Paul Heaton at First Direct Arena review
“Just a little question for you,” Paul Heaton asks, owlishly peering over his spectacles as if one of Britain’s greatest kitchen-sink drama singer-songwriters happens instead to be in the midst of teaching a particularly sedate geography class rather than headlining a sold-out arena show. “Who here bought our new album, and who implicitly helped Charli XCX beat us to number one?”
There is a generous ripple of laughter for the question, which comes fully warranted - Heaton had appeared on course for another chart-topping collection, and his first without close musical partner Jacqui Abbott, in some time before the mega-selling popstar had launched a remixed edition of her hit summer album. But it is with tongue firmly in cheek; the 62-year-old has long since restored himself to big-show splendour without the need for regular record-selling success.
The former frontman of The Housemartins and The Beautiful South effectively defined British radio pop with an arch tongue and a fantastic ear for melody across the final decade-and-a-half of the last century. His return to the big leagues was far from assured after a prolonged period in the commercial wilderness, but on his third sell-out visit to the First Direct Arena, it is clear that he seems set to stay - especially with his shows still comfortably priced below the £40 mark.
READ MORE: Big name fashion brand to open new Leeds city centre store
READ MORE: Emmerdale fans all share same complaint as 'creepy' Tom goes 'beyond abuse'
A heavy swathe of material from new record The Mighty Several makes itself known across the first half, but Heaton is a canny enough operator to ensure the several-thousand fans - a lovely cross-generational mix, stretching from giggling teenagers to swooning pensioners and everything in-between - do not have to go more than a few songs without a big hit. Old Red Eyes is Back , with its fantastic pub-piano rush and caustic wordplay, is an early highlight, as is A Little Time , now firmly enshrined among the ubiquitous Radio 2 cannon for a reason.
With Abbott departed, lead and harmonic duties have fallen to Rianne Downey, billed as a special guest for the night. With her bouffant of blonde hair and pleated white dress, she offers a sharp counterpoint to the anorak-sporting Heaton visually, but offers new depth and colour with her voice too. Song for Whoever , always one of his best, hangs wonderfully off her tones, while a joyful romp through the filthy Don’t Marry Her conjures one of the biggest reactions of the night.
A dedication from Heaton to his wife and daughter with I’ll Sail This Ship Alone triggers a final home straight that gears up with the lager abandon of Happy Hour and never lets up - Perfect 10 , One Last Love Song , You Keep It All In , Rotterdam (Or Anywhere) . Not moved to great emotions, he appears as if he might tear up for one moment before the acapella doo-wop of Caravan of Love closes out. “Genuinely, from the bottom of my heart, this means so much,” he says. It is a mutual affection.
Get all the latest and breaking news in Yorkshire by signing up to our newsletter here.
