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Dave Wakeling, founding member of The English Beat and General Public, and his partner Rankin' Roger, redefine ska for a mainstream audience in the '80s. Poifest act Dave
Wakeling encores
at Pipeline tonightWakeling, after winning over a new generation of Hawaii listeners while playing Poifest in May, has returned for another concert at 9 tonight at Pipeline Cafe. Tickets are $20. Call 593-8333.
We caught up with Wakeling on Kauai where he's vacationing with his wife and two children.
QUESTION: How hard is it for an artist to keep reinventing himself, to stay fresh?
ANSWER: It would be too easy to rest on your laurels and just play the old songs. But if you sit on your laurels for too long they'll always get squashed. Keeping great musicians around you is a source of inspiration.
Q: Do you always think about music?
A: Yes, something is always going on in a portion of my head. If I hear a phrase or think of a rhyme I always write it down. Eventually I have a collection of things then I work to put it together.
Q: Does responsibility of marriage and a family get in the way of music?
A: It enriches the work. Every stage in life allows for growth and exploration if you accept it. The strength of my family, what they bring to me, allows me to expand my music.
Q: What caused you and Roger to quit the Beat and go your own way?
A: Pretty much we got bored with one another and some of the band wanted to take a few years off and Roger and me wanted to do something. We joked about starting a group and we did it.
Q: Are there any Beat songs you still enjoy playing?
A: "Best Friend," "I Confess," "Save it for Later" "Mirror in the Bathroom."
Q: What's the best advice you've ever received?
A: Pete Townsend told me to never forget that songwriters are the luckiest people in the world because we're able to put a story to music and make people feel things. I met him in Los Angeles where he was performing. I was really quite nervous. We talked about 20 minutes. He dedicated "Save It For Later" to me and even pointed me out. It was the first song they played and I'm afraid that I wept a wee bit.
Tim Ryan, Star-Bulletin
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