Live Report: Paul Heaton, 20 March, 3Arena

By show’s end, every punter in a crammed 3Arena is deliriously dancing and singing rather beautifully to the a cappella version of the Chris Jasper song ‘Caravan of Love’, made famous by The Housemartins, when they scored a UK Number 1 with it, way back in December 1986. The mob is ecstatic and why wouldn’t they be? Paul Heaton, his accomplished band, joyous brass section and the wonderful Rianne Downey treated us to a mammoth set of modern music hall that left you staggered at the penmanship of the serial chart topper.

Paul Heaton at 3Arena on March 20th, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

They marched out to rabble rousing ‘Molly Malone’, dug into new track, ‘Just Another Family’ and never came up for air. Across a remarkable set stacked with choicely selected cuts from The Housemartins, The Beautiful South, his Jacqui Abbott collaborations and most recent solo record, Heaton in trademark anorak displayed his stellar canon, the match of any English songwriter to an audience that was more than ready to lap it up.

‘Old Red Eyes Is Back’ followed ‘Sheep’, which in turn was followed by ‘Bell Bottomed Tear’, the latter’s first airing in Dublin since 1994, and so on, you get the message, this was mighty. Fresh tracks from last years’ The Mighty Several – ‘Quicksand’, ‘H into Hurt’, ‘Silly Me’, ‘Fish ‘N’ Chip Supper’ and ‘Small Boats’ – comfortably rubbed shoulders with big kahunas - ‘Five Get Over Excited’, ‘A Little Time’, ‘I’ll Sail This Ship Alone’ and ‘Me and the Farmer’. Before the last mentioned, Paul recalls The Olympic Ballroom in 1986, and veterans of the campaign howl out their attendance in the affair.

Paul Heaton at 3Arena on March 20th, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

And we’re only getting started. The pulse of suburbia ‘Don’t Marry Her’ and utopian ‘Heatongrad’ are an opening salvo that threatens to raise the roof. The band are uniquely introduced, Heaton telling us what Irish football teams they support and its boss to hear the cheers that Shelbourne, Cobh Ramblers, St. Pat’s, Cork City, Drogheda United, Derry City and Bohemians receive, especially with word coming in that the boys in green have done the business in Plovdiv tonight.

‘Happy Hour’ and ‘Perfect 1o’ both still sound as fresh as a daisy and have us chanting like a football terrace. While we wait for the first of two blasting encores, the noise of anticipation is deafening, they’ll be hearing us on the B&I ferry out on the Irish Sea. The band wade into ‘One Last Love Song’, ‘You Keep It All In’, ‘Rotterdam (Or Anywhere)’ before aforementioned ‘Caravan of Love’ and Stevie Wonder cover, ‘A Place in the Sun’.

Paul Heaton at 3Arena on March 20th, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

Incredibly, beyond lucky punters will get to hear Heaton et. al deliver these superb tracks in intimate venues across Ireland over the next week, as he continues in his glorious mission to play in all 32 counties. So, Heatongrad will be touching down in blessed places such as The Spirit Store in Dundalk, The Backstage Theatre in Longford and special mention to The Chambers Bar in my stomping ground of Mullingar, what a gig that promises to be for the fortunate golden ticket holders.