Big Special

Big Special bring their post-industrial pulse to The Garrison in Toronto on September 23, 2026. Formed in England’s West Midlands, the duo of vocalist-writer Joe Hicklin and drummer Callum Moloney carve out a tense, lean strain of rock where spoken-sung lines lock into heavy drums, thick bass and shades of post-punk and industrial. Their lyrics look straight at working-class routines, mental health, and social and political frustration, delivered with blunt diction and a strong sense of narrative.

On stage, the contrast drives the set: Hicklin’s stark delivery and Moloney’s muscular rhythms shift from clenched monologues to more melodic passages, keeping pressure high without crowding the space. After early tracks and a run through the UK’s independent circuit, Big Special pinned down that balance on their 2024 debut, Postindustrial Hometown Blues (SO Recordings). At The Garrison, the set moves between grit and melancholy, spoken word and chant, with the rhythm section front and center and the storytelling always in focus.