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The shows will see him play Glasgow’s OVO Hydro Arena on the 13th, 14th, 16th, and 17th of December this year at the end of his UK tour. The tour will begin in October with two back to back shows at Manchester’s O2 Victoria Warehouse on the 22nd and 23rd, before heading to London for two shows at Alexandra Palace on the 25th and 26th, and then heading all over the country through Birmingham (28th), Hull (29th), Edinburgh (31st), and Aberdeen (1st November). You can find all the details and tickets here.

With a name that belies his origins, Paolo has come a long way from the small town of Paisley in Scotland where he grew up. Despite now being a chart-topping troubadour and national favourite, the singer was once expected to follow his fathers footsteps into the family fish and chip shop business, before being encouraged to sing by his music loving grandfather and a teacher from his school who recognised his gift.

4 albums later and Paolo is somewhat of a national treasure in the UK, particularly in Scotland where he enjoys icon like status. However the 8 years it’s taken to make and release his latest effort hasn’t been without adversity, at times it’s been fraught with difficult self reflection and turbulence, with it’s title Last Night In The Bittersweet being an ode to his desire to escape those periods. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Paolo explained: “There was a long period of life for me that could have been defined as bittersweet. The juxtaposition between the ups and the downs was really quick. It wasn’t in terms of my career, just emotionally”, he continued: “I think I became very content in that rhythm and I guess there was a point where I sought to move out of that and become a happier person. I’m still in the process, but it was a conscious attempt to figure out what was causing that and to try and conquer that“.

Now he seems more content, having recharged his batteries and gained some perspective, he seems delighted and grateful to be returning to the stage. Speaking of the lockdown and the liberation being unleashed on the world once again, Paulo said “the past two years, watching how it’s affected everybody, that social shutdown, it made me think that it is a real privilege to go out and communicate with people on such a scale. And to have the outlet of release that performing on a stage can give. I get the tunes out there and I already feel a bit lighter, but it’s not just that; you’re giving other people a good buzz and a good kick. It’s a good feeling. It makes you feel like you’re doing something right.”

Well we can only hope (and expect) that he will be giving those lucky enough to catch him at Glasgow’s Ovo Hyrdo Arena later in the year a good buzz too. Welcome back Paolo.

October 22nd, 23rd 2022 – O2 Victoria Warehouse – Manchester

October 25th, 26th – Alexandra Palace – London

October 28th – O2 ACADEMY 1 – Birmingham

October 29th – Bonus Arena – Hull

October 31st – O2 Academy – Edinburgh

November 1st – Music Hall – Aberdeen

December 13th, 14th, 16th, 17th – OVO Hydro Arena – Glasgow

Judging by the Official Charts midweeks, Nutini is set to claim his third UK number 1 album with Last Night In The Bittersweet, currently outselling his nearest rival 4:1. A recent article by the company explains “The 35-year-old Scottish singer-songwriter’s fourth studio album marks his first release in eight years and tracks to score him a hat-trick of Number 1 albums. Paolo has previously topped the Official Albums Chart with 2009’s Sunny Side Up and 2014’s record Caustic Love“.

I was lucky enough to get a preview of the new album back in May when Paolo played a run of 4 shows at London’s iconic 100 Club. It was hot ticket in town, selling out in seconds and crashing the server it was provided on, so when I say I was lucky to be there I really mean it. Aside from the maddening chatter that went on amongst the audience throughout anything that wasn’t “Iron Sky” or “Candy”, the gig was great and a real moment for me as a long time Paolo fan getting to see him in a room of only 350 people. Surprisingly he seemed incredibly happy and grateful to be back on stage, I always took him for a crippling introvert due to his complete disregard for social media and a public life, but here he seemed at home.

Bounding on stage with a grown out mop of hair and cheshire cat grin on his face, everything about his set screamed “I don’t give a f***”, tearing into songs like “Lose It” with the free abandon you’d expect from a singer that hasn’t released any music in 8 long years. The album flowed much then like it does through my speakers now, but for some reason it feels more powerful as I tune in today, perhaps sobriety is my ally, but today the richness and maturity of the record is really shining through. Classically old in its sound, from “Petrified In Love” onwards it’s almost hypnotic, fully pulling you into Nutini’s mind and experiences. The final song, “Writer“, plays everything out and is my personal highlight, in the last 20 minutes I’ve gone from never hearing it before to playing it nearly 10 times, from being fairly flat to almost being in tears. It’s a truly special song.

I’d say overall Last Night In The Bittersweet is a record that will likely benefit from multiple listens, but on the first alone I can already appreciate it as a stellar addition to Paolo’s legacy. Up the scots.

UK & European Tour 2022. Pre-order the new album ‘Last Night In The Bittersweet’ before 3pm BST 23rd May for early access to tickets. https://t.co/kktJ5djDwRpic.twitter.com/kpgtMkJQWc

— Paolo Nutini (@PaoloNutini) May 18, 2022

With a name that belies his origins, Paolo has come a long way from the small town of Paisley in Scotland where he grew up. Despite now being a chart-topping troubadour and national favourite, the singer was once expected to follow his fathers footsteps into the family fish and chip shop business, before being encouraged to sing by his music loving grandfather and a teacher from his school who recognised his gift.

After three top 10 albums, two of which going to number 1, Paolo is now in the luxurious position of being able to return after an 8 year hiatus in the knowledge that his stadium and arena tour will sell out in seconds despite the layoff period. In this respect, he seems to have gained a similar allure and shelf life to that of Adele, if somewhat more reserved, in that he always seems to be relevant no matter where the UK’s zeitgeist wanders. A soul voice like no other, he has a transportive sound that is both nostalgic and current, a sonic niche that sounds effortless to the masses, but is in reality incredibly difficult to capture authentically. His new single “Through The Echoes” is a great example of this, straddling the breadth of his impressive vocal range, Paolo belts out a rousing chorus sure to blow the rafters off the venues he is due to play in the coming months. You can catch a glimpse of the magic here with this new live performance video of “Through The Echoes”: 

To see his touring schedule and gain early access to tickets by pre ordering his new album Last Night In The Bittersweet click here.