The English Beat @ Bronson Centre, Ottawa

Sometimes, a series of unfortunate events fall like dominoes to reveal a previously impossible path. A clearing in the rumble, or in this case a massive ice storm happens to rain down upon us, cracking mighty trees limb from limb, that come crashing down to earth with such ferocity as to bring down power lines and leave close to a million people without electricity or heat.

It is funny how things have ways of working themselves out at times, and while many people still find themselves in the darkness and the cold, while Hydro Quebec works double-time in efforts to restore utilities to citizens, said power loss led to a friend being off work and able to commute to Ottawa to catch the legendary Ska act known as The English Beat.

I had given up hope of such a thing happening due to the band having postponed their original engagement with the city of Ottawa Sunday for unknown reasons. While sat there, drenched from the frigid freezing rain that had soaked me to the skin on my journey home (and an extended escapade through a local park to photograph what was happening, of course – see my Instagram for more on that), my phone buzzed to life with news that I was to travel to see The Beat, or The British Beat, or The English Beat – whichever name tickles your fancy.

Now, however, the question became… how the hell was I going to get to the venue in the midst of this massive storm? Initially, the plan was to take a bus as living in the city makes owning a car redundant, and there now weren’t any buses, nor trains, running for that matter.

We set out along the highway headed for Ottawa, which had also suffered large power outages, without knowing if the venue had electricity or if the show would even take place. Much of the two-hour commute was through areas that seemed dark, without lighting or any sign of electricity. A side-quest for coffee was seeming daunting as nothing appeared to be open and it was looking more and more the further we travelled. The possibility that we would arrive to find the venue enshrined in darkness and silence was still a very strong possibility.

It seemed unfair too that we lucky few were potentially headed out to get our dancing shoes skanking across the dance floor while so many others were sat in the solitude of darkness, and while the climate wasn’t too chilly, it was certainly enough to make the situation dire – especially for those with young children or tropical pets. I hoped everyone was able to keep safe, warm – and fed. On the other hand, there wasn’t much if anything that we could have done to help our fellow man.

We arrived to find a line-up that curled around several buildings and limited remaining parking. We had arrived, and the Bronson Center had power and was about to welcome patrons inside. Success. Despite being postponed five days prior, The English Beat or whatever name you wish to call them by, were in the building and getting ready to perform. Magic.

The Bronson Center, I’m told, has undergone a lot of revamping since the pandemic, and the result is an elegant spot that looks and sounds fantastic. With the ability to sustain about nine hundred and fifty spectators on the floor or sitting on the balcony, it is ample sized and will surely help bring more live music to the city of Ottawa. Its staff too were incredibly kind and accommodating, making the entire evening that much nicer.

A pair of DJs, known as Double-Barrell DJs warmed up the audience, which was a collective of elder citizens from all walks of life, all of whom enjoy the show in peace, harmony and unity. How beautiful a sight it was.

Beginning with “Rough Rider,” originally by Prince Buster, Dave Wakeling and his troupe began meticulously wading through a collection of Ska hits that consisted of both tracks by The Beat and other surprises, such as “Tenderness” by General Public, “I’ll Take You There,” by The Staple Singers, “Can’t Get To Losing You” by Andy Williams and “Jackpot” by The Pioneers. Despite Wakeling being the sole original member of The Beat, who formed way back in 1978, there was still much to celebrate – and more still to dance to.

A selection of numbers originally penned by The Beat were performed, of course, including such great pieces as “Hands Off… She’s Mine”, “Twist & Crawl,” “Save It For Later,” “Whine & Grine,” “Stand Down Margaret,” “Best Friend,” “Too Nice To Talk,” “Doors Of Your Heart,” “Ranking Full Stop” and “Mirror In The Bathroom.” Of these, each was remarkably faithful to their original counterparts and performed wonderfully.

I was amazed at the energy that was expelled both on and in front of the stage, and people found ways to dance for the entire hour and a half duration of this mighty set. Toaster and vocalist Antonee First Class was formidable at readying up the gathering and for constantly reminding everyone in the room what a legend Dave Wakeling was. Relentlessly pointing out how vital he and The Beat had been in the heyday of Ska, alongside other greats such as The Specials, Madness and Bad Manners.

The ride back to Montreal was far more solemn than the one to Ottawa. Energy reserves were now fully spent, and the quest for coffee remained unfulfilled and staying awake was now by grace of the sound system in the car. Although it had just a half days excursion, we were shattered and eager to get to our respective homes, where we hoped we might be greeted by power. Electricity and heat. Along the way, it seemed as if more and more homes were returned their utilities, but a great many more still remained in darkness, hopefully for not much longer.

What a wild past few days it has been…

Written and photographed by Kieron Yates

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