Tag Archives: The Beat

Try a little Tenderness – revisiting General Public, four decades on

Cast your mind back to a universe far away, The Beat having disbanded not so long after the Special Beat Service touched down, David Steele and Andy Cox deciding to take some time out, going their own way on an … Continue reading

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

And The Beat goes on – back in touch with Dave Wakeling, talking Birmingham, California, and the joy of dogs

Ahead of my catch-up with The Beat co-founder Dave Wakeling, I dug out an interview he did with Adrian Thrills for the NME, alongside the sorely missed Ranking Roger when the pair were at the helm of The General Public, … Continue reading

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Taking the Westway to the sea with Graham Jones – talking Haircut One Hundred, Boys Wonder, and more

Haircut One Hundred are back, celebrating their 40th anniversary with a live show and special edition of Pelican West, the debut LP that saw them on their way all those years ago. And that was all I needed by way … Continue reading

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Selecter – Guildford G Live

As regular readers of this website know, Guildford and I go way back, and it was as a 13-year-old that I saw my first band at the Civic Hall, catching The Undertones on the Positive Touch tour, a mile and … Continue reading

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Four decades of Daylight with The Selecter – back in touch with Pauline Black

Celebrated 2 Tone legends The Selecter, up there at the forefront of the late ‘70s UK ska revival, are going down a storm in Europe right now, their 40th anniversary tour drawing closer to home. Led by Pauline Black and … Continue reading

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Message from our Rude Boy – the Neville Staple interview

It will be 40 years in May since debut Special AKA single ‘Gangsters’ thrilled a nation, the first single on 2 Tone Records a fine example of all that followed from that ground-breaking independent label. Before 1979 was out, a … Continue reading

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Looking back at 2018. Part one – the first six months

As another busy year draws to a close, let’s take a trawl through 2018’s WriteWyattUK feature/interviews, selecting a few choice quotes from within, starting with the half-year up to … well, in the words of Neil and Tim Finn, ‘You … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Skankin’ and rockin’ to a Skabilly beat – the Roddy ‘Radiation’ Byers interview

While no one could reasonably argue against the notion that Jerry Dammers was the architect and conceptual mastermind behind The Specials and the 2 Tone movement, his bandmates Roddy ‘Radiation’ Byers and Lynval Golding played a big part in establishing … Continue reading

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Still Holding The Flame – The Roland Gift interview

It was an appreciation of the soulful voice of Otis Redding that helped inspire Roland Gift to seek out a life as a performer. The Birmingham-born singer and actor was only six when Redding was killed in a plane crash … Continue reading

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Stepping back into Daylight – the Pauline Black interview

You need only take a couple of listens to the new album by influential ska favourites The Selecter to be convinced this is not a band content to sit back on past endeavours. What’s more, vocalist Pauline Black doesn’t do … Continue reading

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments