The Beat was founded by Paul Collins, who spent his pre-teens living in Greece, Vietnam and Europe before returning to his native New York. He studied at the prestigious Julliard Music School and eventually moved to San Francisco where he joined songwriter Jack Lee and bassist Peter Case to form The Nerves in 1974. The Nerves proved to be one of the pioneers of the burgeoning US punk rock scene, releasing their own 4 song EP which included the classic “Hanging on the Telephone,” later to become a hit for Blondie. After The Nerves disbanded, Collins moved to LA and formed The Beat in 1977. Under management with legendary concert promoter Bill Graham, The Beat earned a record deal and toured the world during the 70s and 80s, playing with The Police, The Cure, The Jam and Joe Jackson. The Beat made numerous TV appearances around the world and recorded their popular debut self-titled album with producer Bruce Botnick, who had produced The Doors. In the ’90s, The Beat re-formed as Paul Collins’ Beat and continues to write and tour. This year, Paul Collins' Beat have released a new studio album, a follow-up to last year's critically acclaimed album "Flying High." In addition, Paul Collins' Beat have released live in Europe, an album featuring guitar-crunching new versions of the old songs in addition to new material.