NEVILLE STAPLE AND BAND

"Neville Staple needs little introduction. The Legendary multi-award-winning front man From The Specials, Fun Boy Three and Special Beat, also known as The Original Rude Boy, celebrates over 40 years of his super music career, and of the beginning of the 2-Tone movement. He continues to carry the flag for The Specials and Fun Boy Three, with honour and pride, performing hits and classics from his career, together with his wife Sugary Staple and their band, a professional collective of musicians who have worked in the music industry for decades, with various members and deps having regularly worked with The Specials, The Selecter, Bad Manners, Madness, The Beat, The Talks, Flipron, Roy ‘Mr Symarip’ Ellis, Rat Scabies, Stranger Cole, Dandy Livingstone and many, many more.

We are more than excited to welcome them to St James for one hell of a Ska Party!

Awarded with an Honorary Doctorate by Arden University in July 2019, Dr Neville Staple is credited with changing the face of popular music not only once but twice. His UK and International career in the music industry, is well documented and started out from the early days with Ray King, Pete Waterman (OBE), The Coventry Automatics and his Jah Baddis Sound System, before taking to the stage as a frontman of The Specials for the famous tour with ‘The Clash’ and Bernie Rhodes. He has performed, written or produced, highly acclaimed and hit albums and singles, along with TV and film soundtracks, including performing on songs for blockbusters and independent films. His musical awards also include MOJO, NME, several Gold, Silver & Platinum Discs and a lifetime achievement award from a school in his home City of Coventry (birthplace of the 2-Tone Movement). He is celebrated as a living legend. Neville continues to write and produce new material, with his recent album being the highly celebrated ‘From The Specials & Beyond’. Neville was chosen to be one of the UK’s ‘National Treasures’ for Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant list, along with his wife Sugary Staple, to represent the 2-Tone era.

Neville states, “We have lost a lot of my music buddies in recent times, so I will continue to perform in honour of them all. I love to see the massive reactions to the hit songs like Ghost Town, Too Much Too Young and Gangsters, and fans continue to write to me about my rugged, energetic and fun stage presence from back in the day. The way we bring ska to the mainstream is by mixing Jamaican music with the English punky style. I love performing live and always include my Specials hits, along with other classics and career favourites. Every show is like a massive party, where the brilliant fans of all ages, love to dance, stomp or sing-along. I was so proud to become an official Doctor of Music recently too. Dr Rude Boy! How cool is that!”

Neville is releasing a new studio album on 10 December 2023, so get listening and be ready for a big night of even bigger music.

We couldn’t let this opportunity pass for local ska band The Honest Crooks to share the stage with these legends. So make sure you’re there early to catch one of their rare sets."