The Beat? Now depending on your age those words will throw up a couple of scenarios I’m thinking? If, like me you remember them first time around I suppose then firstly I should remember my manners and I best enquire as to your health, your knees, your back, still going, not given up on you just yet? If they haven’t, then soon, very soon my precious ones! If you’re young enough, and healthy enough not to remember the original The Beat (and you’ve only recently got ‘into’ their music), if you are just discovering their history, their story, and their music then I am jealous, on several fronts.

But I’ll wager that if your memories are from the era that I remember them from, (yes I’ll say it, the early 1980’s, and no I’m not being schmaltzy here) then just mentioning The Beat does bring a wave of nostalgia. I was around 18 years old at the time, and I had money in my back pocket. Like me I expect you’ll have memories of your fast fading youth, Pork Pie hats, Fred Perry Shirts, Harrington Jackets, pressed White Shirts and Skinny Black Ties, Black & White Houndstooth Pencil Skirts, Doc Martins, the list goes on. Not that there were individuals at the gig dressed in any of that I hasten to add, or at least none that I saw. Anyway, I’m not here to reminisce, I’m here to bring you a brief insight into a chilly, damp March night, and the goings-on inside The Assembly in Leamington Spa.

My question to the editor was “Reg, would ‘we’ be interested in reviewing The Beat, if so, I’m up for it”? “Yes” was the reply, and that is how I came to find myself in Leamington on a miserable March evening, stumbling down the road towards the venue clutching a camera bag which felt like it contained my toolbox, not a couple of cameras. Having been to the venue about 4 years ago to review a Stiff Little Fingers gig I was fairly confident that I knew where it was. Doors were at 7.30pm and the show started at 8.00pm according to Google, so imagine my surprise as I approached the venue at 7.25pm to see no-one stood outside. All sorts of questions immediately ran through my mind?

Out of the blue this voice says, “this is the Assembly isn’t it Mate?”. I wasn’t the only one, at least! Over the next 10 mins several groups of people (around my age, steady!) came, saw the doors closed, saw the lack of punters, asked the same questions about dates, times, that I’d asked myself, and then with no answers forthcoming simply went in search of alcohol and warmth to ease the pain of waiting around, all to a man (can I say that!) disappointed that the doors weren’t open? Seems that I was the first there, and it also seems that doors opening on time is voluntary, not obligatory!

It’s now 7.40pm, 20 mins to show time, suddenly there is movement from inside and Security open the doors. A quick ‘Evening Lads, I’m media where do I pick up my pass please?” to them was greeted by blank looks and a “…..just go straight upstairs Mate”. I didn’t need a second invitation, I was off up the stairs, as quickly as my dodgy foot/ankle would let me at least! I walked in to a deserted hall (save for one person stuck to his phone, whom I found out later was the promoter) and I looked around assessing good vantage points which to shoot from, the stage was set so something was obviously going to go on!

The room started to fill up as I prep’d my kit at the side of the stage; the age ranges of the punters were as I suspected, quite a few who were there no doubt to remember the original The Beat, and somewhat slightly less of the ‘new breed’ of fans, eager to see what they missed first time around.

“Ladies & Gents Good Evening, we’re The Riffs”, and with that the evening started, and I have to say it started at full tempo, and I like that in a band! You know where you stand when a band starts well. The Riffs for those that have yet to experience them are a band formed back in the late 80’s, and they play Ska ’n’ Reggae, very well as it happens! They’ve had a varied musical past, they’ve appeared on countless compilation albums, they’ve released a small number of singles in their own right, and they’ve also had a couple of albums on the shelves! The band are used to mixing with the big names, they’re no shirkers when it comes to playing big venues, and with big names, having previously supported the likes of Madness, The Specials, The Selecter, Bad Manners, along with a God, in the form of Mr Desmond Dekker.

The Riffs are: Spenny – Guitar & Vocals / Clem – Drums / Jon – Bass / Stevo – Keys / Adam – Harmonica

We were treated to such gems as Caterpillar / Funny Little Fella / Wiggle / Don’t Fight / Just Like You / One Woman / Labyrinth / Ten Years On / Golden Brown / Walk Away / Monday Morning

The Riffs over achieved, given what they were there to do, and I’m so glad they did. They got the assembled masses fired up and ready for more. They did that in style, and with class. They displayed what has kept them in the game for so long. If you go and see any ‘other’ big name Ska bands keep your eye out for who is the ‘support’, you might just find your feet tapping, or even moving to, knees and back permitting, the fabulous sounds of The Riffs.

A short break and we’re off again, this time I’m stood in the pit looking up at The Beat as they perform Stand Down Margaret, this though is The Beat Featuring Rankin’ Jnr, the son and heir of the late Roger Charlery, aka Ranking Roger, the former joint frontman of The Beat from back in the day. I stand there for a minute or two, savouring the moment, taking it all in, remembering my long lost youth, and I guess by doing so, slightly somewhat indulging myself. Too Nice To Talk To is the next offering served up, and it is time I did what I was there to do.

Throughout the evening in between songs shouts of “Rude Boy, Rude Boy” ring out in the hall, initiated by, and replied to, in equal measure by both those on stage and those in the audience. In the interests of equality no doubt, these were interspersed with “Rude Girl, Rude Girl”! I remember a certain little Rude Girl….

There is plenty of both banter and incessant chatter from on stage, this is a good sign, it means the band feels at ease with the audience, and the crowd are up for a good time…..I even hear 90’s raves mentioned at one point, something about being too young to remember the band first time around, this brings cheers from the ‘younger’ members of the audience. All sorts of subjects are on the agenda it seems, but one in particular (politics) is raised. Bands and politics should not be used in the same sentence; I don’t know about you, but politics bores the arse off of me every single time, why do some bands bang on it? People go to gigs to be entertained musically, they don’t go to hear political rants, there are times and places for that, if that is what floats your boat! That said though, there is also a lot of love as well, mainly for Ranking Roger, and naturally from his son Rankin’ Jnr. Without Roger, and without what he became part of, we (most probably) wouldn’t be there in that room, listening to that music.

Musically we are served up with a mix of the firm old favourites, along with some recently written new material, both are well received. Naturally the ‘older’ songs get the audience singing along to them, at times even serenading the stage! They obviously evoke memories of days when the senior members of the audience had fewer cares, and lots more hairs, where it matters.

The new material is catchy, as you’d hope it would be. Rankin’ Jnr chats about why he’s written the tracks, what they’re about, and what we need to do to make the world right again. Alas I think that boat sailed a while back, as nice as it would be to think that, but it’s not an issue, there’s a sort of naive romanticism about believing that that will happen? Sadly I don’t hear any modern day Mirror In The Bathroom / Too Nice To Talk To equivalents in there, but we will see, I genuinely do hope that I am proved wrong?

The full setlist for the evening was as follows:

Stand Down Margaret

Too Nice To Talk To

Side To Side

Rough Rider

Carry The Flag

Twist & Crawl

Oi You!

Dream

Noise In This World

Think twice

Hands Off

Control

Full Stop

Mirror In The Bathroom

Jackpot

I hope to go and review Dave Wakeling’s The English Beat later in the year when they tour the UK, it will be nice to see the differences, and also the similarities between the two bands.

Lastly, a couple of thank yous. Firstly to the lovely lady on the barrier (whose name I didn’t catch) who, when seeing how hard I was working, (Reg take note!) offered me a shoulder and neck massage! And also to Liam from the band, for his help with the titles of the new material (via email post gig) as the running order didn’t reflect what I heard on stage.

That immortal question, would I go and see them again? Yes, I would. There is a connection between the band and the audience, and there is a genuine love there. The band work hard and they produce the goods. Just one plea, explain the reasoning behind the songs, by all means but please, cut down on the politics!

Words & images: Haydn Wiltshire (aka Taff Rimages)

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us