WHAT A TEMPER!: A NIGHT WITH THE ENGLISH BEAT

Saturday March 6th was the official beginning of concert season with a trip to the Gothic Theater here in Denver to see a trio of good performances: Outlaw Nation, Fishbone and The English Beat. I was joined by a friend who is a diehard Bunnymen fan who wanted to expose me to other sounds from the 1980's.

Outlaw Nation is a 4 piece reggae band from Louisiana, with Christian Simeon on vocals/guitar, Danny Woolen on bass, JB “Tha Drum Killa” on said drums, and Jackson White on guitar. The people who showed up early were rewarded by their playing an interesting fusion of hip-hop and reggae that got the place fired up.

Fishbone is an American alternative rock band that plays a fusion of ska, punk rock, funk metal and more. The band was formed in 1979 in South Central Los Angles by Angelo Moore, who sometimes uses the stage name "Dr. Madd Vibe". They were sensational and could easily have been the headliner for the evening. Dr. Madd Vibe was a beacon of energy, not only during their performance, but later in then show when he joined The English Beat on stage, bringing the place down.

The English Beat are a 2 Tone ska revival band founded in England in 1978. Their songs fuse ska, pop, soul, reggae, and punk rock, and their lyrics deal with themes of love, unity, and sociopolitical topics. they played the hit all their song, including "Tears of a Clown," "Can't Get Used to Losing You," "Save it for Later" and the audience loved it.

I'm pretty sure I've seen both Fishbone and The English Beat in the early 80's but I can no longer remember where and when. I think one of them was the opening act for The Pretenders in 1981.

Great evening!!

I brought in my usual stash and consequently recorded the show. The dilemma I face is deciding whether to simply enjoy the show, finding a place close to the stage and loudly expressing my appreciation for the performance or getting the best possible recording by positioning myself somewhere near the sound booth and no cheering/clapping from em or my neighbors. So far having fun wins out over collecting the sound. The recording is very good but I know it could be better. Enjoy!