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| email Dan your comment |
The BeatDT - First off, what’s your name and what do you do in the band?
Roger - My name’s Rankin’ Roger and I’m the lead vocalist and MC as well.
DT - OK, so The Beat formed back in 1978 in Birmingham, which was a time of really high unemployment and social-political upheaval, was this part of the reason for you guys forming the band?
Roger - Um, not totally, I mean one of the reasons was a lot of people were forming punk bands at the time. Everyone was at it, everyone was trying to get either a 3-piece or a 4-piece together, anything that would get them into this punk or new wave thing that was happening then. And we kind of became part of that, but the difference was we were trying to merge reggae music, into the punk you know, so there was a difference. I suppose in some ways when we said, like Mirror in the Bathroom originally started off as a punk song, punk-ish song - quite fast, we just told the drummer to play to it and that’s the beat he came up with. The combination of the two was like a marriage. If a punk drummer had of done it, it would have just sounded like a punk tune, but because a reggae influenced drummer did it, it turned into the style that became ‘us’. So we were involved in it, but there was a difference that kind of stood out
DT - That’s cool. The Beat have taken part in some political activities in it’s past, would you care to outline a couple of them?
Roger - Well, Rock against Racism, we were involved with. And from time to time we’re involved with Love. Music. Hate. Racism. which more or less is the same organisation. And we’ve helped raise money and help people be aware of like, the CND and Green Peace, and them people as such.
DT - You split up in 1983, which spawned a number of other projects. Was there a main factor behind the split?
Roger - I always say to this day it was greed really. I personally wish we didn’t split up, but I think the temptation to make one half, instead of one sixth, was very tempting. So you know, I went like Dave Wakeland the other singer, for money, and formed General Public.
DT - Do you think the time off was good for the band or not really?
Roger - I don’t know, I think what The Beat needed was time off. If we had six months off then we could have come back and made a fantastic album. but, on another level, we’re doing this now and it sounds great it sounds original, still, very very vibrant. And that’s important, so maybe the break did us good. Maybe it gave me time to do a few more things, and then come back to it, keep it steady as such you know what I mean? Cus you know, if it was too punk-ish, then it would be too brash-ish, and if it was too reggae-ish it would be too lazy. There’s gotta be a middle ground where the two meet and cross over. I suppose when the music starts to sound crap I’ll know it’s not there anymore, I’ll stop. it’s going from strength to strength so I can’t complain.
DT - Was there a driving force behind the band getting back together?
Roger - A driving force? Well initially I think it was MOJO magazine who inspired it because they asked us to do a gig at the Royal Festival Hall in London. And we tried to get as many original members together as we could, and we did that gig then about a month afterwards you know, I decided ‘yeah’. I made a vote for the band, who thinks we should carry on as The Beat? And everybody said yes. So here we are now to this day.
DT - You guys have toured a lot of places, but what’s your favourite place ever to tour?
Roger - Wow. I mean we’ve been to quite a few different places, Jamaica
which is a weird place to play you know. Umm Russia, but I think, South America
in a way cus we’ve been there so many times. I’m sick of that place
anyway.
(Laughs)
Roger - We haven’t been there for years actually. Umm New Zealand!
DT - Yeah?
Roger - Yes man. Very honest people, very vibey as well. Very laid back. What can I say, very helpful, truthful, and they’re very environmentally conscious. They know everything that’s going on. It’s a shame really because it’s the last post of Western civilization, if you like, and I think I could live there. But, there’s a big hole in the sky there, right there, in the ozone layer, and everybody’s getting burnt to… I won’t swear but burnt to bits! We went over there a couple of months back and I stood outside for 20 minutes and then I had to go back inside, and there was a cool breeze because it was there spring just starting, but there was this burning from the sun. So if you go there be careful, but it’s a beautiful place!
DT - What’s your favourite band you’ve ever played with?
Roger - It’s gotta be a toss up, between, The Police and The Clash.
I’d lean more towards The Clash, cus they were like, man if you ever saw
them live! I mean we did 3 or 4 tours with them across America and stuff, The
Beat opening up for The Clash, the two bands were perfect you know. I used to
watch from the side of the stage cus I’d go on every night and toast over
some songs which was great! I felt like a 5th member of the band, they really
made me feel welcome. I wish they’d carried on I know I would have been
on future albums and stuff. But then energy and the adrenaline that the band
used to give was absolutely phenomenal. They’d go on stage and you’d
see the anger in Strummer’s face, he’d be playing guitar and his
fingers were bleeding you’d see the blood and he’d still be stamping
and screaming. There was something about their singers that you don’t
get many of. The ones that sing out of tune right, but, they’ve got something.
Mick Jagger’s the same, I’m not a fan and he doesn’t necessarily
sing in tune, but there’s something about that guys voice that gets you
in, and Strummer’s the same. All of the Clash tunes are like anthems,
things you could chant to. Maybe in time, who knows! Sorry to go on like that!
(Laughs)
DT - No that’s cool! Are there any plans for a new Beat album in the future, or are you sticking to Dave’s philosophy that great bands only have three really good albums?
Roger - That’s Dave’s philosophy, my philosophy is - We have been writing new songs, they sound brilliant, we’ve recorded them, we’re waiting to mix them and they will be out next year.
DT - Excellent! And finally is there anything else you’d like to add?
Roger - Listen out for the album, it’s gonna be different, but I think the original Beat fans will pass it because there’s stuff in there that’s ‘our’ sounds you know, it does sounds like the original Beat, but there’s stuff in there that’s new and kind of expanding. But The Beat were always an expanding band, so the continuity is there.
DT - That will bring in some new fans as well then?
Roger - Oh definitely, yeah yeah! Cus I mean we got Rankin’ Junior in the band, who we haven’t mentioned yet, but he is such a big part of this band, and if he was missing there’d be this big gap. He’s brought his drum and bass style in there in bits and bobs, but in his tunes he’s coming from that generation. So we will mix it all in, and make it happen!
DT - Thanks a lot that’s awesome, enjoy the show later.
Roger - That’s no problem man, thanks a lot!