Paul Heaton will play his first gig since the demise of The Beautiful South at Fibbers, in York, on November 6.

The Hull band split last year "due to musical similarities" and Heaton took a well-deserved break, for all of ten minutes.

Anybody who has followed the fortunes of Mr Heaton, from The Housemartins' debut hit 21 years ago, would know that he would never just retire to look after his crisp packet and football shirt collections.

So he returns next month with a new band on an 11-date UK tour showcasing material from a songwriting expedition to Spain with new collaborator Benny Trafford Jnr.

Trafford will join Heaton on tour accompanied by French Tom on bass and Freddy Edwards on drums. Demos from Heaton and Trafford's recordings can be heard at the website www.myspace.com/paulheatonmusic

Tickets go on sale at £12.50 at 9am on 0870 907 0999, and further Yorkshire dates follow at Sheffield Leadmill on November 9, tel 0870 010 4555, and Hull University on November 16, tel 0871 2200 260.