Too Much Too Young - The Story of 2 Tone and Beyond

Too Much Too Young are playing The Engine Shed on Friday 21 May 2027, starting at 6:30pm. It's a two-hour show that traces ska from its Jamaican birth through to its British revival of the late 1970s and 1980s, and the production is staged by the Coventry-based act Too Much Too Young UK.

On stage they run a full nine-piece live band and a dynamic cast, working through a wide range of hits by Madness, The Specials, The Beat, Bad Manners, The Selecter and The Bodysnatchers. The show leans on authentic instruments and clothing, with digital video displays to bring the era to life. The press has called it 'the must-see show for any ska fan'.

It's billed as a high-octane evening, and the two-hour runtime gives them plenty of room to cover those bands. The nine-piece band means they're playing the music live rather than relying on a backing track, and the cast keeps the energy up around them. If you've spent any time with the 2 Tone era, you'll recognise the names on that list: Madness, The Specials, The Beat, Bad Manners, The Selecter and The Bodysnatchers were the core of the British ska scene, and they're all represented here.

Tickets are £29.70, which includes the booking fee. The show starts at 6:30pm at The Engine Shed, part of the University of Lincoln Student Union at Brayford Pool.