Live Review: The Beat, The OzSkas

What kind of crowd do you think showed up to check out seminal ‘70s Caribbean-flavoured ska band The Beat on a rainy Easter Sunday? If you guessed balding, middle-aged white guys (with their begrudging wives) you’d be spot on. Bonus points if you picked up on the fact that there’d be a world record attempt for the most consecutive “White Guy Shuffles”. These were the Oxford Dictionary definition White Guy Shuffles as well, down to the ankle lock and pivot and gleeful head snap, followed by the customary “spilling of the drinks”. The floor of the Factory Theatre got stickier on Sunday.

The modest early-bird crowd was treated to The OzSkas, featuring the energetic Carol Bernhard on vocals. They preached the fact that ska was very much alive. True. But these guys in the crowd better pass it on to their kids, quick smart!

The room had only filled to a quarter full by the time The Beat came out, likely due to the poorly timed Easter Sunday date. The crowd nonetheless made up for it with passion and jubilation. This was some people’s most anticipated gig of the year. Crowd members screamed every single lyric, determined to out-shuffle their fellow white guys. Return Of The Dread I was the early favourite, before a heartening rendition of Rock The Casbah took the best song crown. Jackpot was the encore track that had the audience singing along with its “hip-hip hooray” call and response.

Many of the songs started with such familiarity that you could have sworn it was a reprise, before realising that ska music often carries the same beat, with different lyrics and harmonies to distinguish; the ‘if it ain’t broke’ approach.

When things got familiar, entertainment was once again found in the now sweat-drenched crowd. Variations had begun to weave their way into the white guy shuffle repertoire: The “I’m running as fast as I can but not going anywhere”, the “stamping out the hate and tossing up the love” and, my personal favourite, “I’m covered in ants and they’re stinging me but I like it”, were highlights.