Paul Heaton w/Cerys Matthews
@ HUU Asylum, Hull
9th November 08
For many students, Paul Heaton might as well be another discarded name picked up on an intoxicated night of fun and debauchery. Not many will recognise him as the lyrical driving force behind the Beautiful South and The Housemartins. Fewer students will realise that within his songs he has created some of the greatest poetry to ever come out of Hull, matching even the iconic figure of Phillip Larkin. The difference is that Paul Heaton writes and sings for the poor man, too literary illiterate to pick up a copy of Whitsun Weddings.
As we entered Asylum we were greeted by a sea of balding heads, the absence of skinny jeans and chequered shirts within the Paul Heaton manifesto had kept most of the student population ignorant to this man’s homecoming gig. The students who did attend, were treated to the musical styling’s of the supporting band, Attic Lights. This Glaswegian five piece produced catchy pop music infused with a young rock beat which certainly got the feet tapping. A hard job to do, considering they were playing to Hulls finest, having an average age at least twenty years older than the front man. Gracing the stage next was Cerys Matthews, a Welsh stunner, who remarkably with her charm and folk talent managed to make us feel that we were sitting in a rural pub, lost somewhere in the Welsh mountains rather than Asylum. Captivating and beautiful, many would argue that she stole the spotlight from under Paul Heaton’s nose.
When Paul entered onto the stage, he was greeted by chants of “Heat-o” and responded with a bashful smile. Not a man of cheap words, he launched into the music with a quick “thank you”. I was slightly disappointed that he sung primarily from his new album, which has its occasional tunes but doesn’t compare to the much adored back catalogue at his disposal. This may be a typical “Heato” sign, showing us that the Beautiful South days are gone and Paul Heaton is here to stay. His new album The Cross-eyed Rambler does have attention grabbing tunes such as I Do and Mermaids and Slaves, a return to the old lyricism of by-gone days. Musically, it’s back to basics, moving away from the polished studio sound of the Beautiful South, with a rawness that has been heavily influenced by folk and blues. With most of the words obscured by the rhythmic tempo and P.A system, I look forward to sitting down and really getting to grips with The Cross Eyed Rambler.
Tommy ‘TP’ Peel
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