I do not like going to shows to see my past idols.
They’re old, they’re out of touch parodies. Shells of their former self’s. It makes me sad. More than sad is that I feel bad for the performer, well what else do they have?
Not much but the ability to relive their glory days. Sorta like their audience. Has beens.
Pathetic.
Wrong.
The English Beat took over Toads Place (“where the legends play’!!) last night. When I say they took it over I most certainly mean it.
The room at about 70 when we arrived, had more than doubled by 10pm. A very strange yet very cool diverse group. From Yalies to what I think may have been the family CPA along with about a fist full of really spooky looking tattooed love boys.
Gathering to hear the band who’s ska/pop hits danced away the 80s.
Dave Wakeling walks to the stage with a smile genuine and fitting. As he plugs in to begin a swelling energy is transforming the bar, to a dance hall.
By the time he hits his first call there is no use for seats, the crowd is up and they’re moving.
The bands lineup is not the same. They’re younger their tighter they’re, happier.
Wakeling at age 53 carries himself not only as master of ceremonies but master of the beat. The smile contagious the sweat earned. The guy oozed charisma and kept the crowd fully motivated.
The amazing strength of his backing band only added to the dance hall fun happening before us. I cant remember the last time I went to a show where the dancing was quite as non stop, and anyone familiar with Toads knows the temperature in that place is about 20 degrees hotter than outside, last night double that. Its a wonder we survived.
The Beat didn’t disappoint, rolling out all we wanted to hear from “Hands off Shes Mine” to my fave “Click Click Click”, the sax particularly sexy on that.
The negatives? Just two and nothing at all to do with the band themselves.
A ridiculously overdone light show distracted and blinded, not sure what the point of that was but it was a house member working the board and I really wanted to pull his plug at one point. Really now. Lets get simple
The other was the mic settings on Wakeling. Fine for singing along, horrible for understanding his between song banter. Muffled beyond recognition, I felt the strain of trying to decipher what he was saying. This guy is a hero, I wanted to hear what he had to say as well as sing. I got the sing, I didn’t get the speak… ughk.
So now?
The English Beat are in no way ‘done’.
They put forth more energy than half the core bands I go see.
We left sweaty, with aching thighs and huge smiles. Think about it- is there any other way to end a night.