‘Paul and Jacqui say Britain needs a pay rise’. So spoke the unsubtle backdrop. Paul Heaton, spokesman for the working classes, master songwriter and possessor of one of the most soulful and recognisable voices in British popular music , was in town.

The leader of two bands that lit up the eighties and nineties – The Housemartins and The Beautiful South – he is currently touring with Jacqui Abbott , his co-lead singer with the latter.

They promoted much of their new album 'What have we become' . Highlights included the country and western ( or should that be country and northern as Heaton is from Hull) song ‘D.I.Y.’, and ‘Costa del sombre’, full of the dry wit which infuses most of Heaton’s work.

He even had time to placate a small group of hecklers who took exception to a red Cardiff City banner draped over the piano – when you’ve gigged as much as this man you’ve seen it all .

It may be true that this is not the most visually striking band - Heaton in his usual bomber jacket and the honey-voiced Abbott super-casual , but this hardly matters when you sound like this. The string of songs so melodically strong and lyrically astute, included ‘Happy hour’, ‘Perfect 10’,’Old redeyes is back’ and ‘Carry on regardless’. There was also a lovely ‘Everybody’s Talkin’ ’ from Abbott.

It all ended with the adoring full house on it’s feet for their ultimate anthem – the a cappella ‘Caravan of Love.’