The English Beat 4-8-11
Wonder Ballroom · Portland, OR
BY TIM HINELY
It's hard to believe that The English Beat are still touring but they are. Well, actually this line-up is actually lead singer/main songwriter Dave Wakeling and a 5-piece band behind him. He probably should call it Dave Wakeling and friends or something but that is up to him and Ranking Roger to work out (apparently Roger has/hard The New Beat). For this tour Wakeling sang and played guitar and had a bassist, drummer, keyboardist, sax player and standing right next to him, a very tall gent doing backup/occasional lead vocals. I think they call that guy a toaster.
They opened up with "Too Nic to Talk To" and from that point on it was a flurry of old hits from the early ‘80s. "Twist and Crawl"? You bet. "Hands Off...She's Mine"? Uh huh. "I Confess"? Yup. And plenty more too: "Trough Rider", "Save It for Later", "Can't Get Used to Losing You." And if those tunes weren't enough to get the crowd of geriatrics into a dancin' tizzy (which they were) the encore included "Mirror in the Bathroom' and "Ranking Full Stop."
