22 Nov 2021
News | Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbot to play Keepmoat Stadium in July
Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott, who have just completed a triumphant sell out tour around the UK (including three free shows for NHS and care workers), have announced they will play at the Keepmoat Stadium next summer.
The shows are as follows:
Friday 22nd July ST HELENS Totally Wicked Stadium
Saturday 23rd July DONCASTER Keepmoat Stadium
Tickets priced a mere £35.00 (plus booking fees) go on sale at 9:30am on Friday 26th November from gigsandtours.com / ticketmaster.co.uk
Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott’s fourth studio album ‘Manchester Calling’ which was released in March 2020, entered the UK official album chart at No 1, Paul & Jacqui’s first No 1 album as a duo. As members of the Beautiful South they reached the No 1 slot in the albums chart three times with Carry On Up The Charts: The Best Of (‘94), Blue Is The Colour (’96), and Quench (’98).
Paul Heaton, one of the UK’s most consistently successful songwriters with some 15 million album sales under his belt, first came to public attention in the early 80s as front man of Hull-based indie poppers The Housemartins (the same group that spawned Norman ‘Fatboy Slim’ Cook), best known for their third single ‘Happy Hour’ and their No 1 acapella Isley Bros cover ‘Caravan Of Love’. The Housemartins released two albums ‘London 0 Hull 4’ (’86) and ‘The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death’ (’87). In ’88 Heaton formed The Beautiful South, who released 10 hugely successful albums - ‘Welcome To The Beautiful South’ (’89), Choke (’90), ‘0898 Beautiful South’ (’92), ‘Miaow’ (’94), ‘Blue Is The Colour’ (’96), ‘Quench’ (’98), ‘Painting It Red’ (2000), ‘Gaze’ (’03), ‘Golddiggas, Headnodders & Pholk Songs’ (’04) and ‘Superbi’ (’06). In 2001 Heaton took a break from The Beautiful South and released his first solo album ‘Fat Chance’. The Beautiful South called it a day in 2007 citing ‘musical similarities’. Jacqui Abbott was lead vocalist in The Beautiful South from ’94 to 2000 and she sang many of their signature hits including ‘Rotterdam’, ‘Perfect 10’, ‘Don’t Marry Her’ and ‘Dream A Little Dream’. Paul Heaton went on to release two further solo albums: ‘The Cross-Eyed Rambler’ (’08) and ‘Acid Country’ (’10). In 2011 Heaton wrote a musical called ‘The 8th’ based on the Seven Deadly Sins and asked Jacqui to sing one of the parts. They have since released four acclaimed albums as a duo: ‘What Have We Become’ (’14),‘Wisdom, Laughter and Lines’ (’15), ‘Crooked Calypso’ (’17) and ‘Manchester Calling’ (’20).
WHAT THE PAPERS SAID ABOUT ‘MANCHESTER CALLING’
“…richly observed, gently acerbic vignettes about the vagaries of British life, delivered over a mix of steadily uptempo pop, folk, ska and soul…” The Guardian
“…the record is awash with sparkling, instantly memorable melodies.” Uncut
“….a songwriter still brimming with inspiration, curiosity, wit and righteous ire….Musically too it’s a striking album…a kind of Soul-infused Americana, to take on Ska and moody electronica…” Record Collector
“…his plainspoken sincerity, tempered with a wry, compassionate wit, ensure that his songs speak to the heart.” Classic Pop
“…another winner, stuffed with cheering tunes and biting wit. You won’t know whether to hum along or laugh out loud.” Mail On Sunday
“Beautiful South duo celebrate the beautiful North.” Mojo
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