Two of the 90s biggest selling bands are heading to Middlesbrough Town Hall in December and are guaranteed to warm those winter woes with a fistful of feel good tracks.

Both formed in the late 80s, Irish legends The Saw Doctors and ex-Beautiful South, now known as The South have had 18 top 10 hits and 4 number 1 records between them.

The Saw Doctors make their welcome return to Middlesbrough Town Hall on Wednesday 15 December. The band have had an impressive year, a highlight being their return to Glastonbury Festival, and now they top it off with a UK tour to promote their newest record The Further Adventures of The Saw Doctors, which was recently launched long time fan Peter Kay in Dublin.

Although the Saw Doctors have released only six studio albums over their two-decade career, their live shows have brought them international renown. The band will be performing new tracks, and old favourites such as It Won’t Be Tonight, N17, Red Cortina and their first number one, I Useta Lover, which still holds the record for Ireland’s all-time biggest-selling single.

“If The Saw Doctors could bottle the sort of bonhomie that can make an entire concert hall feel better, they would have the medicine show to end them all”. The Times

Having split in 2007 due to “musical similarities” original Beautiful South members Dave Hemingway & Alison Wheeler (Vocals), Dave Stead (Drums), Damon Butcher (keys), Tony Robinson and Gaz Birtles (brass) have now reformed as The South.

From forming in the late 80’s to splitting in 2007, The Beautiful South sold over 15 million albums worldwide and had a string of hit singles such as Old Red Eyes Is Back, Rotterdam, Don’t Marry Her, Perfect 10 and Number One single A Little Time.

Their greatest hits album, Carry on up the Charts, was one of the fastest-selling albums in UK history, entering at Number One and staying there for weeks, becoming one of the country’s most popular albums ever.

The band will be resurrecting the songs and the sounds of this Great British Pop institution by dipping into the Beautiful South songbook as well as writing new material.

Support for the night comes from former Little Man Tate lead singer, John Windle.

• The Saw Doctors perform on Wednesday 15 December, 7.30pm. Tickets are priced £20.
• The South plus support from John Windle perform on Thursday 16 December, 8pm. Tickets are priced £20 adv.

Tickets can be booked on 01642 729729 and online at www.seetickets.com.

By Ciara on November 4, 2010