The English Beat

Overview

Following a sold out Auckland show in 2012, the forefathers of ska The English Beat will return for a four-date tour of New Zealand this May, 2014.

The band came out of Birmingham in the late 70s spearheading the British Ska movement alongside The Specials, Madness, Bad Manners and The Selecter. Their songs fuse ska, pop, soul, reggae and punk rock, while lyrically dealing with themes of love, unity and sociopolitical topics.

Consisting of Dave Wakeling (vocals, guitar), Ranking Roger (vocals), Andy Cox (guitar), David Steele (bass), Everett Morton (drums), and Saxa (saxophone), The English Beat released three studio albums in the early 1980s: I Just Can't Stop It (1980), Wha'ppen? (1981) and Special Beat Service (1982), and a string of singles. The current US-based incarnation boasts a setlist jam packed with fan favourites – 'Mirror In the Bathroom', 'Save It For Later', 'Too Nice to Talk To', 'Stand Down Margaret' and 'Hands Off She’s Mine'.

The tour dates are as follows:

Wednesday, 28 May – DuxLive, Christchurch
Thursday, 29 May – Sammys, Dunedin
Friday, 30 May – Bodega, Wellington
Saturday 31 May – The Studio, Auckland