Top Ranking

The country was sinking into recession, unemployment was climbing, shops and factories were closing down, crime was on the rise, and politicians were regarded with suspicion.

Three decades on, and the ska rockers, inset, are back. And, (cough!) what a different world we live in!

A cult act throughout the late 70s and early 80s, the Birmingham collective fused punk, reggae, soul and rock into dance-heavy pop with highly political lyrics.

Signed by Jerry Dammers of The Specials to his iconic 2 Tone label, the band joined Selector, Madness and, of course, The Specials, at the forefront of the ska revival.

2 Tone single Tears of a Clown (a cover of the Smokey Robinson hit), was followed by hits Mirror in the Bathroom, Hands Off... She’s Mine, Too Nice To Talk to, Can’t Get Used to Losing You, and the blatantly partisan Stand Down Margaret, on their own Go Feet label, and saw frontman Dave Wakeling playing off his crystalline cool against the naked energy of Jamaican-style ‘toaster’ (rapper) Ranking Roger, left.

The whole thing came off the rails in the mid-80s, with the band splitting into two rival groups – Fine Young Cannibals and General Public – with Roger later joining Mick Jones of The Clash in the short-lived but influential Big Audio Dynamite.

And that’s how things would have stayed, had the band not been invited to get back together for a one off show.

The gig at The Royal Festival Hall in 2003 was a triumph, enjoyed by the band as much as the crowd – both of which realised what they had been missing out on all those years. And they have gigged sporadically since then.

Now, however, the union is complete, with a new album in the pipeline, and a major tour underway – which on Thursday hits Oxford.

“It’s very exciting,” Roger tells the Guide, speaking from his home in Birmingham – a city he has stayed loyal to throughout his life.

“It’s our 30th anniversary, so we are digging out the old numbers we haven’t done for 25 years, but playing new tunes as well.

And the band – who were at the forefront of the anti-racism and nuclear disarmament movements – have lost none of their dynamism.

“We are a lively band and love to get a crowd going,” he says. “And we are just as political.

“As long as we have war in the world, we need to be there arguing against it, reminding people they don’t need to kill each other.”

While they were always big on racial harmony, Roger and Co were also intent on breaking down barriers between musical camps.

“What the Beat did, along with bands like The Specials and Selector, is show the whole nation there is a strong union between punk and reggae,” he explains.

“It brought people together in unity – and it didn’t matter what colour they were. It was a bit like the rave scene that followed.

“It didn’t matter who you were, it was all about the music – and dressing in the right way.

“We didn’t just get together three white guys and three black guys and call ourselves a 2 Tone band. It just ended up that way. Anyone who had the right sound was part of it.

“The sound was unpredictable, and came of its own accord. We didn’t plan it.”

But they weren’t entirely into the trademark sharp-suited 2 Tone style.

“The Specials were responsible for creating that iconic look,” he admits.

“We didn’t go in for that so much and tried to get away from it as we realised fashions only last for a certain amount of time. We saw the clothes were becoming a uniform.”

Which is why Roger, 46, spends much of his gigs stripped to the waist, working up a sweaty lather.

“We see ourselves more of a danceband than a ska band,” he says.

“Coming to see The Beat is a phenomenal experience. We attract all sorts of people from all backgrounds and ages.

“And while we are chaotic, we never have any trouble. Our fans are a great bunch.

“I never thought, 30 years ago, that one day I’d get great big skinheads coming up telling me I’d changed their lives.

“Some had been racists and in the National Front and said we’d helped save them.

“In the past, I’d have run up an alley to get away from them, thinking they were going to beat me up!”

In an endearing, and interesting twist, Roger these days appears on stage with his son Ranking Junior – known to the band as ‘Murphy’.

“He has always been proud of what I do. Then when he was 15 he asked if he could join me at a couple of shows in the area,” he recalls.

“We both share the same love of what we do. That’s what we are about!”

The Beat play the O2 Academy, Oxford on Thursday. Doors open at 7pm. Tickets are £15 in advance.