Life After The Beautiful South

It’s hard being a musician in a band. It might be harder to go solo, but not in all ways. The problem with bands is that the good ones last five to ten years. Think about that. You spend your early life trying to get good and get noticed, and then it’s over before you hit 30.

The front man (or woman) have a higher profile and usually find it easier, though not easy, to start again. We have unashamedly focused our first season on Paul Heaton as the driving force of both the Housemartins and the Beautiful South. Although this is correct, at least to our memories of that time, it is decidedly one-sided. Paul did not write all the songs. Not by any stretch. This was never supposed to be a one-season show, and we have more planned.

Flag Day was the first single by the Housemartins and Paul wrote it alongside Ted and Stan. Stan was a massive figure in the Housemartins and it was his own choice to stop when that band broke up. He has never returned to the music business in any noticeable way. Stan co-wrote Happy Hour, which remains the most-streamed Housemartins song.

By the time the Beautiful South formed, Dave Rotheray was the main co-writer alongside Paul Heaton. This gives those early songs a decidedly Hull foundation. But another Dave, Dave Hemingway deserves recognition too, and he is remembered in episode three.

I am very happy to share that Dave Hemingway has started a new band, Sunbirds, which is on the country side that I enjoy so much, with a female singer and violinist bringing a new dimension to affairs. It is enjoyable listening and Hull fans will love the first track from Cool To Be Kind, their debut album.

Meet You On The Northside is Dave’s tribute to his Hull beginnings, and his Hull present. They will play an important show at the New Adelphi in Hull on June 19th 2021. The New Adelphi was key to the early Housemartins and is covered in episode three as well, as coincidence would have it.