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Check this out … a neat read by Carlos Amato from the Times Live online: SA gets to feal The Beat

BRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAA!!!” The Beat hits Joburg and Cape Town this weekend.

Expect some deeply skankalicious insanity, if you can make the show: unlike their old support acts U2 and REM, the ska giants from Birmingham have not mutated into complacent, soporific billionaires.

Three decades ago, frontman Ranking Roger and company torched the UK airwaves with Mirror in the Bathroom. Alongside The Specials, The Beat fronted the second wave of ska, reviving the frenetic early-sixties ancestor of reggae.

It was a resistance moment, as well as a natty, monochrome style and a jittery beat: both bands spoke up for working-class Britons, black and white alike, in a time when racist neo-Nazi thugs, the newly elected Margaret Thatcher and rampant unemployment were all on their case.

Roger sang on Free Nelson Mandela, Specials frontman Jerry Dammers’ 1984 anthem, so his first visit to South Africa is about 26 years overdue. “For me, this is a moment in a lifetime I’ll never forget,” he said this week. “This will be our first time ever so I am filled with excitement.”

Roger is unconvincingly modest about The Beat’s success before their break-up in 1984. Aside from getting doors opened for then-promising youngsters like U2 and REM, The Beat also toured with The Clash, David Bowie, Talking Heads and The Police.

He reckons they were - and are - a political band, first and foremost.

“I think half the reason we got to play with these great bands was because of the things we sang about, and how brave we were at delivering it in a peace-loving manner. We also gave a lot of money to the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Greenpeace.”

In the fame stakes, The Beat were always a rung below The Specials, who delivered the most irresistible anthem of the two-tone generation in A Message to You Rudy. But musically speaking, The Beat were just as hot, and probably more inventive in their melding of ska and punk flavours.

Their debut album I Just Can’t Stop It, is the record of the genre, packing a succession of classic floor-fillers: Hands Off, She’s Mine, Whine & Grine/Stand Down Margaret, Ranking Full Stop and Rough Rider.

Since reforming in 2003, they’ve added a new vocalist in frontman Ranking Roger’s son, Rankin Junior, whose freestyling skills have won rave reviews. Former guitarist Dave Wakeling is no longer involved, he’s currently touring the States as The English Beat (they used that moniker Stateside to distinguish them from an obscure American rock band).

Legendary original saxophonist Saxa is now 80, so he can be excused his happy retirement in Birmingham. Alongside Ranking Roger, the surviving original members are drummer Everett Morton and keyboardist Blockhead.

Expect all those hits, plus a fiery cover of The Clash’s Rock the Casbah.

WHEN AND WHERE:

Tonight: Tanz Cafe @ The Buzz Shopping Centre, Witkoppen Road, Fourways. Tomorrow night: Mercury Live, 43 De Villiers Street, Cape TownTickets: R125 on webtickets.co.za, or R150 at the door.

Lancaster Band and Rudimentals in support at Mercury in Cape Town on Satruday night!!

We are working hard in preparation for the Mercury Live Gig supporting The Beat (UK). Remenber this is a pre book gig so if you do not want to miss out it would be wise to get those tickets now  - Cover Charge: R150 or R125 presold online www.webtickets.co.za

To catch up on The Beat story here are some words from the Mercury Live site:

Formed in the working class suburbs of industrial Birmingham in England in 1978 The Beat arose at a time of high unemployment and social upheaval. From the outset the band offered messages of hope and peace with an insight into sociopolitical topics would later alongside The Specials see them heralded as forerunners of the whole 2-Tone Ska movement.

Ranking Roger and Dave Wakeling led with vocal duties while Andy Cox and David Steele took guitar and bass duties with Everett Morton supplying the most distinctive of drumming styles. Added to this mix was the renowned saxophonist Saxa, adding the deliciously warm Jamaican ska instrumental flavour that is forever associated with the bands sound. Having played saxophone with Prince Buster, Laurel Aitken and Desmond Dekker in the first wave of ska The Beat on formation seemed to immediately come of age.

The Beat’s first single was the infectious cover of Smokey Robinsons Tears of A Clown, which on release went straight into the National Top 10 at No.6. The record, an effortless like fusion between a number of different musical styles such as Ska, Punk, Pop, Soul and Reggae, immediately saw the band finding themselves an overnight success.

Further hit singles from the first album included Mirror In The Bathroom, Cant Get Used to Losing You, Hands Off… She’s Mine and Best Friend, and with a catalogue such as this it was easy to see why the The Beat would become one of the most popular recording and live acts in the UK.

Huge radio airplay followed in the US which saw The Beat head stateside and then further with world tours alongside some of the biggest performing artists such as The Clash, The Police, REM, Talking Heads, The Pretenders and of course The Specials.

While The Beat could deliver with what almost seemed effortless ease songs of Love, Peace and Unity. Songs such as Stand Down Margaret saw them spearhead a movement wanting real social change and multicutural inclusion. The thousands that sang along in unison with the band at nuclear disarmament marches bear testament to the uplifting feeling the band could evoke with their musical swagger and genuine care for humanity.

After 3 Gold and Platinum top selling albums worldwide with I Just Cant Stop It, Wh appen, and Special Beat Service - The Beats musical fluidity and openess, delivered in their explosive all encompassing live shows allowed them to reach hundreds of thousands of fans across the world, communicating positivity and freedom through not only their music, but their actions and genuine commitment to causes.

Almost in reaction to the height of their fame The Beat to the disbelief of many disbanded with Ranking Roger and Dave Wakeling forming General Public with Mickey Billingham of Dexys Midnight Runners and Andy Cox and David Steele putting together the Fine Young Cannibals. Though both enjoyed phenomenal success, no other artist has sounded like The Beat or indeed is ever likely too. Ranking Roger also briefly joined Mick Jones post-Clash band Big Audio Dynamite injecting his toasting and vocal style that to this day remains his trademark.

After numerous offers to return to the stage The Beat returned in 2003 for a sell out show at The Royal Festival Hall with the inclusion of Ranking Jnr taking vocal duties to an accolade of critical acclaim. With Dave Wakeling heading to the US Ranking Roger alongside Everett Morton, Ranking Jnr and Mickey Billingham returned to their roots with deeper rhythms, a wall of sound that transcends time and an unwavering dedication to real unity and love that leaves the future still to be written, there can be no question…

…The Beat are back!

… and the Lancs are amped to be back on the Mecury stage … without doubt the best stage sound in the city. This is one gig not to be missed!