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On this day, 14 April 1997, pop/rock band Beautiful South played Cardiff International Arena, with support provided be Space.
Formed in 1988 by Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway, two former members of the Hull group The Housemartins, both of whom performed lead and backing vocals.
Other members throughout the band's existence were former Housemartins roadie Sean Welch (bass), Dave Stead (drums) and Dave Rotheray (guitar). The band's original material was written by the team of Heaton and Rotheray.
The 1997 UK tour was in support of their most recent album Blue Is The Colour released in October 1996.
The album spawned 4 singles, the first being "Rotterdam", which peaked at No. 5 in the charts in September 1996.
The follow-ups were "Don't Marry Her" which reached No. 8 in December, "Blackbird on the Wire", which got to No. 23 in March 1997, and finally the single "Liar's Bar" which just missed the Top 40 in June.
The lyrics to "Don't Marry Her" were substantially altered for radio release – changing from "Don't marry her, f**k me" to "Don't marry her, have me", and with "sweaty b*llocks" becoming "Sandra Bullocks". On "Liars' Bar", Paul Heaton's vocal consciously imitates the style of Tom Waits, while in "Alone" the bass line serves as another allusion to him. The album itself topped the album charts on 2 November 1996.
Setlist
We Are Each Other
Tonight I Fancy Myself
Have Fun
Mirror
The Sound of North America
Everybody's Talkin'
(Fred Neil cover)
Blackbird on the Wire
Old Red Eyes Is Back
36D
Domino Man
Hold on to What?
Don't Marry Her
Liars' Bar
You Keep It All In
Rotterdam (Or Anywhere)
Pretenders to the Throne
Encore:
Your Loving Arms
One Last Love Song
Lean on Me
(Bill Withers cover)
Encore 2:
Good as Gold (Stupid as Mud)
Alone
