The Specials’ frontman Terry Hall has curated a four day music festival, set to begin at the end of next month. ‘Home Sessions’ will take place across Hall’s native Coventry from July 29 to August 1, and is being produced in partnership with Coventry UK City Of Culture.
The music, film and spoken word event will take place across three venues: Coventry Cathedral Ruins, Coventry Cathedral, and HMV Empire Coventry.
The Libertines, and an additional Pete Doherty solo set, are among the first wave of performances to be announced, as are Alabama 3, The Lightning Seeds, UNKLE and Roni Size. Hall himself will also play a solo set.
Sheffield experimental outfit the Eccentronic Research Council will team up with frequent collaborator Maxine Peake to perform their album 1612 Underture, about Lancashire’s Pendle Witches, in full. Massive Attack‘s Daddy G and Alan McGee of Creation Records will provide DJ sets.
More acts are set to be announced in early July including female headliners. Coventry City of Culture Trust says it has committed to PRS’ gender equality pledge Keychange for all its events.
“It’s been an extraordinary experience for me, curating ‘Home Sessions’ in the middle of a pandemic,” Hall said in a statement. “It seemed surreal, not knowing whether it could take place amid this current climate. I considered the line-up for months putting the jigsaw together. In the end, I created a live version playlist of my favourite artists.
“My solo performance, taking place in Coventry Cathedral on the Saturday night is one I have always wanted to do. It will be my first live performance for two years and very unlike anything I’ve performed before. I look forward to performing in front of an audience again & to seeing some live music in my home town of Coventry.”
Sets will be ticketed individually, tickets, as well as full venue, timing and price details, are available from the Coventry City of Culture website on Friday, June 25, and on pre-sale for fans on the City of Culture app on Wednesday, June 23.
Elsewhere at Coventry City Of Culture, the exhibition 2 Tone: Lives & Legacies is currently running at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, showcasing bands signed to the legendary 2 Tone label, founded by The Specials’ Jerry Dammers in 1979.
