Ska, Skinheads and 2Tone

Ska’s second wave fused together the music’s traditional Jamaican pulse with punk rock fervour. The sound – like many in the UK – had a fashion to go along with it. In this photo essay from the PYMCA archives, we look back at a period of shaved heads and bovver boots, soundtracked by Madness, The Specials, Bad Manners and more.

July 21, 2015

Buster Bloodvessel, singer with Bad Manners, 1980 Toni Tye / PYMCA
A crowd of young fans at a Madness gig, 1980 Toni Tye / PYMCA
A group of fans at a gig at Friars, Aylesbury, 1980 Toni Tye / PYMCA
Charlie A, The Selecter, with young fans backstage, 1980 Toni Tye / PYMCA
Skinheads at a Bad Manners gig, 1980 Toni Tye / PYMCA
A group of ska fans, outside Friars, Aylesbury, 1980 Janette Beckman / PYMCA
Twins, Chuka & Dubem, London, 1981 Janette Beckman / PYMCA
Madness play at Crystal Palace, 1982 Clare Muller / PYMCA
Jerry Dammers of The Specials, entertaining a group of young children, dressed as an alien Peter Anderson / PYMCA
Miranda, saxophone player with Body Snatchers, 1980 Toni Tye / PYMCA
Buster Bloodvessel from Bad Manners, 1980 Toni Tye / PYMCA

On a different note

Happy Hardcore
Strange U’s Sci-Fi for the Hi-Fi