This past Saturday may have been St. Patrick’s Day but for the crowd of fans at The Underground it was all about the “Whine And Grine” as The English Beat made a tour stop in Charlotte. The band (known as The Beat in England) brought their unique blend of ska, pop, reggae, punk, and soul for a fun filled evening of live music.
Originally founded in 1978 in Birmingham, England, The Beat have gone through some changes over the years. At one point vocalist and guitarist Dave Wakeling formed a new band ,General Public, but is now back at the helm of The English Beat fronting the band for their US tour with the hopes of a new record to be released in 2018. The crowd at The Underground came ready to party and have a good time and that’s just what The English Beat provided. Kicking off their set with the Prince Buster cover “Rough Rider,” the band was on fire with Wakeling on guitar and trading off vocals with toaster King Schascha. Two keyboardists Kevin Lum and Michael Railton were positioned at the back of the stage on each side of the drum kit keeping the sounds full and lush throughout the evening.
Things were heating up quickly as “Twist & Crawl” got the crowd really moving. King Schascha was all over the stage dancing and sliding and joking with fans up front even telling one lucky lady’s husband “hands off, she’s mine, ” beore seguing into a song by the same name. Their set included a wide variety of Beat songs as well as few covers including “Tenderness” by Wakeling’s former band General Public. Saxophonist Matt Morrish sounded amazing and really rounded out the overall sound of the band in a live setting. The sound in the venue was fantastic and musically the band sounded tight delivering the goods at all the right moments. The biggest hit of the night had to be “Whine & Grine/Stand Down Margaret” which had everyone roaring in appreciation, laughing, and dancing. It was great to see the fans enjoying the show so much and the band paid the crowd back with non stop action for the rest of the set.
It was an incredible night of music and fun thanks to The English Beat. If you’re looking for a great time check out The Beat when they head to a town near you and get the party started.
Set List:
Rough Rider (Prince Buster cover)
Twist & Crawl
Too Nice to Talk To
Hands Off…She’s Mine
Rude Boy Skank
Tenderness (General Public cover)
I’ll Take you there (The Staples Singers cover)
Whine & Grine/Stand Down Margaret
Save It For Later
Can’t Get Used to Losing You (Andy Willimas cover)
How Can You Stand There?
Doors of Your Heart
Ranking Full Stop
Mirror in the Bathroom
Jackpot (The Pioneers cover)
We would like to thank Rey Roldan from Reybee Inc. for the credential to review the show.
