Birmingham ska purveyors The Beat (that’s The English Beat to you, Americans) join the ever-swelling ranks of bands reunited by announcing their first U.K. tour in over 20 years (via SPIN). That’s great news for fans of the Two Tone pioneers, who parted ways in ’83 (with members going on to form General Public and Fine Young Cannibals), tempered slightly by the fact they’re opening for the reconstituted INXS, featuring that winning Rock Star, JD. We don’t expect ya to stay through their set, but maybe he’ll wear that clever shirt and make it worth it. Tour dates after the jump.
06/05 – Bristol (Colston Hall)
06/06 – Nottingham (Royal Centre)
06/12 – Glasgow (Clyde Auditorium)
06/14 – Manchester (Apollo)
06/15 – Newcastle (City Hall)
06/17 – Brighton (Dome)
06/18 – Birmingham (Symphony Hall)
06/21 – London (Hammersmith Apollo)
06/25 – Sheffield (City Hall)
UPDATE: Pollstar has some US dates, too! (Thanks Gordon)
04/14 – Anaheim, CA (House Of Blues)
05/26 – Lebanon, NH (Lebanon Opera House)
06/02 – Amagansett, NY (Stephen Talkhouse)
08/26 – Los Angeles, CA (w/UB40) (Greek Theatre)
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Hrmm, are we going to move on to a 4th wave of Ska? Someone wake up Skankin Pickle!!!
The band is playing some U.S. dates as well.
http://www.davewakeling.com/tourdates/
This doesn’t seem like news to me. Wakeling tours the US often, just under his own name, with a set primarily made up of Beat songs (General Public too, obv). You think he’s not going to do “Tenderness” on this tour just ’cause he’s calling himself the Beat?
They’ve toured the U.S. fairly recently. Is Ranking Roger rejoining them and therefore that’s the reason this is a big deal?
It’s just Wakeling using the name. Same as any of his other shows. Only you only get Beat songs this time and none of the extra GP ones.
About two years ago Wakeling was at the Horseshoe in Toronto as The Beat. Tenderness was on the set list. The major difference is that this tour seems to have Rankin Roger back on board. At the time of the Toronto show, Roger was heard to say “It’ll be a cold day in Hell when I play with Wakeling again” (or the like).
Actually, there’s two versions of the Beat – the English Beat one, which is Wakeling, and an actual The Beat, which has been touring the UK recently with the Specials’ Neville Staple supporting, which features Ranking Roger, a couple of other members and Roger’s son, Ranking Junior (I’ve not made that up, that’s what he calls himself). David Steele has a band called Fried, Andy Cox I don’t know and I’m guessing Saxa has retired.
I’ll have you know that the English Beat played a show in London, Ontario last year (october i think). I didn’t really ask any questions about a reunion or a further tour or anything because frankly I was skanking too hard, but it’s the truth
Tears of a Clown
Mirror in the bathroom
can’t get used to losing you
they played them all!
From TFA:
“The tour will only include founding member Wakeling”
wakeling = weak sauce