Determine a band's leader by analyzing a publicity photo.
Disclaimer:
A band's inclusion on this blog reflects neither an endorsement nor a criticism of its music. This post is merely intended as a spotlight on the inner political workings of a collection of individuals who are in the midst of a cooperative, creative endeavor.
The Process:
You, dear reader, please answer the question, "Who's in charge here?"
After sufficient discussion has taken place, a verdict can then be passed based on a majority vote.
Band: The SpecialsGenre: Ska
Website: http://www.thespecials.com/
Voting ends on: Monday, May 26th, 9:00am CST (GMT-5)
THE VERDICT (Updated!)
Voting has ended. Here is the tally.
No One - 1 vote
The Chess King - 8 votes
Checkered Jacket - 3 votes
Hat-Raiser - 1 vote
Willem Dafoe, the Chess King's puppetmaster - 1 vote
Some people might say the leader was easy to discern in this photo, but at least he wasn't powering a lightbulb with his bare hand.
The pattern juggler lifts his hand
The orchestra begin
As slowly turns the grinding wheel
In the court of the chess king.
18 comments:
Well, I'm going to be obvious and say it's the guy with the folded arms who looks like he still shops at the Chess King, circa 1992. In fact, I'll call him "The Chess King."
The guys with the sunglasses look like they are working security, the hat-wearing fella fifth-from-the-left looks like he's ready to move on to another band entirely, and the two guys on either side of Chess King look like they are holding hands behind the leader's back.
Gotta be the guy up front.
Is this, like, all the guys who didn't make it into the Mighty Mighty Bosstones or Madness?
The guy with the strangely non-semetrical face. Front and center.
Easy. The cool dude in the back with the chequered jacket is in charge. Everyone else is there just to keep the non-cool people from interfering with his mojo.
i'll continue my tradition of voting against the obvious choice (mr. front-n-center) and vote for mr. hat-raiser on the right. he's the only one who touches the top of the picture frame, and probably just got into place after telling the others how to pose and setting the timer on the camera.
It's obvoiusly guy to the left of mr.chess king. the one on the green suit jacket. He controls mr.chess like a puppet. Can no one see he's trying to shove his hand further into chess kings backside?
Green jacket to the left is my vote.
While Chess King's pointy eyebrows may be intimidating to the rest of this disney wannabe band from auschwitz, i'm going to suggest that FrankenHair's mom is really calling the shots here.
Got to be Chess King. The guy at the back on the right grabbed my eye for a second, but then I realised that he had only just arrived late to the photoshoot (hence the hasty headwear removal) and had incurred his leader's wrath.
I worked at a Chess King, circa 1992. My wife threw away my last button-down from there last spring. Actually, it kind of walked itself to the garbage, saying "Dude, update."
I think this photo of the Specials was taken in the '80s, when the Chess King was the very essence of awesomeness. For being the very essence of awesomeness back in the day, Front-and-Center is in charge. The others are just trombone players and assorted other horn-blowers. This is a ska band after all, and what's a ska band without a huge hat-wearing horn section?
Jared, what was Chess King considered in '92? I'm just curious of its placement on the awesomeness scale after the 80's were over (I was never cool enough to shop there, by the way).
After the '80s. when I worked there, Chess King was considered nearly bankrupt.
Awesomeness is fickle.
The stripey boy in front, of course. =)
Say, when did Willem Dafoe have time to join a ska band? (He's next to Chess King on left)
I'm going to say it's the black guy in the back with the glasses on.
I am saying that because I want to see a black guy in charge.
Mr. Front & Center in the stripes-it's a bit obvious.
Mr Stripey-Front-and-Centre. Waay to obvious.
But if I may cast another vote, I'll give it to the dude holding his hat up.
Tempted to vote for Eraserhead hair (second from the right).
That said, stern guy in stripes is the obvious choice. He oozes leadership.
Clever blog theme, by the way. :)
How fab, I would try and make sense of it all but I just want us all to sing....." Dis tah ahwn ....is comin' like a ghost town" one of my many favourite Specials Tunes.
Erm, if it's not someone is glasses, it may be pretty front man, but there was there was a really cool feela who used to say " too much fightin on de dance floor" in that song, and it would be him.
Sorry Splotchy, just overcome with the joy of the reunion,
the chess king.
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