Too Nice To Talk To

If made school discos.

Remember how exciting the concept of school discos used to be?  You were supposed to feel like you truly belonged, you were supposed to dance with everyone, the music was supposed to be great and your best friend was supposed to be right there living it all beside you - Well, it was 25 years in the coming but welcome to 'The Beat' gig. 

We went to see 'The Beat' twice in 2013 (May and December) both at what would become one of our favourite venues 229 The Venue, Great Portland Street.

The ska sound which epitomises the music of The Beat is one of the most evocative sounds of my youth - having an older sister meant that the walls of our shared bedroom had reverberated with that two tone sound.

  

The Beat gigs were probably the friendliest gigs we have been to - pork pie hats and braces, two tone dresses and Harrington Jackets the dance happy girls lived up to their name and were indeed happy to dance with everyone.   The MAFM were well represented here albeit less hairy!

The atmosphere was one of shared passion yet entirely lacking in sleaze, well until Ranking Roger Junior raised the temperature by taking off his t-shirt and throwing it to the dance (very) happy girls.  

It is at this point that I must confess to it being Janie who caught the T-shirt but who gave it to a pouting me as the gig had been her birthday gift to me.

SET LIST

Hands Off She's Mine

Too Nice To Talk To

Click Click

Rough Rider

Doors of Your Heart

Get A Job/Stand Down Margaret

Rock The Casbah

Side to Side

Best Friend

Dangerous

Tears Of A Clown

Two Swords

Spar Wid Me

Big Shot

Not In This World

Ranking Full Stop/Mirror In The Bathroom/Twist & Crawl

Ranking Junior Free Style

Save It For Later

Jackpot

I cannot leave The Beat without giving a shout out for their support from the May gig.  The Tafijah Allstars were rude, raucous and riotous and got the MAFM and us grinning and dancing.  Janie and I have since offered our services as the oldest groupies in town to the Tafijah crew.  So in that role, I urge you if you are ever in Cardiff look up these guys and tell them that the dance happy girls sent you.