The English Beat is a band with an energetic mix of musical styles and a sound like no other. The band's unique sound has allowed it to endure for nearly four decades and appeal to fans, young and old, all over the world.

When The English Beat (known as The Beat in their native England) rushed on to the music scene in 1979, it was a time of massive social and political unrest and economic and musical upheaval. This set the stage for a period of unbridled musical creativity, and thanks in large part to the Punk movement and it's DIY approach to making music, artists like The Beat were able to speak out and speak their mind on the news of the day, as in “Stand Down Margaret”, things that mattered to them and the youth culture, as in “Get A Job”, and universal matters of the heart and soul, as in their classic hits “I Confess” and “Save It For Later”.

The Beat first came to prominence as founding members of the British Two Tone Ska movement, with their classic first album “Just Can't Stop It” fitting squarely in that genre. Along with their contemporaries The Specials, The Selecter, and Madness, the band became an overnight sensation and one of the most popular and influential bands of that movement.

However, band leader Dave Wakeling never felt constrained by the movement. The band crossed over fluidly between soul, reggae, pop and punk, and from these disparate pieces they created an infectious dance rhythm. The band's sound continued to evolve over their three studio albums, through the General Public era (a band formed by Dave with The Beat’s toaster, Ranking Roger), and it has continued its evolution with the forthcoming English Beat album “Here We Go Love”, a PledgeMusic crowd-funded album set for a 2016 release, the band's first new album since 1982's “Special Beat Service”.

Consummate showman that he is, Dave Wakeling continues to keep The Beat alive and strong, touring the world as The English Beat with an amazing all-star ska backing band playing all the hits of The Beat, General Public, and songs from his new album “Here We Go Love”.

You just can’t stop The English Beat!

Louis “sirlou” Kahn
©2015-2024 Louis Kahn
Do Not Reprint Without Permission & Attribution

There are certain things one just isn’t bold enough to ever expect… [one] such moment was seeing ska legends/pioneers English Beat… I’ve sent countless evenings at ska shows while growing up, but this was the perfect first/biggest ska show of 2010. – BEYOND RACE MAGAZINE

The English Beat’s influence was incalculable… - Allentown Morning Call

"... [Dave] Wakeling and his crew played 90 minutes worth of hits, deep cuts, some General Public chestnuts and a few new songs… every song was met with recognition and applause." – River Front Times

"[The English Beat are] more popular now than ever." – San Francisco Chronicle

[Dave Wakeling] has assembled an incredible band and is playing his hits with the same raucous enthusiasm that made The English Beat one of the biggest acts of the New Wave Era… Every time they play, The Brew [San Luis Obispo, CA] is packed to the gills with an audience bouncing in unison." – SLO New Times

"People were spilling out the doors by the time [English Beat] went on stage and the palpable joy was in the air when they started… With lyrics about unity, peace, love and partying, and a beat that’s guaranteed to get you out of your seat, their music will always be dancetastic." – The New York Examiner

[The English Beat continues to take] on 2 tone, ska, reggae and new wave, still dishing out on issues of strife and discontentment at times, but always with a happy, danceable tune… drawing large audiences and still has a growing fan base" – San Gabriel Valley Tribune

"[Dave Wakeling of The English Beat] is a musician who seems to genuinely enjoy performing, and even those new to the Beat couldn’t help but get swept up in the infectious brand of "happy" music, as one put it." – Napa Valley Register

"In 2010, [The English Beat] remains on fire, opening their set with a rousing cover of The Staple Singers classic I’ll Take You There. If the excitement wasn’t at a fevered pitch by then, their second song I Confess brought the entire Gibson Amphitheatre to their collective feet. The song still sounds as fresh and lively today as it did when KROQ was granting it massive airplay back in 1982. Another cover followed, a skankin’ version of Tears Of A Clown, originally by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles." – Highwire Daze

"As always, the English Beat's sound is a driving blend of ska, punk, rock and reggae that's made for dancing." – Daily Local News