As the cold wind blew outside the Key Club on a Friday night, spectators kept warm inside dancing and skanking to the sounds of Laundromat Robbery, Operation No One Knows, The Pedal Tones, and none other than The English Beat. I had only been to the Key Club a few times before, but I am always impressed at the “nice” atmosphere the club has to offer. The Key Club is a small venue that always offers the crowd a BIG show.
I walked into the Key Club with Laundromat Robbery already performing on stage. Laundromat Robbery is a high school ska band out of Canyon Country, CA. Their mix of punk and ska suddenly reminded me of none other than the Suburban Legends. Their high-energy music and stage presence got the younger members of the audience going in the pit.
Operation No-One Knows came out next with a larger and fuller sound. Most of their songs were instrumental. Their musical style identified with a Latin, L.A. street style. With little action on stage and no vocals, the music became repetitive. Up next were the Pedal Tones from LA, CA. Their music was a great mix of ska and reggae with a Jamaican twist. My drink was much more enjoyable with the sounds of the Pedal Tones playing in the background. Their strong two-man horn section and animated pianist really made their show exciting to watch. The Pedal Tones are definitely a band that I will try to go see again.
At around 10:45pm, the band of the night finally hit the stage. The English Beat started the show with “Whine and Grine” and continued to play many of the crowd’s favorites throughout the night. They played hits such as “Mirror in the Bathroom,” “I Confess,” and “Hands Off She’s Mine.” Just when they were playing a cover of Pearl Jam’s “Better Man,” they cut right into “Save It For Later.” Dave Wakeling’s witty remarks and stories between songs really kept the attention of the audience.
The English Beat began rockin’ the world with their catchy tunes in 1979. The initial members of The English Beat called it quits in 1983. But singer/guitarist/songwriter Dave Wakeling continued on to form General Public and now continues to tour the world under the name, The English Beat. The new and improved band sounded better and tighter than the original English Beat. The younger musicians were all over the stage and kept the show exciting for us. Wakeling, who just celebrated his 51st birthday, sounded amazing on vocals. Twenty-eight years after starting the English Beat, Dave and his crew played an immaculate two-hour set. It was definitely a spectacular show from beginning to end. It was wonderful to see a legendary musician and man of class perform some my personal favorites up on stage. Heads were bobbing, feet were moving, girls were dancing on stage, and everyone was just having a good ol’ time while the English Beat rocked the Sunset Strip.
