Paul Heaton & Rianne Downey @ First Direct Arena, Leeds – 31 October 2026
Words and Photos – John Hayhurst
A packed First Direct Arena is a fine advertisement for sensible ticket prices. Parents have brought their children, generations share the choruses, and Paul Heaton has enough familiar songs to keep the whole place singing. His Halloween visit to Leeds celebrates a songwriter whose work has become part of everyday life. A 26-song headline set and a support act with this many hits make the value feel all the more remarkable.
The Lightning Seeds get that singing started early with a superb support set. Ian Broudie seems scarcely changed by the years, and ‘Pure’, ‘The Life of Riley’ and ‘Sugar Coated Iceberg’ remind us how many of his songs have lodged themselves in our heads. Even ‘Three Lions’ gets an airing. Broudie and company are well worth catching in their own right, and tonight’s performance gives the evening a cracking start.
A recording of ‘On Ilkla Moor Baht ’at’ prompts another communal singalong before Heaton begins. We are in Yorkshire, after all. Then it is straight into ‘One Eye Open’, followed by The Housemartins’ ‘Sitting on a Fence’ and ‘I Gotta Praise’ from his partnership with Jacqui Abbott. Three songs from three different chapters establish the evening’s approach, moving freely through a remarkably rich catalogue.
The tour supports latest album Jenius, which contributes five songs. Produced by Broudie, the record provides another link between the two halves of the bill. Alongside the opener, ‘I Want the Job’, ‘A Son a Father’ and ‘Favourite Kind of Idiot’ are woven through the set, with ‘Good for the Bees’ saved for the main set finale. Giving the new material room among so many established favourites keeps the evening rooted in what Heaton is doing now.
He cuts a familiar figure in his blue mac, which stays firmly on throughout. Mostly keeping to his side of the stage, with a huge teleprompter replacing the old music stand, he lets his singing command attention. ‘I’ll Sail This Ship Alone’ is a particular highlight, his higher register wonderfully clear. Hearing that voice fill an arena remains a pleasure.
Rianne Downey brings constant movement, her bright green mini dress and oversized sleeves providing a splash of colour on a Halloween night where it looks like she could be auditioning for Peter Pan, otherwise the evening is largely free of fancy dress. Having taken on Abbott’s role and contributed to Heaton’s last two albums, she is an assured presence with an exceptional voice. The two singers complement each other beautifully, and Downey has the confidence and personality to make these songs her own. She is a star in her own right.
The Housemartins and Beautiful South favourites draw the biggest responses. ‘Happy Hour’ and ‘Perfect 10’ have the arena singing back with gusto, their choruses shared across the generations. Heaton remains one of his generation’s most underrated songwriters. He has always understood how to tuck an uncomfortable truth inside a melody you can whistle. Hearing these songs together is a reminder of how easily that craft can be taken for granted. ‘Good as Gold (Stupid as Mud)’ sends the main set towards its conclusion before ‘Good for the Bees’ takes the closing spot.
Two encores follow. ‘Rotterdam (Or Anywhere)’ is a standout for Downey, whose online cover of the song first caught Heaton’s attention. She makes it entirely her own tonight, before ‘You Keep It All In’ completes the first return. ‘Prettiest Eyes’ opens the second, followed by The Housemartins’ much-loved take on ‘Caravan of Love’.
By the end, the audience is singing a cappella, thousands of voices bringing a brilliant evening to its close.