The late Specials frontman Terry Hall had close ties to Ireland.
Hall and The Specials performed at the Stardust nightclub back in 1981 – a month before the tragic fire at the Artane venue.
The band played what was described as a “chaotic” concert at the Stardust on January 15, 1981, and told of their fears at trying to flee the venue from a riot – but all the exit doors had been locked.
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It was reported that the show was marred by anti-social behaviour by a minority of those attending, despite repeated appeals for calm by both bands.
Dave Wakeling, lead singer with The Beat, said in 2018: “We played the Stardust, which burned down about 10 days later. Lots of skinheads got up on stage while The Specials were playing and a fight broke out – beer was being thrown all over the place.
“The band did a runner and the fight carried over backstage. There was blood on the walls and broken glass on the floor. We noticed all the exits at the back were chained up and padlocked.
"There was no way out. So we went back into the dressing room and put up a sofa against the door until they had finished bottling each other. Later we read about the fire.”
Records also revealed that concerns over alleged overcrowding and other issues relating to the event were raised a number of days later by Dublin Corporation in a letter to the owners of the Stardust.
The venue, on Kilmore Road, was licenced to hold a maximum of 1,400 people but it’s believed more than 2,000 were at the concert that night.
In June of this year, Antoinette Keegan, chairperson of the Stardust Victims’ Committee, said she was determined to meet members of The Specials when they were due to visit Dublin’s Trinity College in July.
“This was one of the biggest concerts ever held in the Stardust and we would love to find out if anything stands out about that night in the original band members’ minds,” she said.
“Given that it happened just weeks before the fire, we are hoping they might remember something of significance that could assist us in our search for answers.”
In 1981, Hall left the band to start Fun Boy Three, his new wave project with Specials bandmates Lynval Golding and Neville Staple. They released their self-titled debut LP in 1982 and followed it up with 'Waiting' the following year before disbanding.
In 1984, Hall formed another band titled the Colourfield, which released two albums: 1985’s 'Virgins and Philistines' and 1987’s 'Deception.'
Additionally, Hall joined the bands Vegas and Terry, Blair & Anouchka, and released two solo albums. He would also go on to co-write the Go-Go’s 'Our Lips Are Sealed' and collaborate with a wide range of artists, including Sinéad O’Connor, Gorillaz, Tricky, M.I.A. and Lily Allen.
Hall also recorded Dana’s All Kinds of Everything with Sinead for the 1998 album "A Song For Eurotrash".
In 2008, Hall reunited with the Specials for a number of tours and concerts. They went on to record two new albums together: 2019’s 'Encore' and 2021’s 'Protest Songs 1924-2012'.
His death was announced by his family on Monday. He was 63.
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