Photos: The English Beat @ Irving Plaza

The English Beat @ Irving Plaza - November 19, 2011
Photos: Chloe Lee

On Saturday, Two-Tone ska legends The English Beat played New York City for the third time this year (and their second appearance at Irving Plaza), fronted by sole original member Dave Wakeling. If it seems like the band have been touring endlessly lately, it's because they have--The English Beat have been on the road pretty much all of 2011. And in a recent interview, Wakeling has revealed that there are about twenty new Beat songs in the works, which is exactly the kind of news we like to hear around here.

Photographer Chloe Lee documented the show for us on Saturday, which began with an opening set by instrumental dub act Top Shotta Band. Check out photos of both bands, as well as the remainder of the Beat's tour dates below...

Top Shotta Band

The English Beat

The English Beat 2011 Tour Dates
Nov 22 Wilmington, PA - World Cafe Live at The Queen
Nov 23 Baltimore, MD - Bourbon Street
Dec 2 Anaheim, CA - House of Blues - Anaheim
Dec 3 Los Angeles, CA - The Malibu Inn
Dec 23 San Luis Obispo, CA - SLO Brew (All Ages)
Dec 23 San Luis Obispo, CA - Downtown Brewing Company
Dec 30 Hermosa Beach, CA - Saint Rocke
Dec 31 Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up
Jan 6, 2012 Sebastopol, CA - HopMonk Tavern
Jan 7, 2012 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's 365 Club
Jan 20, 2012 West Hollywood, CA - Key Club
Jan 21, 2012 Laguna Beach, CA - Mozambique
Feb 18, 2012 Riverside, CA Romano's Concert Lounge

Interview: Dave Wakeling (The English Beat, General Public)

by Anjelica LaFurno

While prepping for my interview with Dave Wakeling, I visited his website to read that, according to his biography, “Dave Wakeling is a hell of a nice guy!” I happily found this to be true. He really is a nice guy, simple as that. The King of Ska continues to woo crowds with the sounds of The English Beat and is very willing to explain the content and story behind this great band’s origins and work. We discussed that music today is no longer dissected and analyzed like it once was. Nowadays digital downloads remove the warmth experienced by vinyl and also the informative nature of a cover sleeve. The modern music listener rarely knows the history of their favorite musical act or the story behind that song they like so much. It was a certainly a pleasure to be nostalgic for a short time with a man whose guitar glows in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, yet admittedly has never once downloaded a song digitally.

Anjelica LaFurno: You’ve certainly used your music as a platform for both social commentary and activism. This was especially the case for your work/involvement with Greenpeace. What is it about music that you find to be an ideal outlet for a socially conscious individual like yourself? And do you feel it is your duty as a musician to not only entertain, but also shine a spotlight on relevant issues and causes?

Dave Wakeling: Well I think the key word is ideal. I think a lot of people who get to be songwriters are idealists, originally, you know. And long before I was ever in a group I was spouting off my political and social comments, as a lot of young people do. I remember at the age of twelve watching the black and white television news with my dad and thinking how happy I would be that all this rubbish would be over. That they’d have stopped killing each other’s children by the time that I was a grown up because it was disgusting. And of course they didn’t, did they? And so you feel outraged by things like that and then you start playing the guitar. And then you start singing songs. And I think it’s a natural thing if you feel that way, and you’ve got opinions. And that sort of stuff comes out in your songs.

I do think an artist has some responsibility to sing about the environment that they live in with their fans. And so, I thought, that it’d be wonderful to be in a dance band and to be able to sing about the social issues that were of concern to me. And that if I got people happy and dancing, their minds would be more open like mine was when I was dancing. And so they’d be more susceptible to suggestion…but I don’t want them to hold my opinion. I really don’t. My shoes don’t fit them. However, I ought to let them know what my views are.

Photos/Review: The English Beat @ Irving Plaza

The English Beat @ Irving Plaza - July 2nd, 2011

Photos & Review by Anjelica LaFurno

My first ever English Beat concert experience began like this: I look up from the photo pit to the right-hand side of the stage where I spot a quick wave and smile from Dave Wakeling and The English Beat’s lovely tour manager Candy. In that wonderful nanosecond I excitedly realized that not only was I being acknowledged by the legendary King of Ska, but also that the next two hours would be as genuine and charismatic as said music royalty. The night was completely devoid of the artificial that often accompanies the concert experience. No barrier of snobbery and supposed superiority existed between the crowd and band. This feeling of mutuality was pointed out by The English Beat’s toaster Antonee First Class (Yes, his name is Antonee. Not Ranking Roger. I repeat Antonee and not Ranking Roger!) who declared as we all danced: “We are one!"

Wakeling picked up his signature teardrop vox guitar, walked up to the mic, and cooed to the audience,  “How about some ‘Rough Rider’?” Shouts of approval ensued as the sounds from the stage immediately began to take control of the crowd's motor skills. Dancing was abundant amongst the spectators of older devoted fans and younger newer fans, many escaping the monotony of Irving Plaza’s neighboring NYU dormitories and campus. And then this sea of collective dancers intensified making waltzing waves when the next song, “Tears of a Clown”, was played. After the first four songs Wakeling related to the crowd his distaste for New York City’s current humid weather and he likened it to the depressing weather of his hometown Birmingham, which he finds is also able to push one to contemplate suicide. This observation and opinion were certainly an appropriate introduction to the song “Click Click”, or as Wakeling referred to it “Click Fucking Click.” When the band played “Save it for Later” (my personal favorite) they played Pearl Jam’s “Better Man” in the medley. This was a sort of reciprocal homage to Pearl Jam who often play “Save it for Later” in their own medley of “Better Man.”

I’ve noticed at many shows I’ve attended over the years that there’s a mutual understanding amongst artists to force a change of pace. It’s almost an unspoken rule that there has to be some sort of cadence if it all started out very energetic or there must be some climatic rise at the end if the beginning was considerably mellow, yet this was not the case with The English Beat. The tempo remained upbeat throughout the show’s entire two-hour duration. It was as if they would never stop. At one point Wakeling suggested that all couples dance and for single people to grind against a stranger as they played “Whine and Grine,” which was reinforced by the song’s seductive sax solo. Other highlights during the show was Wakeling’s Tweety Bird like whistling and the performance of two General Public songs: “I’ll Take You There” and of course “Tenderness.” Not to mention the continued unity amongst the crowd and band as every one sang, “Mirror in the Bathroom” leading into the last song of the night “Jackpot.”

Earlier before the show I had the pleasure of interviewing Dave Wakeling and shortly before our time came to an end he asked me what I look for when I attend a concert. I explained that I personally look for experiencing a mutual happening free of any worries, allowing myself for a moment to be completely lost. And I successfully found just that this past Saturday while swaying to the best of ska.

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Read Anjelica's interview with Dave Wakeling over here. For now, check out videos of the English Beat's performance at Irving Plaza, as well as some photos Anjelica shot...

This Week's Nostalgia (6/6-6/12)

Last week was a bit of a slow one for us, and while there's a few pretty huge ones this week, the summer concert season will really pick up the week after that. But here's what's in store for us this week:

Paul Simon @ Webster Hall - Monday, June 6th

One of my earliest concert experiences was seeing Paul Simon for free in Central Park in 1991 with my family, so Simon will always hold a special place in my heart. It's pretty awesome that he decided to do a "club" tour of sorts, playing much smaller venues than he generally would, so this show at Webster Hall should be pretty special. Even if it's absolutely impossible to get into. Tickets for the show is will call only, so don't get suckered into buying a pair of tickets on eBay or even craigslist unless the person plans on meeting you at the venue and walking you in. So basically, to the 1,200 people who got tickets, have fun!

The Melvins @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
performing Lysol, Eggnog & Houdini - Monday, June 6th
performing Bullhead & Stoner Witch - Tuesday, June 7th

Playing albums in full is the latest trend for long-running and reunited bands, and something I have mixed feelings about. On one hand, you know exactly what you're going to get, and if they're playing one of your favorite albums then it's sure to be fun. On the other hand, you know exactly what you're going to get, and aside from an encore of hits, there is really no element of surprise. For fans of the long-running sludge metal band the Melvins, it probably doesn't matter either way, these shows are sure to be pretty crazy. Tickets for both shows are sold out, but as with most MHOW shows they should have tickets at the door, so get there early and hope for the best.

Peter Murphy @ J&R Music World - Tuesday, June 7th

Though Bauhaus did reunite back in 2005, they also had a pretty bad breakup again in 2009, so your only chance to see Peter Murphy live will probably be on his solo tours. The former frontman of the iconic goth-rock band will be doing an in-store performance in support of his upcoming solo album Ninth, which will be released the same day. Murphy will also be signing autographs, and the first 150 people in the store will receive a free poster. Sounds awesome. Get there early... you know how much those Wall Street types love goth music.




The Toasters @ Rocks Off Cruise - Sunday, June 12th

The Toasters are easily one of the longest running, and most important ska bands of the New York City scene. Having been around in one form or another since 1981 (pretty sure Rob "Bucket" Hingley is the only original member), they have pretty wrote the book on the third wave of ska, so it's pretty great to see they are still playing shows thirty years later. I saw Built to Spill do one of these cruise shows, and they're extremely intimate and fun to see--so if you're a fan of the Toasters, do your best to make it to this. Also note, there are no refunds if you miss the boat, and it's cash bar only. Very important if you wanna drink during this (which you will). Tickets are still on sale. Skank it up!

Be sure to check out this week's Magic Sundae Radio podcast. That's it for this week. If there are any other shows coming up this week you feel particularly nostalgic about, let us know in the comments below...

Reviews from the Attic: The Specials (self-titled)

The Specials the Specials [2Tone Records]
Released: October 1979

Last Saturday I happened to find myself at Two Boots Pizzeria in the East Village with two close friends after an ill-fated attempt to make it into the Kim Gordon show at the Stone (it was sold out). As we sat there drinking beers and planning our next move, “Little Bitch” by the Specials came on the shitty little speakers they had setup in there. I didn’t say anything, but it brought back all sorts of memories of the first time I had gotten my hands on the Specials’ first album and listened to it as a teenager. That song in particular just sounded so cool to me at the time, kind of like seeing Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure as a kid and wanting so badly to be one of the starring characters. I totally wanted to be Terry Hall back then, so much so that I’d often listen to the Specials and envision myself as their frontman instead of Hall. Creepy, I know.

After my initial obsession with ska music waned in the early 00’s, I had largely written off the genre in favor of all the other great music I eventually discovered throughout four years of college and so forth. I’ll explain why, but the important thing is that the Specials will always hold a special place in my heart, and I’m now sort of kicking myself for not checking out one of their reunion shows this past summer.