SharePaul Heaton performing his 2024 UK Tour at The Motorpoint Arena Nottingham on Saturday 7th December 2024.
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
The former front man of The Housemartins and The Beautiful South, Paul Heaton, brought his rich catalogue of songs to a sold out Motorpoint Arena on Saturday night, and with ticket prices pegged at £35 he assured that he and his band were accessible to all.
Touring to promote his latest album, The Mighty Several, he and his band walked on stage to the strains of Robin Hood and launched into a set that covered The Housemartins, The Beautiful South, work with Jacqui Abbott and his more recent solo work.
Looking more like a relief supply teacher with his glasses and trademark anorak, he opened with new song Just Another Family which had to be stopped because of a medical incident in the crowd, but once that was dealt with he quickly followed it by The Housemartins Sheep and The Beautiful South’s Old Red Eyes Is Back with its fantastic pub-piano rush and caustic wordplay that was an early highlight.
With Abbott no longer able to play any part, the lead and harmonic duties have fallen to Rianne Downey, billed as a special guest. In total contrast to Abbott she offered a sharp counter point to Heaton visually but she also offered a new depth and colour with her voice whilst she never kept still for a moment.
There were classic hits from every era, The Beautiful South’s Bell Bottomed Tear and Good As Gold (Stupid As Mud), The Housemartins Me And The Farmer and We’re Not Deep as well as Heaton and Abbotts I Don’t See Them and Heatongrad, which all demonstrated his knack for a fine melody with lyrics that are both romantic and yet have a cutting edge, non more evident on A Little Time which saw the crowd joining in to sing along to his observational lyrics, and of course nobody but Heaton would write a song entitled Fish ‘n’ Chip Supper.
Song For Whoever, always one of his best songs, hung wonderfully off Downey’s tones, while a joyful romp through the filthy Don’t Marry Her conjured one of the biggest reactions of the night, and for the final straight there was Happy Hour and Perfect 10.
The night ended on a perfect note with Rotterdam (Or Anywhere) before his fans went wild for the a capella doo-wop of Caravan Of Love as huge balloons floated amongst the crowd, and judging by their reaction, there was a huge feeling of mutual respect and appreciation for one of pop music’s most unassuming stars.
