Paul Heaton and Norman Cook reunite to perform Housemartins' classic at Glastonbury - watch here

Virgin Radio

1 Jul 2024, 08:33

It was truly Happy Hour when Paul Heaton took to the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, as he teamed up with his former Housemartins' bandmate, Norman Cook.

During his set on 28th June, the singer-songwriter surprised and delighted fans when he announced that he was bringing Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, onto the stage.

The superstar DJ was bassist for The Housemartins when the band were in their pomp at the end of the 1980s, while Heaton was the lead singer.

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Ahead of playing his own DJ set later in the festival, Cook strapped on the bass as Heaton and his band delivered a belting version of their 1986 hit, Happy Hour, which peaked at number three in the UK charts upon its release. 

As he introduced his former bandmate, Heaton commented: “I was in the original boy band in the 80s, called The Housemartins,” in reference to the fact that his Glasto set came immediately after K-pop sensations, Seventeen.

Watch the two old pals performing Happy Hour here:

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Cook said: “38 years ago, I made my Glastonbury debut on the Pyramid Stage with The Housemartins, and Paul beautifully asked me to come and join him on stage. So, I got up and played Happy Hour, which was just a really emotional moment for me.”

He added that the last time they played together on stage was in 1988, when the band split up. “And we did swear that we’d never reform,” he said.

So, does his performance with Heaton mean that The Housemartins are getting back together? Sadly not, as Fatboy said: “I can stop the rumours right now!” 

Also at Worthy Farm, Back to the Future icon Michael J. Fox made a surprise guest appearance during Coldplay’s epic headline performance at Glastonbury. Watch it here.

Meanwhile, Heaton has announced his brand new album, and where you can see him belt out his fresh tracks in his upcoming tour. 

Having been busy in the studio making his next solo album, The Mighty Several - which will land on 11th October - he will take his live show to Bridlington in November, before moving onto Leeds, Glasgow, Brighton, Wolverhampton, Liverpool, Nottingham, Newcastle. He'll then tie things up ending in London in December.