band (though now without Dammers). His life changed dramatically with their triumphant comeback at the Bestival festival on the Isle of Wight in September 2008. The band proved that they could still attract large and enthusiastic crowds, even without Dammers, and set off on extensive tours across the UK, Europe, North America and the Far East. In 2011 they packed out Alexandra Palace in London, where more than 10,000 people sang along to "Ghost Town", a song that has as much relevance today as it did in the early '80s. The live album The Specials: More or Less (2012) was a well-produced reminder that the band could still do justice to their classic repertoire – and that Bradbury was still in powerful form behind the drums. "These songs have survived because they address issues that are still there," he said. In 2014, the Specials’ four-night stint in London included three shows at the Roundhouse, and in 2015 their tours included Mexico and Chile. For 2016, they had planned a five-night run at the Troxy, London. A fitness enthusiast, Bradbury had seemed as energetic as ever, and massively excited by the prospect of the first new Specials songs since the '80s. Death Bradbury died aged 62 on 28 December 2015, just as the Specials were beginning to embark on a new project. He had talked enthusiastically about the new material he had been writing, and Hall says that the band had "just started recording new material, including his songs. We’d been talking about it for years." He is survived by his wife Emily, whom he married in 1987, and only son Elliot born 1988. Influences Bradbury cited his main influences as Al Jackson Jr. and Sly Dunbar. References External links The Specials 2 Tone website 1953 births 2015 deaths Musicians from Coventry The Specials members Musicians from the West Midlands (county) British male drummers English drummers English record producers British ska musicians