Legendary 2-Tone group The Beat, led by vocalist Dave Wakeling, have announced a 20-date UK tour.
It kicks off at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill on 26 May and ends at the Great Hall in Cardiff on 30 June.
Special guests on the tour will be Bow Wow Wow, complete with singer Annabella Lwin, in a reprise of a US tour the bands did together 40 years ago!
Formed in 1979, The Beat were part of the new wave of ska alongside bands like The Specials, Madness, The Selecter and Bad Manners.
Their debut single, an infectious cover of the Smokey Robinson classic Tears of A Clown, was released on 2-Tone Records and went straight into the UK charts at No 6.
Over the next five years they released three studio albums – I Just Can’t Stop It, Wha’appen and Special Beat Service – along with a series of classic hit singles like Mirror In The Bathroom, Hands Off…She’s Mine and Stand Down Margaret.
They toured the world alongside artists such as The Clash, The Police, The Specials, The Pretenders, REM, Talking Heads and David Bowie, and they continue to do so today, selling out their last UK tour in 2022.
They split in 1983, but reunited for a one-off gig in 2003, which prompted the reformation of not one but two versions of the band, in the UK and US.
Sadly, three of the original line-up have died in recent years, but the latest incarnation are fronted by original singer-guitarist Dave Wakeling.
He said: “I’m really looking forward to our UK tour after last year’s sold out run. It was great to see so many friends again after the pandemic, and to dance some of that good old 2 Tone love and unity together.
“These are testing times, connection and community are a great comfort, so it will be great to see you this summer.
“It’s a special bonus to be touring with Annabella and Bow Wow Wow; quite by accident, we will be celebrating a US tour we did together 40 years ago, and she still sounds great nowadays.
“It’s a chance to thrill in the moment while also taking a stroll down memory lane. You can even dance like a teenager if you want to, till your knees remind you in the morning!”
