Paul Heaton & Cerys Matthews
Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton
By Emma Farmer

When a relationship finishes after 20 or so years it’s quite often difficult to pick yourself up and start over.

In Paul Heaton’s case the relationship was with the Beautiful South but it would seem starting afresh is no problem.

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Backed by a comparatively simple arrangement of former Fall guitarist Steve Trafford, Tom Chapman on bass and Brian Edwards on drums, Heaton, is attempting to turn back time and did so rather well in front of a busy if not full, crowd of appreciative followers.

But it wasn’t just Heaton who’d come to remind the Wulfrun audience of his talents.

Former Catatonia leading lady Cerys Matthews backed only by guitar for all but one track charmed the audience with her distinctive vocals on Chardonnay through to her closing track, her interpretation of Elvis’s Love Me Tender.

Arriving on stage to the Theme from Get Carter, Heaton produced a sound that is at times reminiscent of The Housemartins.

Tracks including Mermaids and Slaves and God Bless Texas bring an upbeat and rocky sound while Poems showed the singer-songwriter’s haunting vocals off to their best.

Heaton’s new single Little Red Rooster brought touches of country to the set with Good Old Fashioned Town passing on, as ever, a message from the man who has never been one to shy away from politics in music.

There’s also more banter between songs than in Beautiful South days, and the show was brought into the 21st Century with a mobile phone bluetooth competition to win three whiskeys from the man himself.

He delivered material from his first solo album under his own name and with closing encore tracks of Deckchair Collapsed and Everything is Everything, “Heato” as the crowd chanted, proved he’s still got what it takes.