Jed Becker: I was pretty excited when I read in the Voice that The English Beat would be playing the Peppermint Lounge. At that time the club was at 100 5th Avenue, down in a basement, a small room with low ceilings that held maybe 250 fans.
I was a huge fan of The English Beat. Their albums were on constant replay in my bedroom on Long Island. The energy was crazy, the hooks undeniable, especially on their first album, I Just Can’t Stop It. It’s still one of my all-time favorite records. Yes, there was the infectious skank, but the Beat were terrific songwriters too, with great big hooks and melodies, and lyrics that were both political and sad stories of heartbreak. It was great pop music, but with that insane upbeat that just could not be denied.
I drove into Manhattan with a couple of guys I was in a band with at the time. Luckily I had no problem getting in with my brother’s ID — people always said we looked a lot alike. I don’t recall if there was an opener or the band hitting the stage, but from the moment they started playing, the entire floor went nuts with an excitement and energy I have never again experienced, jumping, pogoing, bopping, and it never stopped for the whole set. These English dudes landed on a small stage in the greatest city in the world and just destroyed us.
They wore punk tartans, bad complexions, and spiky hair; to me it felt that Martians had landed holding electric guitars, drumsticks, and a saxophone. And it was such a small room, it felt like they were right on top of us. The duo of guitarist Andy Cox and bassist David Steele, who went on to form Fine Young Cannibals, seemed particularly fierce and frightening to me. Fronting the band were Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger, and I just couldn’t get over how good they were — so goddam confident. The band was incredibly tight, and the music demanded it. They played through their most recent hits, “Save it for Later” and “I Confess” but it was the grinding madness of “Mirror in the Bathroom” and “Tears of a Clown” off that first album I had come for, and they delivered big time. It was awesome.
I think what makes those truly magical shows feel so special to us is that, during the performance, while you’re actually watching it, you think to yourself, “At this very moment, I am in the absolute coolest, most happening spot in all of the city, if not the whole world, RIGHT NOW!” No show I’ve seen ever gave me that feeling as much as that English Beat show at the Peppermint Lounge. ❖
Joy Buzzer’s new album, Pleased to Meet You, is out now.