It has been reported by the Hull Daily Mail that The Beautiful South are to reform, in fact they never “really split up”. Read the full interview below:
Members of the Beautiful South, who announced a decision to split two years ago after 19 years together, are reforming under the name The New Beautiful South.
The Beautiful South shot to fame with A Little Time in 1990, their only number one single, and went on to become one of the UK’s biggest bands.
Singers David Hemingway and Alison Wheeler are teaming up with drummer David Stead for a gig at the Welly Club in Beverley Road, city centre, on March 29.
Original frontman Paul Heaton, guitarist David Rotheray and bassist Sean Welch have opted not to rejoin.
However, guitarist Phil Barton will complete the line-up with original backing musicians Gary Hammond, Damon Butcher, Tony Robinson and Kev Brown, and will play in Hull and King Tut’s in Glasgow before heading off on a UK tour later this year.
David Stead said: “We never really split up – all that happened was Paul made the decision to leave. But Dave, Alison and I wanted to continue. We’ve been twiddling our thumbs for a while, but this is what we do best.
“There are still an awful lot of people out there who want to hear our music and we still want to play it.
“We’re going to be playing all our greatest hits and the old favourites along with a few new songs.”
The Beautiful South was formed in 1989 from the ashes of The Housemartins and had a string of hits including Perfect 10, You Keep It All In and Old Red Eyes. The band’s album Carry On Up The Charts was one of the biggest sellers in British pop history.
However, their success waned in the years before the split, with later albums failing to achieve the commercial success of earlier offerings.
Paul Heaton dabbled in a solo career, recording under the guise of Biscuit Boy aka Crackerman, but made little impact on the charts.
Finally, in 2007, the band decided to split due to “musical similarities”.
In the meantime, Paul Heaton has relaunched his solo career, releasing his album The Cross–Eyed Rambler last summer.
David Rotheray also formed a new band, Homespun, and released three albums, warmly received by critics, but achieving little commercial success, and the band split last year.
Fan Elaine Ainsworth, who attended an exclusive Beautiful South gig at the Welly in 2003, said she was excited.
Elaine, 47, of Buttfield Road, Hessle, said: “I think it’s brilliant news. It’s a bit of a shock because I didn’t think they would get back together.”
Tickets for the Welly gig go on sale at 9am on Monday and are available from www.giveitsomewelly.com
Tickets are also available from The Chinese Laundry in Queens Gardens and from Beasley in the Hepworth Arcade.
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