Dave's Heading South

With hits like Song For Whoever, A Little Time, Perfect 10, Rotterdam, and the controversial Don't Marry Her, Beautiful South was almost ever-present in the charts from 1989 to 2003.
The South: Dave HemingwayThe South: Dave Hemingway
The South: Dave Hemingway

When they split up in 2006, the fans were distraught.

Not for long though, as some of the members reconvened less than two years later as The South and have continued the band’s legacy.

And what’s more, they are heading around the country for a short tour, including a show at Viva Blackpool, tomorrow.

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After Beautiful South ended, a reunion wasn’t foremost in vocalist, Dave Hemingway’s thoughts; but it happened as he explains.

“It wasn’t my choice to be honest and I didn’t think that anything else would happen once we’d disbanded. But I got a call from Dave Stead, the drummer, about 18 months after the split and suggested we carry on.

He continues. “On reflection I thought that we finished too early and that we had a bit more to offer. But I didn’t want to be just a tribute band to ourselves and I wanted to do new material.”

The band recruited Alison Wheeler from Beautiful South and here they are almost 10 years on.

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“There’s been a few line-up changes, but we have a new-ish album that we’re proud of (‘Sweet Refrains’) and have a lot to offer.”

The band hasn’t toured in a while, as Dave tells me.

“We last toured about three years ago, but it was a horrible tour as it was too long and we were on a really rubbish old bus.”

“I’m too old for stuff like that and I vowed never to do it like that again.”

“You see, I want to enjoy it as well. That tour was badly organised and had no structure to it, but now I’m refreshed and really looking forward to this one.”

The band has a pretty full set list as well.

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“Yes, we’ll revisit a lot of Beautiful South songs, play a few from ‘Sweet Refrains’ and maybe a couple of songs that we haven’t recorded yet (we’ve an album-full of songs we have to record – maybe next year). I think that people want to hear new stuff as well as the old and hopefully they’ll enjoy it.”

Dave (pictured) sums up his feelings with the words, “Hopefully everyone will have a good time, that’s what it’s all about.”

Tickets are available from the box office.

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