THE flagon waving, footie crazy gang from Hull have seen their popularity go through the roof since the release of their greatest hits package, Carry On Up The Charts, and even though their current album, Blue Is The Colour, comes across a bit blandly, the fan fervour has not been watered down at all. Carry On... was one of 1994's biggest selling albums and, if hits could kill, then Paul Heaton and his team should keep knocking em dead right into the next century.
It wasn't surprising that t'South sold out Dublin's Olympia in short order, but disappointed fans will gain some comfort from the fact that the band will be playing The Point next March 30th. Meanwhile, back at the Dame Street venue on Saturday night, Heato is slouching onstage in his trademark anorak, nonchalantly delivering Have Fun in a superb baritone, after which Jacqui Abbott offers a rather ordinary rendition of Everybody's Talking. Everything's looking sedate and safe down South so far.
Then Dave Hemmingway returns to the mic, grabs 36D in both hands, and suddenly everything begins to lift and separate. Guitarist Dave Rotheray shuffles happily around the stage in that strange looking hat and the brass section gets everything swinging with eye popping abandon. Game on, I think.
Jacqui and Heato light up fags and get settled into Blackbird On A Wire and One Last Love Song, then Heato steps into his sodden alter ego for the staggering Ol' Red Eyes Is Back. "The Sunday People say I'm a drunken yob", he tells the crowd, then gives them a look of mock incredulity. When he does his Tom Waits bit for the boozy ballad, Liar's Bar, however, you just know the papers are wrong. No yob could write such a pointed pub anthem.
Woman In The Wall provides an uproarious climax, the brass section coming down stage front and skanking with the singers, while the crowd do their best to lambada in the moshpit. Alone is low key by comparison, but when Heato is left alone onstage, intoning the final refrain in that lonely lilt, there's a palpable thrill in the air.
The show ends with what must be The Beautiful South's manifesto for the future, Carry On Regardless. I'll drink to that.
