The Beat Goes On

First up is a jam-packed tour schedule that kicked off earlier this week in Cocoa Beach, Fla., and will see the Beat on the road in the U.S. and Canada through late May.

Fans will get the chance to party with Dave Wakeling and company in Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas, Vancouver, Milwaukee and all kinds of places in between.

The set list for the show will include Beat originals like “Mirror in the Bathroom,” “Save It for Later” and “Stand Down Margaret;” covers “Tears of a Clown” and “Can’t Get Used To Losing You” plus General Public hits such as “Tenderness,” “Never You Done That” and “I’ll Take You There.”

The band will also be road testing a bunch of new songs like “The Love You Give Lasts Forever” and “How Can You Stand There” that will be recorded and released later this year, either as a series of EPs or a full album. Fans can also look forward to live tracks, acoustic versions and remixes by English Beat pals Thievery Corporation.

Wakeling and company – bassist Wayne Lothian, toaster Antonee First Class, drummer Rhythmm Epkins, saxophonist Nat Love, keyboardist Ray Jacildo and guitarist Hidden Kulcha – are looking forward to the trip and to meeting fans along the way.

“There are many perks to being in a pop group,” the singer said. “The money, the fame, the fast cars and the sometimes even faster women, they can all be good, but for someone to tell you that your songs have been a part of the soundtrack of their life for a quarter century is the greatest honor a troubadour can ever receive.

“At such an exciting time musically and politically, The English Beat are proud as punch to be spreading their message of connectivity, tolerance and good will.”

For us older Beat fans, Ranking Roger became a father to his third son in 2005 and one of his older offsprings, Ranking Junior, has been known to toast with the Beat from time to time.