As a young teenager in the 80’s, hardcore was my shit, but I couldn’t ignore the Two Tone Ska movement that was taking place in the UK and across the world. I know some people reading CVLT Nation might be saying, what does this music have to do with the kind of music that I’m into? When punk kicked off in Britain in 1976, all they listened to were the Reggae jams that Don Letts spun at the Roxy. To hear the influence of reggae or ska on punk rock, just listen to the rhythms of The Slits, Bauhaus, Vex, Subhumans or P.I.L., or the lyrical content of bands like the Specials or The Selector. Then there is the fact that this whole movement was about breaking down the color barrier. Keep in mind that during the 80’s, blacks in South Africa were still treated as cattle, and were forced to live under the white rule of Apartheid. So in my book, a scene that was about going up against the National Front is punk rock. I guess when I think about being a part of the Southern California punk scene, I have fond memories of weirdos coming together, and it didn’t matter what color you were or even if you had all of your limbs. This is why today CVLT Nation is stoked to be bringing you the very well put together documentary, The Two Tone Story. There are certain moments in this film when I get the chills, because it really takes me back to another era. This film is pretty cool because it looks at the pros and cons of this scene. If you have not already realized, you should know CVLT Nation is about bringing the different tribes of youth culture together and to show how we share common ground. That being said, check out the full documentary, The Two Tone Story after the jump!
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