Stand Up And Dance – The English Beat Return

ENGLISH BEAT

ENGLISH BEAT play Microsoft Theater Jan. 28; photo Bryan Kremkau

With a new album on the way and a never-ending tour, The English Beat’s Dave Wakeling took some time out of his busy schedule to talk music, politics, touring and more. Their next SoCal stop is the Microsoft Theater Jan. 28.

It’s Election Day, but Wakeling can’t vote, though he’s lived in LA for the last 20 years. He still carries a green card as a citizen of the UK, his origin corroborated by a hardy, Birmingham accent.

“I didn’t really vote when I was in England either,” he explains. “I was taken at an early age by some posters that said, ‘Whoever you vote for, it’s only the government that gets in.’”

Throughout our interview, Wakeling expresses a unique perspective on politics and the US government – which he feels enough ownership of to refer to as “our government” multiple times – while maintaining just enough distance to see the system for what it really is. In other words, he’s the perfect person to talk to on a day like today. In a few hours, Donald Trump will become the president-elect, but the future of the nation is still very much undetermined.

Wakeling’s sharp opinions are unsurprising considering The English Beat was born out of the tumultuous British punk movement of the late 70’s, a time when people had every right to feel a sense of protest. Enter The English Beat with their danceable mix of reggae, ska, and punk, which took them to the top of the charts with “Tears Of A Clown,” “I Confess,” “Save It For Later,” “Mirror In The Bathroom,” and “Stand Down Margaret,” a song lamenting England’s then-prime minister, Margaret Thatcher.

The English Beat was political from the start, something Wakeling attributes to the protest nature of punk and reggae, a proven mixture also utilized by peers like The Clash and The Police.

“People say, ‘Well, reggae’s a happy music,’ and I always say that it’s actually protest music. The happiness is a sort of joy to do with survival, rather than celebration. In tough times, you have this music instead of dinner, not after dinner.”

When asked if it’s discouraging that songs like “Stand Down Margaret” and “Big Shot” seem like they could just as easily be about the two current candidates, 30 years later, Wakeling offers a hopeful reprieve.

“It does sound very familiar doesn’t it? I visit every state, multiple times every year, and have done for a decade. So I see more of America than most Americans, unless you’re a truck driver. By the time it gets to two candidates, these two ideologies, it’s almost the exact opposite of the experience I have of America. Because of the diversity, the vast majority of Americans are way more tolerant than a lot of other places I’ve been to. That’s the reality.”

Wakeling, who became infatuated with music early on and used to play his cricket bat like a guitar in the mirror, knew he wanted to be a musician after winning a childhood swim meet, a feat rewarded with an orange Fanta and control of the radio as he rode home in the car with his father.

ENGLISH BEAT

ENGLISH BEAT logo

“So I had the radio on, the Fanta, my medals in my hand, chlorine in my eyes, and the radio played “Walk Away Renee” by the Four Tops, followed by “Ruby Tuesday” by the Rolling Stones. I had never felt those needles and pins before. That was the first time that music hit me that hard.”

After trading in a National steel guitar for his signature teardrop one – “I really liked Brian Jones” – Wakeling hooked up with The Beat, becoming the band’s guitarist, singer, and songwriter. After three successful albums, the band called it quits. Wakeling and bandmate Ranking Roger formed General Public, while Andy Cox (guitar) and David Steele (bass) formed Fine Young Cannibals.

Today, Wakeling still tours as The English Beat with a killer backing band that “sounds as loud as an airplane”, routinely selling out venues around the country and showing no signs of slowing down.