As December comes round again, best of 2023 lists appear along with ones to look out for in 2024. Popping up on many of the latter and receiving increasing attention are Black Country punk duo, Big Special. Geoff Shaw was at their Birmingham headline gig for Resound.
The fifteen months since releasing debut single “Shithouse” in September 2002 have been some thing of a whirlwind for Big Special. From the off, the dark poetical lyrics of Joe Hicklin laid over the thumping beats of Callum Moloney have drawn people in, the cycle of festival slots and supports culminating in a recent tour with fellow duo, Sleaford Mods, that saw them open to 8000 people at Alexandra Palace. A first headline tour squeezed in before Christmas is the perfect way to end the year with a gig on home turf a no-brainer.
Before the main act though, two other local bands take the stage. First up, four piece No Soup who produce an eclectic sound that is best described as prog Acid Jazz. That may sound like hell, but the soulful vocals fit perfectly over the musical foundations laid down and the early punters are rewarded for their punctuality.
As their name might suggest, The Big Hell offer a more raucous output. The recently formed three piece of guitar/bass/drums, with all three sharing vocals, give a tight set mixing originals with covers (including a surprising but blistering one of Oasis “Bring It On Down”), not surprising given the pedigree of the line up including former members of God Damn. A relocation of drum kit to the middle of the crowd sees a sweat soaked trio end surrounded and the room nicely warmed up.
Taking to the stage to the strains of “Bohemian Rhapsody”, Big Special are greeted like returning heroes for their first hometown headline. With only four songs so far released and three of those, appearing early on, it’s clear Messers Hicklin and Moloney have plenty up their sleeves. With the latter a ball of tattooed energy behind his drum kit stage right, singer Joe is a brooding presence delivering songs in a mix of spoken word and blueseque song. He is clearly delivers from the heart in addressing the frustrations of everyday working life and finding light in ways of facing these, as with recent single “Trees”. His skilful use of words and delivery with an underlying dark humour clearly resonate, when art is this honest and genuine it is hard for it not to, and by the time both members head on a walkabout of the room at the end of a fourteen song set, it is a captivated audience that parts for them before they rightly finish to a raptuous applause.
With an album in the pipeline, I’d be inclined to place a quiet bet on it appearing in many “Best of 2024 Lists” cos Big Special are most definitely Special and definitely deserve to be Big. Catch them on their next tour in April.
Words and pictures: Geoff Shaw
X: @gshawisme
IG: @gsmusicphotos