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Dance Craze' is a live documentary about the 2Tone movement from the early 1980's
2Tone music was a cultural phenomenon. Based in reggae and ska, the acts mixed in real-life experiences and played with punk sensibilities. I was a die-hard metalhead during this era, but the energy from these bands really appealed to me and although I didn't like all the groups, it was a great time to be alive.
This truly is an invaluable film. All the big hitters of the time are featured - Madness, The Specials, The Beat, The Selector, Bad Manners and The Bodysnatchers
In addition to featuring some of the best music of the time, it is also an incredible documentation of English socio / political history
Filmed in some of the smallest, sweatiest and (almost certainly) oversold venues in England, it's a fascinating look at how concerts used to be. People reading this who only know big venues with crash-barriers and security in front of the stage are going to be amazed with how close we were able to get to our heroes - no health and safety measures in our day!
As mentioned, the bands (and songs) featured were the best of the best:
Nite Klub (The Specials) / The Prince (Madness) / Ne-Ne-Na-Na-Na-Na-Nu-Nu (Bad Manners) / 007 Shanty Town (The Bodysnatchers) /
Three Minute Hero (The Selecter) /
Ranking Full Stop (The Beat) / Big Shot (The Beat) / Concrete Jungle (The Specials) / Swan Lake (Madness) /
Razor Blade Alley (Madness) / Missing Words (The Selecter) / Let's Do the Rock Steady (The Bodysnatchers) /
Lip Up Fatty (Bad Manners) / Madness (Madness) /
Too Much Too Young (The Specials) / On My Radio (The Selecter) /
Easy Life (The Bodysnatchers) / Rough Rider (The Beat) / Man at C&A (The Specials) / Inner London Violence (Bad Manners) / Night Boat to Cairo (Madness) / Twist and Crawl (The Beat) / Wooly Bully (Bad Manners) / Too Much Pressure (The Selecter) / Mirror in the Bathroom (The Beat) / One Step Beyond (Madness)
The picture and audio quality of the BFI dual release is exemplary (unlike some of the video links above, which seem to be taken from a nth generation VHS copy of the film) and as such this is highly recommended - especially if you were a teenager during this time