The English Beat Funds New Record on Pledgemusic; Sells Out Local Show

All things considered, The English Beat is having a great summer. The two-tone era ska band kicked off a crowdfunding campaign for a new album, their first since 1982’s Special Beat Service. I’m no Beat expert, but a look through their discography on Allmusic points to more live recordings and greatest hit compilations than LPs. We’re long overdue. Particularly as the band has been touring pretty frequently the last 8 or so years.

To be clear, we’re talking about Dave Wakeling’s American touring band known as the English Beat. He’s the only original member, but as I described in an earlier post, that’s okay. The band is great, the songs are tight, and Antonee First Class expertly handles the MC and toasting responsibilities. Original Beat member Ranking Roger tours with his own band in the UK and I’ve not yet been able to see them.

This past June saw the launch of a Pledgemusic campaign which was fully funded just a few weeks ago. Frequent updates gave us a taste of the record with demos from the new record, live tracks, and acoustic versions for those craving new sounds. The new album promises to be a great blend of The Beat’s signature ska, rocksteady, and new wave. It’s not too late to chip in for one of the perks or simply to pre-order the new tunes.

This is where in the post I would tell you about the next chance you’ve got to see the band locally. I bring you bad news this time around. On Saturday, September 13 they’ll perform at The River Club Music Hall in Scituate and that show has sold out, even at $40 per ticket. I might suggest checking back to see if more tickets are released, but I wouldn’t hold your breath. They play September 10 in Fairfield, CT and September 11 in Londonderry, NH (nevermind that’s sold out, too). We’ll let you know when they hit Johnny D’s in Somerville again.

The English Beat – “The Love You Give Lasts Forever” – 11/14/09, The Bear’s Den, Niagara Falls, NY

Header photo: Dave Wakeling’s American version of The English Beat, live at Club Nokia, LA Live. Los Angeles, California. 31 July 2009. By Mykal Burns [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons