Photo by Jackie Butler
With their music still wildly popular after three decades and logging in thousands of concerts in the same amount of time, THE ENGLISH BEAT announced a round of Midwest and East Coast tour dates for the Summer of 2014. The tour kicks off in Athens, GA on June 13 and lands in Chicago on July 3rd, before the band return to the West Coast for even more shows (dates below).
Frontman Dave Wakeling recently did an interview with touring industry tome Pollstar, discussing his career as a touring artist and what it’s like performing perennial hits like “Save It For Later”, “Mirror In the Bathroom” and “Twist and Crawl” to over 150 crowds year after year. Hinting at new music that looms on the horizon, he’s been gauging reactions to his new songs on live audiences and friends. “This is a very exciting time for me,” he explains. “I’ve worked a few years to get to this point… re-develop a live market and test to see if anybody wanted to hear any new songs. And then it got to a point where we could pack a show in most cities in America.” About the new music, he continues, “[We’ve been] busy writing songs…we picked the first 10 to start recording for the album. I played them for some friends at radio stations and they feel we’re in the right direction.” Read the full Q&A here:http://bit.ly/1lVzS3W.
Appropriately called “savagely witty” by Rolling Stone, Wakeling has been at the forefront of Ska’s Third Wave which propelled peers like The Specials, Madness and The Selector throughout the 80s into the 90s and continues today. The English Beat’s irresistible blend of Ska, Reggae, Pop and Punk made them one of the undeniable breakout stars throughout the last three decades and have had their music covered by such musical luminaries as Elvis Costello, Pete Townshend, and Eddie Vedder, among many others. Compared to other UK ska acts who found fame in the 80s, Paste Magazine called them “the most ambitious” and The Wall Street Journal said “the English Beat had the best chops.” Originally breaking up in the late 80s, Wakeling formed General Public who continued their mainstream takeover with massive international singles like “Tenderness” and a cover of Staple Singers’ “I’ll Take You There.”Proving Wakeling’s undeniable songwriting as well has his longevity in the industry, national retail chain Target featured “Tenderness” in a TV commercial campaign and Hanna Barbera‘s wildly popular cartoon Scooby Doo featured the band’s music in a recent episode.
No title or official release date for The English Beat’s new album has been announced. Official details will be announced soon.
Jun 13 The Melting Point Athens, GA
Jun 14 Cat’s Cradle Carrboro, NC
Jun 15 The State Theatre Falls Church, VA
Jun 18 Ridgefield Playhouse Ridgefield, CT
Jun 19 Tupelo Music Hall Londonderry, NH SOLD OUT
Jun 20 Tupelo Music Hall White River Junction, VT
Jun 21 Manchester 65 West Warwick, RI
Jun 22 Prince Music Theatre Philadelphia, PA
Jun 25 Port City Music Hall Portland, OR
Jun 26 Johnny D’s Boston, MA
Jun 27 Stephen Talkhouse Amagansett, NY
Jun 28 City Winery New York, NY
Jun 29 City Winery New York, NY
Jul 02 City Winery Chicago, IL
Jul 03 City Winery Chicago, IL
Jul 13 Orange County Fair Costa Mesa, CA
Jul 18 City Winery Napa Napa, CA
Jul 19 City Winery Napa Napa, CA
Jul 22 Jenk’s Club Point Pleasant Beach, NJ
Jul 23 Bergen Performing Arts Center Englewood, NJ
Jul 25 Stephen Talkhouse Amangansett, NY
Aug 01 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, CA
Aug 02 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, CA
Aug 08 The Canyon Club Agoura Hills, CA
Aug 23 Red Rocks Amphitheatre Denver, CO
Aug 31 Thunder Valley Casino Resort Lincoln, CA
Sep 07 The Magic Bag Ferndale, MI
