Concert Review: Squeeze and The English Beat at Gibson Amphitheatre

In general, the (hit) sounds of the early 1980s have held up better over the years than music that came later in the decade. This is especially so for a lot of British acts of that "new wave" power-pop era, compared to say, the much more calculated junk by American hair bands that followed. So when Squeeze and The English Beat played the Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal City Wednesday (July 28), it wasn't just a night of nostalgia (though that was certainly in the air for the 30-to-40-something and up audience, many with kids in tow), but also one of some great songs that still click.
Playing a mix of the band's Jamaican-inspired Ska and punkynad new wave pop, the Beat was part of the late '70s ska boom in Britain that included bands such as The Specials, The Selecterand also Madness. English singer-guitarist Dave Wakeling, now a longtime resident of Los Angeles and a founding member of the original English Beat (which was always just The Beat in its native U.K, but we had a US band called The Beat, too, so...), leads the current incarnation of the group.
It's the 30th anniversary of The English Beat's debut Just Can’t Stop It and the band's spry set looked to that album and also Special Beat Service. For the most part, Wakeling's voice still sounds like it did circa 1982 and his younger band mates, especially toaster Antonee First Class, were all enthusiastic.  While curtains were drawn at the sides of the venue creating a smaller theater atmosphere of just several thousand instead of a capacity crowd, the audience of older folks felt young (or younger), on their feet for numbers that included ska versions of The Staple Singers "I'll Take You There" and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles "Tears of a Clown."  The biggest response came for Beat originals, now-classic tunes such as "Save It For Later," "I Confess" and "Mirror in the Bathroom." Wakeling's Beat will be recording new material and offered a taste of that with "The Love You Give Lasts Forever" and bittersweet "Said We Would Never Die."  Overall, the performance was quite, well, Beat-ific. 


The superb pop-rock and blue-eyed-soul of headliners Squeeze sounded terrific, just as it did when the band played L.A.'s Greek Theatre a few years ago. Headed up by the songwriting team of Glenn Tillbrook and Chris Difford on guitars and vocals, the band's arrangements were crisp and dynamic and oh, those so-hummable tunes. From the get-go, there was "Take Me I'm Yours" to open a best-of-and-more run that included "Annie, Get Your Gun," "Is That Love,"  “Black Coffee in Bed,” and “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)," to name but a few emotional button-pushers for sing-alongs. The frontmen pair also dipped into their Difford and Tillbrook album. 
Squeeze's new album Spot The Difference features new recordings of those enduring songs, staying true to the original arrangements, though on stage, the band stretched out a bit here and there, reminding the crowd that Tillbrook isn't just one of our great pop voices, but also a skilled guitarist. In recent years, Squeeze shows have become perhaps even more of a treat than during the band's hit heyday in the '80s.
The English Beat will be on tour with another Brit ska band of that bygone late '70s-80s era, Bad Manners. You'll find the Beat on myspace, Facebook, and Twitter.
For more on Squeeze, check out the official band website, along with the Facebook page and follow Glenn Tilbrook on Twitter.