When the British ska movement launched in the late ’70s, great ska/rock-steady acts like the Skatalites, Prince Buster and Desmond Dekker were founding influences. Inspired by the rebellious nature of the nascent punk scene, a generation of youth fused the former genre’s aggression with the sounds of their ska forebearers to address and defuse racial tensions in Thatcher-era Britain. Among the predominantly multiracial acts leading the charge at the time were the Specials, the Selecter, Madness and the Beat (known as the English Beat in the States).
Fast forward to 2025 and Dave Wakeling’s English Beat has carried on his band’s legacy (albeit with a number of detours along the way). Following the release of 1982’s Special Beat Service, the last album by the original group, myriad offshoot groups emerged, including General Public, Fine Young Cannibals, the Beat featuring Ranking Roger and the Beat starring Dave Wakeling. With Ranking Roger having passed in 2019, and with Beat founding members Andy Cox and David Steele creatively M.I.A., Wakeling has continued to wave the English Beat banner. Demand for the English Beat has been unwavering despite the last album featuring the original lineup being four-decades-plus old. Wakeling finds this reality gratifying.
“I’m shocked that on Sirius/XM, there are something like 10 or 12 of our songs spread all over the channels between [the English Beat and General Public],” he said in a mid-April interview. “It’s probably more like 16 or 20 songs if you include Fine Young Cannibals. That’s really quite remarkable to achieve. And that people still come and still remember the words even though their knees aren’t as flexible as they used to be, they can still move them in time to our tunes. It is a lovely feeling really.”
When one thinks about the impact the English Beat had on third-wave ska outfits that commercially blew up in the ’90s (Mighty Mighty Bosstones, No Doubt, Reel Big Fish), it’s hard to believe the former’s original run was only from 1978 to 1983. Wakeling, whose roots lay in being a successful competitive swimmer and water polo player, recalls how quickly things came together once he pivoted from the pool to music and started writing songs when he was about 17. It was during this time the core members—Wakeling, bassist Steele, guitarist Cox and drummer Everett Morton—came together. Toaster Ranking Roger and legendary ska saxophonist Saxa were later recruited.
Between myriad UK hits (“Mirror in the Bathroom,” “Save It for Later” and a cover of “Tears of a Clown”) and the band’s infectious live show, they were an in-demand support act for a number of high-profile acts, including Talking Heads, the Police, the Clash and the Pretenders.
Touring/recording burnout caught up with the English Beat and as new-time parents, Wakeling and Ranking Roger chose to form General Public in 1983 (Steele and Cox re-emerged with vocalist Roland Gift a year later as Fine Young Cannibals). In the end, geography proved to be General Public’s downfall with Wakeling decamping to California and Ranking Roger remaining in the UK.
“With Roger living in England and me in America, it cost $10,000 just to do a rehearsal,” Wakeling explained. “The timing and scheduling were really difficult.”
Nowadays, the English Beat enjoy the kind of nostalgia-fueled success new wave acts ranging from Duran Duran and Squeeze to Depeche Mode and OMD are experiencing on the road. And in having the combination of longevity and a rich catalog to pull from, Wakeling has found the perfect cross-generational presentation that keeps fans repeatedly coming out to shows.
“Generally, at a concert you want to keep them moving and keep up the enthusiasm,” he said. “Quite often, the audience chooses what song they want to hear next. We have a set list, but we also keep an eye on the crowd. Do they want something a bit faster? Do they want something a bit slower? Are they starting to flag and need a break? Everyone is going through really testing times at the moment. You can see it in people’s faces. They feel relieved to have a nice dance within your own peer group, go home, and nothing controversial or outrageous happened.”
The English Beat performs at 8pm on June 6-7 at Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. Tickets: $40. feltonmusichall.com
