Terry Hall shares what it’s like to be better than Bono. In this edition of Soft Focus, Ian interviews the Specials’ Terry Hall. Over the years Hall has made music in Fun Boy Three, Colourfield, and numerous other bands and collaborative efforts. Together they talk about the Specials’ brief but powerful sway over British youth culture, the meaning of “The Man from CNA,” and how to tell fans to fuck off from the DJ booth. Hall explains the influence of reggae on his own music and rails on bands that merely rehash old material (here’s looking at you, U2). Before they go they exchange thoughts about the perils of unchecked Western nihilism, a bipolar-induced suicide attempt, and Terry shares his favorite coping mechanism—the Shangri-Las.
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Arnold Putra (left) making friends, somewhere in the world