WOLVERHAMPTON, England -- Young eyes were dazzled by the headlamp-style glare of multicolored lights, and their upturned faces were painted in laser-beam fluorescence.

Bluetones singer Mark Morriss erupted onto the stage in a print shirt and flares. And the girls went wild.

Soaring confidently through a mixture of songs from old and new albums, the Bluetones were anything but blue last Wednesday at Wolverhampton Civic Hall. "They seem almost triumphant," said Lucy Salt, 24, from Birmingham, England. "They look really happy, and it shows in the music, I think."

As soon as the first chords of the band's latest single, "Solomon Bites The Worm," reverberated from the speakers, the huge cheer from the mosh pit confirmed what many in the crowd already knew about the Bluetones.

"Long time no see," Morriss said, referring to the band's relative absence since its 1996 album, Expecting To Fly.

Now that they had returned, local teen-agers dominated the capacity crowd in their elaborately put-together outfits, designed to look as unplanned as possible, but all identical to each other: baggy trousers and tight, logoed T- shirts, and every pair of feet sported a pair of flat Adidas trainers. Though the average age of the audience was 15, the evening was surprisingly sophisticated and flowed smoothly through past and present Bluetones classics.

An exceptional singer and showman, Morriss really seemed to care about the lyrics he sang, emoting with every line. His actions, whether it was the way his voice soared or the way his body contorted, actually matched the mood of the songs, a nice change from the uniform tambourine-bashing and "ironic," soldier- like stance of the supporting bands.

The Bluetones' sound was huge and full, and from the night's airing of new material, nobody will be disappointed with their new album, Return to the Last Chance Saloon. "What a night!" said 17-year-old Emma Bloom of Birmingham as she stood at the stage door after the show. "I can't wait for the next tour."

"I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce our new friend, Richard," announced Morriss, halfway through the evening, before cryptically reciting half of Lewis Carroll's poem "Jabberwocky." Very rock 'n' roll, and quite an effective way of presenting the Bluetones' new keyboard player. Full marks for originality and a bonus point for effort. This tour has clearly been choreographed and stage- managed: The set was carefully arranged after the support bands to hide as much wire as possible; the drummer, Eds Chesters, was raised on a separately lit platform; and the elaborate lighting made even this small venue feel like the Royal Albert Hall.

The tracks from the new album were a little more subdued than Expecting To Fly's clangy dissatisfaction. "Sky Will Fall" is a gorgeous, melodious and, at times, cacophonous ballad in a melancholy, well, blue tone. The band's next scheduled single release, "If ... ," was definitely the most requested song. "It's so gorgeous. In fact, I have to admit, that song is inspiring to me," whispered Claire James, a 15-year-old from Wolverhampton.

Superstardom may have taken its toll on the Bluetones, however. They were unable to leave the building without the required two-and-a-half hours of "chilling" in the Stage Bar after the concert. And that did not exactly sit well with some of the Bluetones' fans.

"Right, that's it," Bloom said after half an hour in the cold. "I can't be bothered to wait any longer. Primal Scream were out signing autographs in 15 minutes. I'm off."

The Bluetones may be great, but there's only so much waiting around that their fans can take.