Manchester Evening News Arena, 8th May 1999

I just woke up with a sore head after last night!( free beer at the b south's after party!) anyway it was a top gig and heres a review of it!!!!.........

Well.....after the hassle of confirming that we ARE actually on the guest
list we made are way into the arena with a good hour or so til the naked
ladies are on.......yawn zzzzzzzzzzz.......what can we do??? drink?? YES OF COURSE!!!!!!

Time clocks on quickly and the Barenaked ladies appear .......what a lively
bunch of crazy canadians!! they even did  a version of happy hour......which
was alot slower and only I seemed to recognise!

The best part of their set list was the end medely of songs featuring ......cher, britney spears, offspring, celine dion etc......that was hysterical!!!...... .......right....bored now get off!!!! ha ha!!!!! we want the south we want the south!!!!!

The cheers die down as the barenaked ladies go off and the lights come
up....people wander aimlessly around, well actually.....not aimlessly most
people head to the bar!

The view as I looked around the arena was of an amazing 10,000 heads and 10,000 pints....not a spare seat or beer free hand in sight!

Ooh ooh .......the lights are going down, the tannoy announces for fans to
take their seats and the cheers are deafening for the south are about to
come onstage..........
still waiting.........
waiting..
ooh ooh....that looks like rotheray,.......for it is......followed by jacqui
then Sean Welch then Dave stead then damon butcher then Dave Hemingway then the brass section.....right the show can begin .....oh hang on we're missing someone...........fans look bewildered....the cheers are faint when suddenly a figure strolls onstage wearing a zipped up anorak, sunglasses? and the everfamous baseball cap....even though we are inside a huge HOT arena! yes........ its the adorable sir Paul Heaton NOW the show CAN begin!

DUM DUM DUM ........the cheers lift the arena again......for LOOK WHAT I FOUND IN MY BEER is about to start....the band sound tight but the microphone and vocals sound tinny and awful.....Paul looks to the crew and shruggs......help me!!! the problem is fixed in no time!

Pretenders to the throne is next...........it sounds excellent it really
does!!!!
what a good song!
next comes a concoction of oldies such as 'old red eyes' , '36d' and 'you
keep it all in' which jacqui missed the first two due to a sore throat!

Paul then went off for the next 3 songs as jacqui performed 'Rotterdam,
'don't marry her' and 'everybody's talkin' all of which we brilliant sore
throat aside!!

The BEST song they perfromed had to be 'THE SLIDE' the gospel choir came on and it sounded absolutely brilliant!!! sent a shiver down my spine!!

After wards Paul announced that he was giving up smoking and just
laughed......was he joking? who can tell!!
then he said..........'It's my birthday tomorrow and someone brought a cake
on for him....he looked really embarrassed then the gospel choir broke out
into 'Happy birthday'......... it was cool!!!!

The end soon came.........they were off.......lights dimmed atmosphere
brightened......
'we want more'
'we want more!!!!'

And before you could say 'beer' they were back on and straight into 'THE
TABLE' with NO mention of it being a single....doh!!!!
then they did the brilliant anthem.......'Good as gold'  which I just had to
stand up for and dance! to finish with....the ever gorgeous ballad ......... 'One last love song' that said it all........... the silence in the arena for that..........WOW!!!!!!

What a gig!
For the first time on my life I was actually GLAD that a b south gig was
over cos I was looking forward to the after show frolics!!!!!! heh heh!!!!!!

well I walked in and got talking to Dave Hemingway's mum.......she kept
saying how lovely I was and that she loved my hair!!!!!!
she was adorable!!!! god bless her!!! she made sandwiches for us all too!!
then..........I saw Dave stead and Sean and got their autographs!
then this is the best part for me..........JACQUI ABBOTT came upto ME and said.....'I know you......you work in st helens dont you?? ' I was
like.......'yeah'!!! ha ha!!! wow!!!!!!! jacqui wanted to talk to me and she RECOGNISED ME!!!!! wahey!
Next I was talking to Gary (percussion) and gaz (sax) they were the funniest
people there!!!!
Unfortunately Paul and Dave Rotheray didn't turn up......but I dint mind cos
I've met them loads anyway....I've NEVER met any of the others so I was glad!!

Hemingway's mum introduced me to her gorgeous son and DONT believe the rumors....I thought he was really small.........everyone says I am tall!!!!
I'm 5ft 9" .......he was the same height as me!!!!! yay!!!!! I was soooo
chuffed! he was really sweet too!!!!

The whole band and crew are just excellent and the after party was great ......short but great.........free Budweiser too!!!!!

I've waffled far too much already but theres so much to waffle about!!!
oh yeah I also met RICHARD (OF LFW) its a small world innit? oh by the way..........nice tat rich!!!
right well im off now and I'm taking my bad Budweiser head with me!!! take care

and enjoy your gig if you haven't been yet!!!
all the best!
Jude Heaton