Last Saturday he announced on Twitter what he had planned, handpicking “60 pubs across the UK and Ireland and [putting] a given amount of money behind the bar of each one. Then, both regulars and yourselves can enjoy a birthday drink on me (until the money runs out or the bar runs dry!).”

Apparently, the original plan was for him to tour the UK and Ireland’s pubs on a bike, performing for his fans. Luckily for the more ‘alcohol-friendly’ out there however, covid meant the free-drink idea went forward instead.

Yesterday Heaton posted on Twitter the list of 60 pubs included in his free-drinks campaign, which you can see down below. Heaton attributes this act of generosity to wanting to “bring people together on the day, whilst recognising that many folk who bought my records or showed me support over the years could do with a wee party as we come out of COVID and hit potential financial struggles.”

Here’s a list of all 60 pubs taking part in Paul’s birthday tomorrow (Monday). Thanks to all the pubs and to everyone who visits them. It would be great to see photos of you all enjoying your free drinks and celebrations at each pub throughout the day! https://t.co/QNONRGr8Tp pic.twitter.com/xPzE5W4xiN

— Paul Heaton (@PaulHeatonSolo) May 8, 2022

To be fair, it’s hardly a surprise how pub-focused the celebrations are. Heaton’s had a history in the drinks industry, having owned his own pub in Salford (The King’s Arms) and even using his barring privileges on former Prime Minister David Cameron. He also played football for Hull’s Mainbrace pub for 14 years, so it seems quite a fitting tribute to something so important in his life.

As for his music, Heaton’s got a few tour dates coming up with old Beautiful South bandmate Jacqui Abbott, coming about in June and July and which can be seen down below.

The duo’s 2020 album Manchester Calling was their first to top the UK Albums Chart in over twenty years, with The Guardian saying that it had “richly observed, gently acerbic vignettes about the vagaries of British life, delivered over a mix of steadily uptempo pop, folk, ska and soul.” They also did a free gig for NHS workers back in 2020 in Nottingham Arena, showing their generosity doesn’t just extend to alcohol. Tickets for the duo’s upcoming shows can be gotten here.

Paul Heaton UK  and Ireland Tour Dates

04/06/2022 – St Annes Park – Dublin
16/06 – Isle of Wight Festival – Newport
18/06 – Isle of Wight Festival – Newport
22/07 – St Helens R.F.C Stadium – St Helens
23/07 – Eco-Power Stadium – Doncaster

A statement posted on Paul Heaton’s Twitter account read: “We’re very sorry and enormously frustrated to have to make this announcement, but due to the ongoing situation and social distancing rules around the UK and Ireland we have once again been forced into rescheduling our forthcoming tour dates. We’ve now moved the UK dates to October 2021 and we’re still working on new dates for Ireland which will be announced at some point in the coming weeks. Your tickets remain valid for all the new dates. We’re extremely sorry for any inconvenience caused by this but can’t wait to see and perform for you all. ‘Til then stay safe.”

We’re very sorry and enormously frustrated to have to make this announcement, but due to the ongoing situation & social distancing rules around the UK & Ireland we have once again been forced into rescheduling our forthcoming tour dates… pic.twitter.com/vHJonVvh9X

— Paul Heaton (@PaulHeatonSolo) February 2, 2021

The postponement of the shows extends the two-piece’s long wait to perform songs from their 2020 album Manchester Calling, which soared to the summit of the UK Albums Chart last March. Heaton has spoken about how the record was unafraid to issue some stern criticisms in the direction of his adopted home city. The former Housemartin told UDiscover Music: “Manchester is now being turned into a business centre for the rich, which I can’t stand. If there’s a theme to the record, it’s anti-growth, anti-greed, against the continuous tearing down of old buildings and sticking up soulless offices, and the disappearance of local accents on TV, along with the creeping spread of Americanese. So, some curmudgeonly moans, plus some hopefully uplifting love songs.”

Abbott and Heaton followed up Manchester Calling – their fourth collaborative record since Abbott’s departure from The Beautiful South in 2000 – with a Christmas single, Christmas (And Dad Wants Her Back’). The festive tune, which plays out as a wry depiction of a bickering couple at Christmas, was described by Heaton in NME as “a song that records some of the calamities that certain single parents face on the day itself; burnt dinners, toppled trees, disappointed children, and most importantly, loneliness.”

Heaton also made headlines in 2020 for his large donation to staff at Q Magazine, which closed down last July after 24 years in print. Q‘s last editor, Ted Kessler, took to Twitter to express his gratitude to Heaton for an “amazingly kind, selfless, generous act“. He added: “…a few days after Q closed, we got a message from him (Heaton) saying that to thank Q for all the support we’d given him over 35 years, he was going to donate a large sum to thank us in our turmoil. Obviously, I politely declined. He was insistent. I accepted the donation and shared it amongst over 40 staff and freelancers working for Q at the time, all of whose minds – like mine – were blown.”

The full schedule of Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott tour dates this year (as of 03/02/2021) is as follows:

09/10/21 – SEC Armadillo – Glasgow
10/10 – Caird Hall – Dundee
11/10 – Utilita Arena – Newcastle-upon-Tyne
13/10 – SSE Arena Wembley – London
14/10 – Motorpoint Arena – Nottingham
16/10 – M&S Bank Arena – Liverpool
17/10 – De Montfort Hall – Leicester
18/10 – Victoria Hall – Stoke
19/10 – Bonus Arena – Hull
20/10 – First Direct Arena – Leeds
21/10 – City Hall – Sheffield
22/10 – First Direct Arena – Leeds
23/10 – Motorpoint Arena – Cardiff
24/10 – Bonus Arena – Hull
25/10 – Bonus Arena – Hull
27/10 – Utilita Arena – Birmingham
29/10 – Palladium – London
30/10 – Palladium – London