Big Special

On 22 October 2026 at Petit Bain, Paris, Big Special return as a tight, no-nonsense duo. Formed in the West Midlands, Joe Hicklin (vocals, lyrics) and Callum Moloney (drums) carve out taut rock in which a spoken-sung delivery rubs up against heavy rhythms, prominent bass lines and post‑punk and industrial edges. The lyrics hit hard: working-class lives, mental health, social frustrations, told with forthright diction and a real gift for storytelling. On stage the pulse is physical, the words snap, and the tension never lets up.

Spotted with “Shithouse,” they crystallized their world on the debut album Postindustrial Hometown Blues, between poetic eruptions and more melancholic melodies. At Petit Bain the set draws on that record and pushes the line forward with new songs, driven by drums that tighten the playing and a vocal that cuts cleanly. A Parisian date to witness up close their songwriting laid bare, the raw-versus-melody contrasts, and that spoken-sung energy that leaves the room breathless.