Paul Willo

THE SPECIALS @ MILLENNIUM SQUARE,LEEDS MAY 2009



"IT'S UP TO YOU"



THE SPECIALS @ BESTIVAL 2008!



Oi Oi!

Paul Willo here- What can I tell you? Well, born in 1967 ,enjoyed my school,years especially at Beckfield Lane School,great times there-baggy trousers really sums it all up! I have 3 fantastic kids who I dote on-Aaron,now 20, Zoey,18 and Terry (named after lead singer of The Specials) who is NEARLY 16 from a previous relationship but I am totally mad about my new love,Ruth Lilico,the most beautfiul girl there is.She is stunning so keep away or ill have to kill you LOL.She has a child Alice,aged 3 who is a real livewire! and in November 2009 Ruth is expecting our first child together-It's all go! me at my age eh? LOL



I got into Ska music by hearing The Specials' "Gangsters" on a local radio show and my love affair with that driving ska rhythm started back in 1979.I explored the whole music genre and found myself pulled towards all things Skinhead-the style,the look,the attitude -suited me to the ground and still does some 28 years later.So easily do people use the cliche "Its A Way of Life" but by god,it is.2Tone is obviously my first love but as the years went on I got into Ska and Skinhead Reggae in a big way.In the 80s I put on my first show in York with local band The Maticks and promoted ska in any way I could.As the 90s approached.I started the 2Tone Ska fanzine "Street Feeling" and it went all over the UK and the world to such places as the USA , Australia, France, Denmark, Sweden,Spain,Italy,Russia and the Phillipines.



I started doing Ska nights again,printing T-Shirts and I wrote the book "Youre Wondering Now- A History Of The Specials" that was released on ST Publishing in 1995.It sold very well and was very popular and to this day is the FIRST ever biographical account of the 2Tone legends.It was during the research for this I got to meet some of the band and struck up a good friendship with guitarist Roddy Byers,for who I now edit his Artist Page on MySpace.As time has moved on,"Street Feeling" has become an online fanzine (technology eh?) and started writing for various sites and publications.I have also started putting gigs on again under the guise of YORKSKA PROMOTIONS that brought some decent Ska to the dreary tourist infested hole of York-my home town as I now reside in Darlington,County Durham.



I want to keep pushing this brilliant sound to educate the masses and get people along to experience ska how it should be heard-LIVE.Over the years I have DJ'd, and done what I can to promote this superb sound of Ska-Bands I have put on in include Skaville UK,Roddy Radiation & The Skabilly Rebels, The Rough Kutz, The Mighty Booze,Bad Manners, The Spectre,Selecter Instrumental to name a few.I have made some great friends over the years and am part of a worldwide family of Ska fans,and thats something Im proud to belong to.To see The Specials on their 30th Anniversary Tour in 2009 was unbelievable!-Out of this world.It wa ssomething I thought I'd never see again! A revamped version of my Specials book "You're Wondering Now" is come sout via the fantastic label Cherry Red in early September,and its a much better more concise version even if I say so myself (Huge thanks to a great edit job by Ruth ).To come out in the 30th Anniversary year of The Specials and 2Tone- Doesn't get much better than that now does it?.Anyway, Keep the Faith people .I will.



Paul Willo 2009



and remember- SKA KEEPS YOU YOUNG!



Band/s Of The Moment- THE SKABILLY REBELS - check out forthcoming rough mixes at www.myspace.com/roddybyers for glimpses of the new sound from the new line up.An album,provisionally entitled "Blues Attack",is due for release in 2009.Looks like being a good year!



SKAVILLE U.K. -Gotta check em out at www.myspace.com/skavilleuk or their site at www.skavilleuk.webs.com.The band have recently recorded brand new original material in the studio and its exciting stuff- something fresh and new to look forward to.But thats what Skaville excell at as their albums show.



THE SPECIALS @ JOOLS HOLLAND

"LITTLE BITCH"



 



SKAVILLE UK " I WISH IT WAS 1973" OFFICIAL PROMO



THE SPECIALS @ NEWCASTLE ACADEMY 2009

"DOESN'T MAKE IT ALRIGHT"



RODDY RADIATION & THE SKABILLY REBELS

"BLUES ATTACK ALBUM SAMPLER"