Paul Heaton in Belfast

Paul Heaton is an English singer-songwriter, born in Bromborough in 1962, who fronted the Hull indie-pop band The Housemartins and later co-founded The Beautiful South. His songbook includes “Happy Hour,” “Song for Whoever,” “A Little Time,” “Rotterdam (Or Anywhere)” and “Perfect 10”; his later records with former Beautiful South vocalist Jacqui Abbott include What Have We Become and N.K-Pop. Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott toured Britain after What Have We Become, performing with a full band and drawing their sets from the duo’s records, The Beautiful South and The Housemartins. Their later tours included arena dates, and Heaton subsequently worked live with singer Rianne Downey. In 2024, she joined him on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury and the main stage at TRNSMT in Glasgow.

The Lightning Seeds are a British pop-rock band formed in Liverpool in 1989 by singer, songwriter and producer Ian Broudie. Initially a studio project, they became known for melodic singles including “Pure,” “The Life of Riley,” “Lucky You” and “Change,” as well as the albums Cloudcuckooland and Jollification. Broudie also recorded the football anthem “Three Lions” with comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner. The Lightning Seeds became a touring band in 1993, bringing Broudie’s songs to theatres and festival stages with a full live lineup. The 25 Years of Jollification tour presented the album in full alongside other singles, and the band performed at Glastonbury Festival in 2022.