Big Special | Gans | Good Health Good Wealth
Roundhouse, London
27th February 2026
Big Special were first spotted in early 2023 in a central London basement bar and made such an impression on Keith Goldhanger that it’s almost as though, since then, he’s been sitting patiently waiting for the duo to play inside one of London’s largest venues.
This has to be seen. Big Special in a bloody great building, with a bloody huge bus parked around the back, also housing fellow Black Country act Gans and East London duo Good Health Good Wealth. A journey around some of the larger venues than we’re used to in the UK proceeded tonight, which of course follows the countless gigs all three acts have behind them inside many of our favourite small UK venues already. Each band in turn are complementing each other during the evening and turning the event into a more personal occasion than we’ve been used to witnessing over the past three or four years. Interaction between stage and audience is a common feature of the evening, and it’s loud, which is a good job considering those who choose to attend shows such as this seem to be prone to wanting a chat throughout the night. It’s a minor quibble, but one that’s always noticeable to those of us who seem to go out every night and experience bands such as this whilst still in their infancy.
Rising from The Dublin Castle down the road to here in less than three years is some mean feat by anyone’s standard, yet not much has changed for the headliners in this time except for the increase in audience size due to the duos constant delivery of radio-friendly tunes and drummer Callum Moloney’s long winded song introductions. We could also mention that Joe Hicklin had no hair when all this started, but that’s not important.
Midlands poet Bradley Taylor is our compere for the evening, and very good he is too. Sharp witted, fast talking and not too obtrusive. He adds to the sense of the occasion we’re already feeling before introducing us to East London duo Good Health Good Wealth, who kick in with an early release of theirs (Guinness) and as the huge-sounding introduction hits us, we know we’re in for a treat.
Experience has taught us that this definitely works well late at night in a festival context, but tonight, inside Camden’s largest space, it’s a different beast. The songs we already love smother us with all the love the songs were always intended to provide us with. Simon Kuzmickas stands alongside the singer, keeping himself busy on guitar and electronic duties as they casually wander through the more laid back tunes from their debut album, as well as the opener and another oldie, Moonlight. The short half-hour set omits the popular Snatch, but that will surely be a treat another time for any new fans the duo have picked up recently who may need their dancing shoes broken in. We’re off to a great start.
Gans are now a trio. Whether this is something we missed finding out about earlier in the year, or if this is just for this tour, we don’t know and didn’t ask. Tonight on this huge stage, the band are on fire as they fly through the first half of their appearance at breakneck speed without appearing to take time out and pause for breath. The third member is adding Saxophone and Flute (don’t be put off….) to the material that cuts through the sound perfectly. By the end, and with drummer Euan now parading himself along a single line through the packed crowd, we’re in rave territory, the electronics have been fired up, and the chaos continues without any of the frantic pounding beats we’ve been accustomed to for the first twenty minutes of their allocated time. We get even more complementary soundbites directed towards pretty much everyone involved on this tour, and they leave us wondering how long it will be before these chaps are headlining venues this size themselves. Gans make a brutal noise that’s quite an assault on the ears inside a venue such as this.
Everyone here tonight knows what to expect from Big Special. The tunes (and lyrics) from the two albums are familiar to everyone with a ticket and access to 6 Music. We get the same amount of passion and humour today as we had in the past and have at home on the albums already available. Each song now seems to have its own introduction, the duo don’t appear to be as restrained as when we first met them, but the hints of sadness, the charm and tenderness that these songs provide are still as lovable for the onlooker to witness today as ever.
The duo are obviously not going to hold back in telling us how grateful they are to be in this position nowadays. We get more nods and chat aimed towards us than we ever had before, and there are more thumbs up gestures thrown our way than a Paul McCartney or Cannon & Ball show combined. Dragged up a Hill (and thrown down the other side) comes halfway through the set, and has Joe with a guitar around his neck. It’s a spine-chilling moment, his voice is as soulful as it has been all night, and the audience as attentive as its been all night. Rachel Goswell (Slowdive) joins in on vocals for Thin Horses and this pair of songs, without any of the long introductions and witty ad libs, are an impressive highlight of the evening that makes this vast venue feel as intimate as it’s been all evening. It’s just like the old days when the pair appeared nervous, ploughed through half an hour of spoken word and captivating songs without any of the showbiz attributes that we get tonight (encouraging us into booing their manager and making a raffle draw in the middle of a Big Special show was not what we would have expected a few years ago however it’s for a decent cause and why not?)
Shithouse, Trees, For the Birds and Dig! Round off the evening in glorious fashion. Crowd pleasers to send us on our way back down Camden High Street towards the tube, some of us wondering what has happened to this part of London that used to offer so much more in the way of up and coming bands. Some of us used to be in this area two or three times a week once upon a time. The venues are still open, but the names on the posters outside these establishments are now unfamiliar. It’s quite possible that Big Special are one of the last acts for a while to climb so fast from a small pub down the road in this part of London before cementing themselves into the other larger venues the capital city has to offer. Which is a big shame, but one for discussion another time.
Tonight was beautiful, tonight was a big night out for everyone involved, a celebration of another band succeeding in achieving the audience they not only deserve but for one or two of us, the audience and a night we always expected from the moment we first crossed paths with them. Not just big but quite a special evening for many reasons.
~
Words by Keith Goldhanger. More writing by Keith on Louder Than War can be found at his author’s archive. You can also find Keith on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky
Photos by Robyn Skinner
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