It is always a comforting notion when bands of royal status favour intimate and atmospheric venues in place of Wembley-esque amphitheatres. Remaining true to their late 70’s/early 80’s ethos of making music accessible to everyone and exclusive to no one, The Beat delighted Aldershot locals with a performance small in scale - but titanic in energy.
Friday night’s Palace performance was certainly not the bands first dalliance with the local scene. Having caught the infamous Beat at cosy Tilford-based festival Weyfest last summer, I was not only delighted to see them back in the local vicinity - but also overjoyed at the prospect of not having to battle my way through a throng of bodies in order to catch a glimpse of everyone’s favourite Rudeboy’s. It is not commonplace to enjoy the luxury of a prolific and influential band at such close proximity, without having to shield your temples from an onslaught of elbows or jump onto the shoulders of the token ‘huge guy’ who is inevitably standing directly in your line of vision. The Beat, however, have executed a clutter-free and intimate performance for Surrey locals on two glorious occasions, and all within the space of a single year.
Dressed in his trademark boiler suit and black Dr Martins, front man Rankin Roger led his band of social challengers onto the Palace stage where they were met by the delighted cries of Ska and 2-Tone fanatics - of both old and newskool generations. It seems as though The Beat possess the effortless ability to transcend the expanse of time, appealing to those who were present in the Rudeboy’s heyday, whilst also rocking the eternal rhythms of those who wish they were. Mere pre-teens skanked relentlessly alongside hardened Ska heads, and let out a united howl of appreciation when a cover of ‘Rock The Kasbah’ was dedicated to the late, great Joe Strummer.
The audience were brought even closer together, both in proximity and in spirit, with each Beat classic that ensued. With such an expansive body of material it was a miracle in itself that the band were able to restrict themselves to an hour long set. But as they unleashed such gems as ‘Best Friend’, ‘Tears Of A Clown’ and the deliriously energetic ‘Hands Off, She’s Mine’ I imagined that not one soul would be leaving the venue in mourning at the prospect of the absence of their favourite Beat tune.
I also imagined that for most of the individuals present in the audience, ‘Mirror In The Bathroom’ was the track which held the most trembling anticipation. With a bass line that almost soothes your soul as it reverberates around your chest, and a timelessly cool combination of saxophone and skippy Ska beats, it really is one of those songs that if you haven’t heard it, you haven’t really lived. (Cliché that may sound, but if you’re unfortunate enough to have come this far in your existence without hearing it - go and educate yourself on the track, and then tell me your life isn’t better for it…)
Whilst the current Beat line up does indeed rival their 80’s counterparts in both energy and passion, they may have to attribute a large percentage of this notion to their newly appointed secret weapon - Murphy ‘Rankin Jr’. The son of front man Rankin Roger, Murphy has breathed new life into the bands sound by combining youthful stage presence with raw and seamless MC abilities. At points, complimenting his fathers soulful Jamaican drawl perfectly, and at others injecting some serious grime into the overall sound, Rankin Jr was more than capable of leading the way when the time came for a raucous encore - peppered with yet more Beat staples including ‘Sooner Or Later’ and ‘Jackpot’. And all, may I add, whilst standing firmly aside from his fathers shadow. Well, they don’t call him The Prodigal Son for no reason.
