York Museum Gardens 5th July 2025
Despite loving Richard Hawley’s studio albums, somehow I’ve failed to catch any of his gigs and wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass. I was rewarded by a perfectly balanced set and superb playing, adding new aspects to old favourites. The crowd were enthusiastic and good natured, the space was welcoming, the band were excellent, Richard was his self-effacing self and he unobtrusively showed off what has made him popular.
Celebrating twenty years since ‘Cole’s Corner’ – the breakthrough album, he was, of course, here to play the album through but there was a lot more and he smoothly broke the complacency by following the album with the squally blues rock of ‘She Brings The Sunlight’ from the decade-younger album ‘Standing At The Sky’s Edge’, with psychedelic visuals and howling guitar. Up to that point, we had been treated to black and white visuals of Sheffield in bygone days and Richard’s parents. They fitted the themes of the songs, drawing on traditions like the club crooner, country music and rock and roll. The songs of ‘Cole’s Corner’ were extended, deepened and a torch shone on their workings, adding depth and new interpretations.
The band were wonderful with three guitars up front, meaning songs had a lead guitar (or two), rhythm and texture as well, whether it was a Gibson Epiphone, a lap steel or a twelve string jangle. It’s a wall of sound when it needs to be, a refined depth elsewhere. Bass switched between upright and electric, drums danced on the edge and a string quartet added richness. On keys was John Trier from the original album recording and Colin Eliott on guitar enjoyed the set on guitars too. A few songs in, on ‘The Ocean’, there was the first long scrungy, entirely appropriate, guitar solo from Richard and the crowd soaked it up. He chatted and blethered about this, that and the other before introducing ‘Born Under A Bad Sign’ – “this one’s for me fether”. Hawley told us he gave up smoking after his wife figured out how much he was spending but all the evidence points to most of his money going on the swear jar and nearly as much on guitars. He switched guitars with each song and the instruments are beautiful, classic examples.
Blending an expansion of the album with half a dozen newer pieces, Hawley framed a nigh-perfect balance of material (though there is enough for a three-night run) by indulging his three touchstones – that gorgeous voice, the guitar wrangling and a deep love for the classic song-forms of the past. This was a remarkable demonstration of humble mastery of the stage through honesty and love.
