A BIT OF A CRUSH NOW ACTUALLY.... DAVE WAKELING AND THE ENGLISH BEAT!

(C) Dan Sultana

Retro:Kimmer meets Dave Wakeling of The English Beat (so cute)


Kimmer and Dave Wakeling of The English Beat

Retro: Kimmer was invited to cover The English Beat show in Ferndale MI last night and our specifications were a 20 minute interview and no flash photos for the first three songs. A bit tough as I like to video a few songs to share with my readers. But I did do live video with Dave and I alone which was a lot of fun! Watch them he is so charming and fun.


Hatter with a big Beat Fan! Nice Tour bus for the band!

Grabbed my Detroit Rock n Roll Icon driver buddy Stanley T. Madhatter and asked my pal expert photographer Dan Sultana to come out and shoot stills with me (aqs he is much better...) Dan and I had both sides of the stage covered but the lighting is so bad in these clubs. Why don't these clubs turn off those colored lights until after the third song then use them? Or let us use flash......

The traffic was rush hour and my jeep was just about to over heat but we got there and just as I walked up to the back door of The Magic Bag, the door opens and it's DAVE! Sweet! I said, Dave!, I am Kimmer and I am here to interview you and shoot your show. He had no idea that I interview on video and not taped for writing it later like a music reviewer might do.

I explained the impact blog promotion had now for entertainers and virtually any project you need and international audience to see. Dave grasped that concept quickly and we went into the theater to find a light place to film. We found a table right by the front window, perfect!

Bit of a chat part 1



When I first started some research I wanted to know about the famous "Tear Drop" guitar that Dave plays. so I called my client and guitar HERO Deniz Tek of Radio Birdman to find out the details behind this guitar. Of course Deniz knew the guitar was a Vox Mark III Teardrop. (He knows them all) Deniz told me that Brian Jones first made it famous using it with the Stones in 1965. Deniz said Vox has a release of them now see them HERE


Brian Jones and Teardrop


Dave and his original Teardrop

Dave and I talked off camera about his guitars and he told me that he gave his original to the Rock Hall of Fame and he plays a newer one that is customized to his specs.


The English Beat Equipment photo: (C) Dan Sultana
2 Vox Mark III's (Teardrops) and a red Fender Telecaster

One of my favorite songs of all time is Can't Get Used to Losing You and though Andy Williams does the beautiful smooth 60's original Dave does the most gorgeous and very romantic version of that song and with a faster hipper ska beat. I am nuts about this song.

Love this video



Dave explains the origination of British ska music evolution in this video:



It was the Hatter that magically provided a cup of coffee for Dave while we were shooting too funny his arm comes in through the door and hands Dave the coffee!



Here is Dave chatting about his 17 new hit songs absolute smashes coming soon!



We had a lovely time with the oh so handsome charming DAVE and his band was out of this world. That club was packed to the rafters with his fans and singing every song along with him. It was marvelous to watch! Here is a little slide show from my favorite photographer in Detroit Dan Sultana with a few of mine mixed in! Mine are the outside and Dan's from inside the venue.