Photos and Review by Maia Kennedy
Show photos HERE
I was really looking forward to this show. I first started listening to The English Beat in 7th grade! I’ve also seen this band play many times over the years. No matter who Dave Wakeling had in the band backing him, they always sounded great. In that way this show was no different, they played many of the favorites, “Twist and Crawl,” “Save it for Later,” “Mirror in the Bathroom, “Tears of a Clown,” (Smokey Robinson cover), and “Ranking Full Stop.”
This concert, however, was surprisingly different from all the others. Wakeling could not go more than two songs without complaining about people taking cell phone pictures or talking to their friends. Many times, he would completely stop playing just to stare down audience members. His aim was to get them to stop whatever they were doing, whether it was talking, texting, or taking pictures. He even leaned over to admonish one woman personally. We don’t know exactly what he said to her, but his words sent her outside, almost in tears. When she left the club, other disappointed fans, also shocked by his attitude, soon joined her.
Wakeling doesn’t seem to understand the power of social media. His fans’ pictures posted all over Facebook have the power to work in his favor. His fans’ videos, shared from YouTube, would act as free commercials proving what a great experience the show can be. If anyone did post their videos from this show however, they definitely wouldn’t get him any new fans.
Even when Wakeling put on the show brakes, the rest of the band performed like professionals and continued playing. There was no encore for this show and that might have been just as well. His lyrics at times were sardonic, but he definitely missed the irony.
“I don’t know where I am, but I know I don’t like it
-
I open my mouth and out pops something spiteful
-
Words are so cheap, but they can turn out expensive
-
Words like conviction can turn into a sentence.”
“Tenderness Where is the
Tenderness Where is it?”
The rest of the band stayed after the show, perhaps trying to heal some wounds. They talked to fans and posed for pictures. Wakeling was nowhere in sight.
Meet the band
Dave Wakeling – Lead Vocals/Guitar
Philip Gough – Guitar/Vocals
Matt Moorish – Sax/Vocals
Rythmm Epkins – Drums
Kevin Lum – Keyboard
Larry Young – Bass/Vocals