The Selecter. Photograph used with kind permission by MP Promotions.
The 2 Tone legends The Selecter and The Beat are teaming up to give fans a rare treat, hitting the road together and coming to Liverpool’s Olympia in a Christmas treat to put what is under your tree to shame and outshine every bit of tinsel, glitter and bauble that can be found inside even the most decorated of houses this winter.
Life-long friends, they are two of the main bands to come out of 2 Tone, a crucial musical and cultural movement which is still as relevant today as it was over 30 years ago. Renowned for their energetic live shows, longevity has not diminished either band’s ability to put in a performance and get everyone in a room, or field, dancing. Don’t miss arguably two of the best live bands around playing full sets of their many hits this Christmas..
The Selecter is led by their iconic frontwoman Pauline Black, alongside an incredible talented band of musicians, and co-fronted by original member Arthur “Gaps” Hendrickson. The anarchic passion that fuelled Selecter gigs during the 2 Tone era is still there, except the pair (Pauline & Gaps) are more driven than ever.
Their confidence is sky-high and they’re also writing the best songs of their career, which is saying something given the enduring popularity of hits like Three Minute Hero, Missing Words and On My Radio. Their latest album, Subculture, was mixed by U.K. dub-master Prince Fatty and released to critical acclaim in June 2015.
The Beat fronted by Ranking Roger released their spectacular fourth album Bounce (the first in over 30 years) in September 2016. The album shows off every gleaming aspect of one of the most musically diverse bands to come out of the multiracial, multicultural explosion that remade British pop from 1979 onwards.
Joining Roger in the revitalised band is his son Ranking Junior AKA Matthew Murphy a powerhouse MC who brings to the band an update on the toasting that made Ranking Roger such a pivotal part of the original Beat. The same energy that drove the hit singles of the 80s; Mirror In The Bathroom, Stand Down Margaret and Too Nice To Talk To is here again on the new album.
A night of legendary music that defined a generation, that set the tone of culture and passion for a genre that has never declined, The Selecter and The Beat, two bands, one heart, one great evening of music at the Olympia, don’t miss out.
The Selecter and The Beat will be at Olympia in Liverpool on December 23rd. Tickets are on sale now from the Box office on 0844 8000 410 or online at www.liverpoololympia.com/. Tickets are priced at £25.
For a review of The Selecter’s night at The East Village Arts Centre in Liverpool in 2015 go to