The Joy of 2-Tone - Dance Craze (1981)
As a child I was scared of the Specials — Ghost Town’s somberness and eeriness of the droning tune scared me, and maybe it was meant to. Much like Margaret Thatcher. Wham and Duran Duran, Adam Ant — the glossiness and drama of the New Romantics - were where it was at for me. But when Kermode and Mayo say to watch this — go! And they were right, it was so much fun and hard to keep still in your seat for. A dance-along version is sorely needed.
Spliced together live concert performances from Madness, The Specials, Bad Manners, The Bodysnatchers, The Selecter and The Beat intercut with Chumney Warner style Pathe newsreels on the hep cats and their dancing feet. What’s noticeable is how happy everyone looks (apart from the lead singer of the The Specials) — everyone dances non-stop and it is diverse, celebratory and uncompromising. There’s beautiful connection between the audiences and bands — are we having fun? Yes we most definitely are!!! Although some of the lyrics are cover really bleak topics such as being chased and beaten up by far right groups, and you need to be in a group of mates to stay safe, or the dangers of teenage sex. There is also room for a guy in a string vest and dungarees channeling the 1950s/60s. All I could think of was a dancing Andy Cap when I first saw him — but the crowds love it!
Although most of the audience seem to be dancing white men, there is great diversity here — all performers are celebrated for their skills and talents, there’s always room for a dance off! and some audiences have more visible women, even an all female band on stage. And it’s wonderful — the playing with fashion, the non-stop dancing, the ridiculous amounts of energy, the range of instruments, the winding up of band members and aside jokes by Madness, the hats! Everyone just looks really joyous and with noticeably no swathes of glowing phones — just in the moment, with a nice mass stage invasion at the end. Even the guitarists (and drummers) are dancing.
Amusingly the venues are quite low key and suburban — Aylesbury, Hemel Hempstead? If you’ve never listened to 2-Tone, you will after this vibrant documentary; though where does Ska begin and Rock Steady, 2-Tone end? And is some of it reggae, punk or Nothern Soul? In watching this, I’m reminded again (that even in the bleakest times) how much arts and culture can be forces for good — bringing people together powerfully. 2-Tone is a powerful kick against the racism, classicism, materialism and apartheid of the ’80s. (And it’s fun! — such as Madness dancing to 2-toned classical music for a moment).
Much of this is due to Joe Dunton’s amazing visuals — which make you feel like you’re really there and in it. Rediscovering Dance Craze, the groundbreaking 2 Tone concert film | BFI