The South – taking timeless classics back on road

The band that formed from the ashes of The Beautiful South will do what they do best – perform the songs of that great British pop institution, The Beautiful South, to the thousands of fans of those timeless classics.

The South are an impressive nine-piece band who feature former members of The Beautiful South including singer Alison Wheeler and lifelong sax player Gaz Birtles.

Since Dave Hemingway, the original singer, left the group at the end of 2016, Gaz has moved across to front the band with Alison and taken on vocal duties.

Since the demise of The Beautiful South in 2007, this exciting live band have spent 11 years touring the theatres and festivals of the UK up and down the country, bringing back the full sound and arrangements of these treasured songs – A Little Time (the number one single), Perfect 10, Rotterdam, Song For Whoever, Old Red Eyes Is Back, Good as Gold, Don’t Marry Her plus many more singles and album tracks as well as a few choice South originals. These songs span an impressive 18-year career starting way back in 1989!

They will play Bilston’s Robin 2 on December 11 and tickets are available at http://thesouth.co.uk/tour-dates/

Gaz has played the venue more times than he cares to remember and is looking forward to a return next week.

“The Robin is a great venue. I won’t say it’s rough and ready but it’s most definitely tried and tested. The Robin is the only place that we generally play in that part of the world. It’s always a warm welcome.”

The pandemic hit The South hard, with the band unable to play live shows and deciding against recording new music.

“Like everyone else, we’ve been sitting at home and doing the garden. It was a strange old time. I got it myself last year, last November, so that was fun.”

Gaz has been with the band from day one and performed in every show when Paul Heaton was a member. “I was the sax player from day one in 1989 and did every show they did. Then with The South I did that for seven years. Then the singer, Dave Hemmingway, left and it was either the case of the band disbanding or getting another singer. I’ve been a singer in my own band for a long time so I decided to give it a go.

“There’s more responsibility singing, it’s a different kettle of fish compared with playing the sax. Because there’s two of us singing, we take it in turns talking to the audience. Myself and Alison work as a good team. To sing these songs and do them justice I’ve had to work hard because Paul Heaton wrote some incredible numbers.”

Ah yes, Paul Heaton. The brains behind The Housemartins and then The Beautiful South remains one of the UK’s pre-eminent songwriters and it’s his work that the band continue to bring to life.

“It’s all about the songs. Of course it is. But I think we are doing real justice to them, it’s about some cracking songs that Paul and Dave Rotheray wrote.”