This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
English Beat leader Dave Wakeling has been a longtime favorite at The Depot, but will headline The State Room for the first time.
The 57-year-old native of England is a content, sockless man who lives in Malibu, though he has one regret: His birth name doesn't befit the leader of a legendary ska band.
"If I knew I was going to be in a group, I would have named myself Dave Danger," he joked.
The 2 Tone ska revival band, founded in 1978, will play all of Wakeling's hits, from The English Beat's "Mirror in the Bathroom" and "Save It for Later" to General Public's "Tenderness."
While those songs avoid the political, many of Wakeling's songs address evils in the world, from nuclear arms to war. He remembers watching the news with his father when he was 11 and seeing footage of the Six-Day War involving Israel and Egypt, Jordan and Syria.
Wakeling remembered finding the footage "repugnant" and realizing that war was "self-defeating."
He was asked if pop and politics should go together. He replied, "Only if you're singing to human beings."
When • Thursday, 8 p.m.Where • The State Room, 638 S. State St., Salt Lake CityTickets • $40 at thestateroom.com