The weekend is here! After months of anticipation, the Lost at Sea ‘80s Beach Party on Catalina Island has arrived! It is your chance to see multiple ‘80s legends in one gorgeous setting. English Beat is playing Friday AND Saturday, so you have two chances to catch the originators of the two-tone genre.
Since their inception as The Beat in England, we have had no shortage of great songs from the band. From their version of the Smokey Robinson & The Miracles song “Tears of a Clown,” to “Mirror in the Bathroom,” “Can’t Get Used to Losing You,” “Save It for Later,” and “I Confess,” we know every word to sing along. Also, front-man Dave Wakeling may slip some General Public tunes as well, including “Tenderness,” “Never You Done That,” “Hot You’re Cool,” “General Public,” and “I’ll Take You There.”
Created in 1978 as The Beat (they had to change their name in the US due to Paul Collins having his band that was named The Beat). The original lineup featured, Dave Wakeling (vocals, guitar), “Ranking Roger” Charlery (vocals), Andy Cox (guitar), David Steele (bass), Everett Morton (drums), and “Saxa” Lionel Augustus Martin (saxophone), began as a punk and reggae act. They decided to merge the styles, and found that magic Mod-Ska sound.
THE ENGLISH BEAT LIVE | PHOTO by Green-Eyed Blonde Photography
After their version of Tears of a Clown” got them on “Top of the Pops,” they released first studio album, “I Just Can’t Stop It.” The 1980 debut spawned “Mirror in the Bathroom,” “Can’t Get Used to Losing You,” and “Hands Off, She’s Mine.”
Their mix of ska, punk pop, reggae, Latin, soul, and pop was all over MTV and radio in the early ‘80s. Being a featured band in John Hughes feature film, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” also added to their meteoric rise. After their crazy overnight success – and a stint as General Public – Wakeling and Roger decided to split the band between continents; Wakeling headed to the US and fronted English Beat, while Roger handled The Beat in the UK. (Sadly, “Ranking Roger” Charlery passed away in 2019.)
Dave Wakeling and company are celebrating their 40th anniversary, so it is definitely the perfect time to catch them. The ska/pop punk band has been playing several shows in our area recently and they keep selling out. In fact, looking at their summer calendar, there are a lot of sold-out shows!
Head to Catalina to see the legends that are English Beat along with A Flock of Seagulls, Missing Persons, Oingo Boingo Former Members, Dramarama, The Untouchables, Annabella’s Bow Wow Wow, Wally Palmar of The Romantics, Tommy Tutone, Stacey Q, Naked Eyes, Musical Youth, Kon Kan, Josie Cotton, Shannon, Burning Sensations, and Trans-X.
After this weekend’s activities, English Beat will head to Europe for the summer, so you better hit the ferry right now!
