It's the stuff of dreams: You are on stage, lead singer of one of the best ska bands around, announcing, "I'd like to welcome on stage with me my son, Junior Ranking".

Even now, a year after Ranking Roger and son first teamed up and stole the show, he can hardly sing for the proud grin on his face every time he introduces his offspring.

It's hardly surprising - only just old enough to take down the pub and your son is there alongside you on stage looking for all the world as if ska was in his blood.

Ranking and Junior are not just a cute father-and-son combo, a one-off gimmick whose novelty will wear off.

Weeks of rehearsals could not have seen the synchronisation between father and son flow so effortlessly.

They bounced through the set which included classics such as Stand Down Margaret, Tears Of A Clown and Mirror In The Bathroom - the kind of tunes people know even if they think they have never heard The Beat.

As ever Rough Rider was dedicated to "the ladies" and Doors Of Your Heart tugged at the heartstrings.

Although far from the original 1979 line-up they still worked their magic, this time to a relatively young crowd.

When The Beat played in Brighton earlier this year much of the crowd looked as if they had been at their original gigs and remembered the young ska-punks who gave the proceeds of Stand Down Margaret to the CND and lent their voice to The Special AKA's Free Nelson Mandela.

Their Royal Festival Hall Performance in February 2003 was the ultimate homecoming for The Beat and their fans, and it looks as if they have no intention of stopping now.