Dave Sweetmore's Blog - Thursday 26th June 2025

During Spring, I worked on a huge UK tour with legendary British singer Paul Young. The tour was a theatre tour, with Paul telling some of his life stories in intimate settings, stories from a remarkable career which has lasted over forty years, as one of the UK’s biggest and most loved singer songwriters. 

From starting out in bands around his hometown of Luton, such as Kat Kool & The Kool Cats, Streetband, and Q-Tips, through to his huge solo career in the 80s with hits such as ‘Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)’, ‘Every Time You Go Away’, ‘Everything Must Change’ and ‘Love Of The Common People’, Paul quickly became one of the country’s most loved artists. 

With his soulful voice, catchy songs, and perfect albums, Paul has become a National Treasure in the music world, from his debut ‘No Parlez’ in 1983 up until his tenth and latest studio album ‘Behind The Lens’ in 2023, alongside numerous compilations and live albums. He’s been a hit recording artist all around the world, won Brit Awards, been part of some of the greatest collaborations of all time, was a key figure at the Live Aid concert in 1985, and sang the iconic opening lines to the 1984 Band Aid single ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’. 

Paul really has had a unique life with so many stories to tell. The recent tour saw Paul telling many of the behind the scenes and often unheard stories about his life and career, plus playing live acoustic versions of several of his hits, alongside his long-standing guitarist Jamie Moses, who also plays with Paul in his Tex-Mex band ‘Los Pacaminos’. 

Almost every date on the 40-day tour was completely sold out, and working on the tour, I realised there are still so many more stories in Paul’s life and career to be told that fans still won’t have heard, and spending so much time and becoming friends with him and Jamie was an amazing experience. 

The tour was a huge success, and the atmosphere, love, and celebration between Paul and his fans each night was something I felt proud to be part of. Each night was a joyous, happy occasion, where fans of Paul’s, both young and old and from all around the world, came to see him in the smaller theatre settings than the larger music venues which he would normally be used to. 

The tour, which took the show all over the UK, was such a success that another one has been scheduled for Spring 2026. Next year’s tour, simply titled ‘Songs & Stories’, will see Paul visit more theatres around the UK and Ireland, playing more of his songs and telling more of his many amazing stories about a hugely successful life and career in music. 

The nearest show to Greater Manchester takes place at Buxton Opera House on May 17th. To find out about all dates and ticket links visit paul-young.com or awaywithmedia.com. The ‘Intimate Evening with Paul Young’ shows really are something special, and I really recommend picking up tickets for a show next year.