Perfectly Soul-less

23 Oct 1998
Written by Lisa Verrico

Courtesy of B. Gross

(Forum) Few bands boast as broad a cross-section of fans as the Beautiful South. The capacity crowd at London's Forum on Wednesday evening saw T-shirt-clad teenagers and office workers still in their suits jostle for space alongside kissing couples and mums and dads on a hip night out. The group's wide appeal was easy to understand. Soft rock songs and saccharine melodies seduce the MOR-minded, while spiky, sharply observed lyrics appealed to those who prefer their pop with an edge.

Regardless of musical taste, the Beautiful South's apathy for fashion was refreshing. Singers Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway sauntered on stage looking as if they were about to vacate the venue. Both wore jeans and bulky anoraks, while Heaton also sported a baseball cap. Not that their outfits underwent any scrutiny. The roar that greeted the appearance of the ten-strong band - which included a three-piece brass section - was an early indication that the audience was to prove easily pleased.

With 16 hit singles to their name, the Beautiful South could have opted for a greatest hits package. Instead, only a few old favourites, including You Keep It All In, Domino Man and Let Love Speak Up For Itself, were scattered throughout a 21-song set which relied largely on material from the group's brand new album, Quench. Bizarrely for a band which places so much importance on abstract storytelling, it was not the ballads, but the poppier, up-tempo tracks which worked best. Particularly impressive were the former single Don't Marry Her, the current hit Perfect 10 and the new song Your Father And I, all of which featured the feisty female vocalist Jacqueline Abbott retorting in verse to the two front men.

As usual, the star of the show was songwriter Heaton, although he tried to play down his role by leaving the stage whenever he was not needed. His versatile voice took on the characters of the songs, cheeky and suggestive on Perfect 10, gruff and bluesy on Liar's Bar, angelic and apologetic on Old Red Eyes Is Back.

Inevitably, rapturous applause greeted the end of the 90-minute set, which was note-perfect and entertaining, but distinctly lacked soul. Perhaps knowing that the Forum audience would adore whatever the band played took away some of the excitement. Or maybe the Beautiful South tried too hard to make the show a family affair.