Paul Heaton

A concert by Paul Heaton, singer and songwriter behind The Housemartins and The Beautiful South, at The O2 in London. The evening draws on a long career in British pop and indie songwriting.

Paul Heaton was the lead singer and main songwriter of The Housemartins, the group formed in Hull in 1983 whose records included the hit Happy Hour. After that band broke up, Paul Heaton formed The Beautiful South in 1988 with Dave Hemingway, and the group had hits with A Little Time and Song for Whoever.

Paul Heaton's songwriting has combined melodic pop with wry, observant lyrics about everyday life, a approach that links the early Housemartins records with the later albums of The Beautiful South. The songs from both bands form the core of a career that has continued in solo work.

The O2 is an entertainment venue in Greenwich, on the Thames, hosting concerts and shows across London. The night suits listeners who know the songs from either band, and anyone who wants to hear them performed by the singer who wrote them.