Singer Paul Heaton celebrates his 60th birthday today and to mark the occasion he has put money behind the bar at 60 of his favourite pubs.
The Beautiful South frontman has included two Glasgow bars on the list, so if you spend A Little Time at The Old Toll Bar or Nice N Sleazy you may be able to claim a free drink. Both are pubs linked to the local music scene.
Nice N Sleazy have explained that they will be giving out tokens until they run out and that performers at Monday’s acoustic night or karaoke session will get two tokens per performer while Paul still has credit behind the bar. The Old Toll Bar will add your first drink to Paul Heaton’s tab today. It has been reported that each bar will receive £1000 to cover drinks for customers.
Paul, who previously owned the King’s Arms pub in Salford, said his original plan was a bicycle tour, visiting and performing at 60 pubs across the UK and Ireland.
However, he said that idea was shelved due to recording delays caused by the pandemic.
Paul added: “The next best way to celebrate this coming of age is to handpick 60 pubs across the UK and Ireland and put a given amount of money behind the bar of each.”
Cheshire-born and Sheffield-raised Paul found fame with the Housemartins and then The Beautiful South, before launching a solo career. in recent years he has renewed his musical partnership with singer Jacqui Abbott.
Paul, now based in Manchester, and fellow Beautiful South star Jacqui performed a sell-out UK tour last year. The duo will be back on stage for two huge stadium gigs this summer, at St Helens on 22 July and Doncaster on 23 July.
The singer’s full announcement said: ”To celebrate my 60th birthday (on Monday 9th May) I’d originally intended to do another bicycle tour, visiting & performing at 60 pubs across the UK & Ireland. However, due to recording delays caused by the pandemic, I’ve had to shelve these plans for the time being.
“Instead, I’ve decided that the next best way to celebrate this coming of age is to handpick 60 pubs across the UK & Ireland and put 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!).
“The hope is 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. I’ll announce the full list of pubs and locations tomorrow, so if there’s one near you please head over on Monday, show your support and raise a toast to me on my birthday!”
Here’s a full list of all 60 pubs taking part in Paul’s birthday on Monday 9 May.
Robinsons Bar – Great Victoria St, Belfast
Eddie Murphys – Thomastown, Kilkenny
Peadar O’Donnells – Waterloo St, Derry
The Punters Rest – Tipperary
The Sky on the Ground – Whitewell, Wexford
Courtney’s Bar – Killarney, Co. Kerry
Keohoes – Dublin
Tig Coili – The Latin Quarter, Galway
Bonners Corner Bar – Ballybofey, Co. Donegal
The Old Toll Bar – Paisley Rd W, Glasgow
Nice n Sleazy – Sauchiehall St, Glasgow
The Sheep Heid Inn – The Causeway, Edinburgh
Kay’s Bar – Jamaica St, Edinburgh
Tanners Arms – Byker Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne
The Freetrade Inn – Lawrence Road, Newcastle upon Tyne
The Half Moon – Northgate, Darlington
The Black Bull – Main St, Darvel
The Sportsmans Inn – Heads Ln, Carlisle
The Original Oak – Headingley, Leeds
The Flying Horse – Packer St, Rochdale
Britons Protection – Bridgewater St, Manchester
Bowling Green – Chorlton-cum-Hardy
The Orion – Burton Road, Withington
The Railway Inn – Lapwing Ln, West Didsbury
Albert Wilsons – Wilmslow Rd, Withington
The Dog & Partridge – Manchester Rd, Warrington
Bird I’th Hand – Prescot Rd, St Helens
The Saddle Inn – Dale St, Liverpool
The Casa Bar – Hope St, Liverpool
The Globe – Cases St, Liverpool
The Coachmakers Arms – Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
The Bay Horse – Market Pl, Market Weighton
Lord Nelson – Arundel Street, Sheffield
Riverside Kelham – Mowbray St, Sheffield
The Morning Star – Greetwell Gate, Lincoln
Ye Olde Blue Bell – Market Place, Hull
The Whalebone – Wincolmlee, Hull
The Grafton – Grafton St, Hull
The White Horse – Hutton Cranswick
Hatfield Main Pit Club – Stainforth, Doncaster
The Old Horse – London Road, Leicester
The Black Horse – Aylestone, Leicester
The Bulls Head – Cambridge St, Saint Neots
Hardies – Merthyr Tydfil, Wales
Golden Fleece Inn – Market Square, Porthmadog
Rummer Tavern – Duke St, Cardiff
Hare & Hounds – King’s Heath, Birmingham
Patrick Kavanagh – Trafalgar Road, Birmingham
The Red Hart – Bodham, Norfolk
The Eagle – Norfolk St, King’s Lynn
The Duke of York – Woodbridge Rd, Ipswich
The Stags Head – New Cavendish St, London
The Coffee House Pub – Beak St, London
The Glue Pot – Emlyn Square, Swindon
The Thunderbolt – Bath Rd, Bristol
The Cricketers Inn – South St, Dorking
Grasshopper on the Green – Westerham, Kent
Minerva Inn – Looe St, Plymouth
Duke of Wellington – Brighton Road, Shoreham-by-Sea
Polgooth Inn – St Austell, Cornwall