Last night, Paul Draper performing an instore in Southampton promoting his latest studio project where he has reimagined and rebuilt eleven classic tracks and deep cuts from the Mansun catalogue. This was a rescheduled set that was postponed from February this year.
On the night he performed great acoustic versions of ‘The Chad Who Loved Me’, ‘Wide Open Space’ and ‘Disgusting’. It was overdue but the wait was worth it. A great performance and like every instore they just leave the audience wanting more, but that’s what the tour was for.
I came across Mansun in 1996 when I first heard them on the radio, one of those bands I remember exactly where I was when I first heard them, and been a fan ever since. Due to location I wasn’t lucky enough to see them live so had to settle for buying all the EPs and albums. I finally got to see Paul play at the Thekla in Bristol in 2017 for his first solo album release ‘Spooky Action’ and followed that up with a number of live performances since.
@we.will.trampoline.gigs Paul Draper at Vinilo Record Store Instore #WideOpenSpace #pauldraper #mansun @vinilorecordstore #livemusic #instore ♬ original sound – we.will.trampoline.gigs
For those of you who know who Paul Draper is you’ll know he’s fresh off his UK hits tour playing all 14 of Mansun’s Top 40 hits, and what a selection of songs that is.
If you’re reading this and you do not know who Paul Draper is, he is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer, formerly the frontman of the rock band Mansun, formed in Chester in 1995 and first came to prominence in 1996 with the release of EP One, containing the songs: Egg Shaped Fred, Ski Jump Nose, Lemonade Secret Drinker and Thief. This was quickly followed by EP Two, EP Three, Four and so on.
The debut album ‘Attack of the Grey Lantern’ followed in 1997, a highly ambitious, genre-bending concept album that blends Britpop, progressive rock, and orchestral arrangements that famously knocked Blur’s self-titled album off the number one spot on the UK Albums Chart, and yes I do believe to this day it’s that good!
The album follows a loose narrative centered around a fictional, eccentric English village populated by bizarre characters like “The Stripper Vicar” and “Dark Mavis,” with a superhero protagonist named “The Grey Lantern.” It’s a great journey. “Wide Open Space” from the album and EP Four became the band’s definitive anthem, achieving massive radio play and enduring popularity. I remember a TV interview with the band stating at that time it was the most played track on radio at that time!
Two more albums followed with “Six” and “Little Kix” “Six” venturing into more denser themes that the debut looking at religious skepticism and Marxism and widely seen as a cult classic by fans. “Little Kix” did lighten the mood before the band broke up in 2003.
There was a collection of songs titled: “The Dead Flowers Reject?” that was recorded alongside “Six” in case the record company rejected “Six” that was finally released in 2020 as a limited-edition white vinyl compilation. Yes I bought it.
Since then Paul has released:
Spooky Action (2017): His critically lauded debut solo album, which featured heavy, synth-driven alternative rock that echoed elements of Mansun’s Six.
Cult Leader Tactics (2022): A satirical, conceptual solo album formatted like a self-help manual on how to ruthlessly navigate the music industry.
Mansun Retold (February 2026): His latest studio project, where he reimagined and rebuilt eleven classic tracks and deep cuts from the Mansun catalogue from the ground up. Co-produced by Paul “PDub” Walton and featuring a string quartet, the album peaked at number 2 on the UK Independent Album Chart.
