BIG SPECIAL
THE DUBLIN CASTLE CAMDEN
Black Country duo Big Special have packed out the sweaty back room of the Dublin Castle, and there’s a worthy reason, they’re mint. Cards on the table, we only chanced upon this band and gig due to being expectantly omitted from the guest list for Liam Gallagher’s intimate Koko show, and after witnessing Big Special up close, we definitely got the best deal. The majority of the enthusiastic crowd inside seemed to know all the songs and words, but I just stood there with my mouth agape, drinking in all the anger, emotion and tunes. ‘Shithouse’ is a full-on aural assault that bruises the senses while igniting a quizzical intrigue that just won’t quit, and it occurred to me that the beauty in Big Special isn’t just what they’re doing; it’s what’s to come.
The latest single, ‘This Here Ain’t Water,’ flows and swirls around the musical taste buds with a Sleaford Mods metallic blood-in-mouth taste. No surprise that BBC6 Music has just added the single to their much-converted A-List, and others will follow because if this gig was anything to go by, then Big Special will be both big and very, very special.
For more Big Special info including merch, music and 2024 tour dates head over to, https://bigspecial.co.uk/