It's a brave gig-goer who chatters during Richard Hawley's performances.
"These people must be rich, they've spent £25 on a ticket and they're talking through it," he declared early on. You can sympathise with him, as Hawley's showcase deserved a rapt audience.
His own chat is worth listening to. The man with the quiff is a witty storyteller, spinning various quick, coarse yarns, while remaining an earthy enough figure that a declaration of the show as his favourite ever gig seemed a genuinely heartfelt statement.
Material from his newest record, Standing At The Sky's Edge, had something to do with this high praise. His loudest album to date, it was truly thumping live, yet there was enough room for each melody to really breathe, from the title track slowly coiling into shape to the beguiling riff sliding throughout Seek It.
One of the Sheffield native's great strengths is how easily he indulges his interest in past rock'n'roll without falling into pastiche, and the more chamber pop inspired tunes were also delightful, from Remorse Code's fine guitar work to a romantic Tonight The Streets Are Ours that made the heart soar.
His other asset is just how talented his band is, with a swelling sound coming from the four backing musicians that was consistently impressive, particularly in the fact that the noise rarely overwhelmed.
Admittedly, Hawley's current lust for heavy psychedelic trips led to the odd extravagance in guitar histrionics, with Soldier On's climax a tad stodgy, but there was pace and power in abundance on Leave Your Body Behind You and a feral Down In The Woods. A gig worth talking about after it concluded, for certain.
HHHH
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