume 2 – 1985–1989 Domino

Australian indie ambassadors’ golden age showcased in opulent style.

time-read
5 mins  |
January 2020
It's Too Late To Stop Now
Uncut UK

It's Too Late To Stop Now

Has VAN MORRISON mellowed at last? After yet another remarkable period in his ongoing creative renaissance, the Celtic soul warrior is on good form as he talks R&B, transcendence and mythical bootlegs with Graeme Thomson. “I didn’t know what the hell I was doing for quite a while,” he reveals

time-read
10+ mins  |
January 2020
Robert Plant - Digging Deep
Uncut UK

Robert Plant - Digging Deep

ESPARANZA 7/10 Percy on 45! A boxset of 7”s traces Plant’s post-Zep progress. By Michael Bonner

time-read
5 mins  |
January 2020
Leonard Cohen - Thanks For The Dance
Uncut UK

Leonard Cohen - Thanks For The Dance

The poet’s intimate musical postscript.

time-read
5 mins  |
January 2020
'I'll Tell You The Full Story…'
Uncut UK

'I'll Tell You The Full Story…'

During the past 12 months, a series of lavish boxsets have tracked DAVID BOWIE’s early development throughout 1968 and 1969. As this comprehensive archeological survey concludes with Conversation Piece, long-serving producer TONY VISCONTI relives the highs and lows of Bowie’s breakthrough. There are ham sandwiches, Marc Bolan impressions, the peerless “Space Oddity”, and tearful studio interludes… but, most importantly, we learn how the music made during this brief but pivotal period critically influenced one superstar in the making: David Bowie himself…

time-read
10+ mins  |
January 2020