Beautiful South to head north for their big reunion

Jan 19 2009 by Neil Atkinson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

HIT band The Beautiful South are to reform two years after splitting – and will fittingly return with a gig back in their old haunts.

The band, who shot to fame with their number one single ‘A Little Time’ in

1990 and went on to become one of the country’s favourite bands with hits such as ‘Perfect Ten’ and ‘Don’t Marry Her’, are re-launching as The New Beautiful South.

And a Huddersfield musician will be back in the line-up.

David Stead will be behind the drumkit in March when the band – which played two sell-out concerts at Huddersfield’s Galpharm Stadium – step on stage in front of their adoring public in Hull for an intimate homecoming gig.

Singers David Hemingway and Alison Wheeler along with drummer David Stead have rejoined, although the distinctive tones of original frontman Paul Heaton will be missing as he continues his solo career.

But guitarist Phil Barton has returned together with four original backing musicians and the Hull gig will be a prelude to a full UK tour later in the year.