While I have reservations about any lineup of the English Beat that doesn't include Andy Cox or David Steele, the David Wakeling-led reformation of The Beat seems to get consistently good write-ups in the press. I'm more intrigued by Paul Collins going back to his power-pop roots with "Paul Collins Beat".

This Fall, English Beat will hit the road alongside The Paul Collins Beat. “It’s the essence of power pop, which is wider than continents,” says Dave Wakeling, mastermind behind English Beat about the recently announced tour. “Short, sharp, catchy, exciting and memorable!” It’s the first time ever, and all thanks to a Facebook friendship,” says Wakeling. “Paul and I originally met back in '83 and have been in touch occasionally over the years, but recently we've been in closer FB contact, which led to this idea becoming a reality....Two beats, hearting as one!” The tour kicks off on October 11th in Asheville, NC and wraps up on October 27th in Minneapolis, MN (tour dates below).

Hot on the heels of the recently released career-encompassing box set The Complete Beat, a single disc greatest hits Keep The Beat: The Very Best of The English Beat, and a live double CD/DVD package, Live At The US Festival, ’82 & ’83, English Beat's irresistible blend of ska, reggae, and punk has made them undeniable stars throughout the last three decades. As a testament of their ongoing longevity and impact on modern music, their songs have been heard recently in Hot Tub Time Machine ("Save It for Later"), Shrek Forever After ("Click Click"), television shows (TBS's Glory Daze), and even in Target commercials ("Tenderness" as their post-English Beat break up band, General Public). Among the other uber-memorable hits include “Mirror In The Bathroom”, “I Confess”, "Doors of Your Heart", and "Tears of a Clown" among many others.

Paul Collins formed his version of "The Beat" in 1979, a high energy, skinny-tied rock group in the style of The Ramones, Blondie and The Dictators. With a handful of heavily-revered albums (The Beat, The Kids Are All The Same), The Paul Collins Beat continued making melodic, powerpop hits till the tail end of the 90s. Collins launched a critically-lauded solo career, and after a ten year hiatus, The Paul Collins Beat resurfaced in 2004, releasing a string of new records, that combine their classic sound with the raw energy of his solo works.

The tour stops at B.B. King's in Times Square on October 16th. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 DOS.

English Beat - October 2012 Tour Dates
Sep 28 - Coach House San Juan Capistrano, CA
Sep 29 - Saint Rocke Hermosa Beach, CA
Oct 05 - Romano’s Concert Lounge Riverside, CA
Oct 06 - The Canyon Club Agoura Hills, CA
Oct 11 - The Orange Peel Asheville, NC *
Oct 12 - The State Theatre Falls Church, VA *
Oct 13 - The Center for Arts Natick, MA *
Oct 14 - World Café Live Philadelphia, PA *
Oct 16 - BB King’s New York, NY *
Oct 18 - Rapids Theatre Niagara Falls, NY *
Oct 19 - Phoenix Concert Theatre Toronto, ON *
Oct 20 - Hard Rock Café Detroit, MI *
Oct 23 - SPACE Evanston, IL *
Oct 24 - Hard Rock Café Pittsburgh, PA *
Oct 25 - Hard Rock Café Pittsburgh, PA
Oct 26 - Turner Hall Milwaukee, WI *
Oct 27 - Mill City Nights Minneapolis, MN *
Oct 30 - Knucklehead Tavern Kansas City, MO
Oct 31 - The Blue Note Columbia, MO
* with The Paul Collins Beat

Links:
English Beat