The Beat ft. Ranking Jr to play Swindon gig this January

By Jessica Durston - 30 December 2022

Arts and Culture
  • The Beat featuring Ranking Jr

    The Beat featuring Ranking Jr

Tickets still remain for a concert from The Beat and Ranking Jr at Swindon Meca next month.

The gig will take place at the Swindon venue on Saturday 7 January from 7.30pm - 11pm.

The Beat are a Birmingham-based band that rose to fame during the 1970s and 80s.

They released their debut single 'Tears of a Clown' (with the B-side 'Ranking Full Stop') through the Specials' 2Tone record label in 1979.

A spokesperson said of the event: "Banish those January blues by getting down to Meca dancing to some of the most famous Ska & Reggae songs ever written! 

"One of the key bands of the U.K. ska revival of the late ’70s and early ’80s, the Beat achieved a near-perfect balance of pop melodies and taut rhythms that made them stars in Britain and won them a worldwide following."

The band is currently made up of Ranking Jr on lead vocals, Chico on saxophone, Gitz on guitar, James Crosdale on bass, and Fuzz Townshend and Rob Coates on drums. 

The band's spokesperson continued: "'Tears of a Clown' went top ten in the U.K., and The Beat soon struck a deal with Arista to distribute their own Go Feet label. 1980’s I Just Can’t Stop It (released by Sire in the United States) went gold in England on the strength of the single 'Mirror in the Bathroom', and the band’s ferocious performances and clever blend of personal and political lyrics made them stars at home."

Tickets for the Swindon show can be purchased online at https://www.mecaswindon.co.uk/events-tickets/the-beat/

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