The Specials‘ founder, keyboardist, and songwriter Jerry Dammers says he’s been excluded from the band’s upcoming 30th Anniversary reunion dates, thanks mostly to the efforts of singer Terry Hall. Dammers says that he was involved in some early rehearsals, but that’s only because word of the meetings slipped out to him.

“The fact is that I would not have been invited to the first ‘reunion’ meeting at all had [drummer] John Bradbury not told me about it,” he said in a Guardian piece. “It was generally agreed to get together and commence rehearsals, by everyone except him [Hall].

“Shortly after the meeting, however, [guitarist] Lynval Golding phoned me saying that I was not required for the band – ‘like Bill Wyman from the [Rolling] Stones’ were his exact words. Terry’s manager circulated emails from which I was excluded. Rehearsals were held without me, and I only managed to attend two – one of which was attended by only four people.”

Ouch. Dude is the founder of one of the most influential 2 Tone ska revival bands and can’t even get those guys to return his calls?

Looks like a lot of the issue is around what kind of reunion dates they play with Hall favoring an extended tour in smaller venues and Dammers preferring a couple large-scale shows, mostly in London and Coventry.

The Specials will play UK live dates next month and will play at the T In The Park, Oxegen and V Festival.

Via The NME.