RICHARD HAWLEY + THEA GILMORE – BRIGHTON DOME 9.6.24
Richard Hawley is synonymous with his native city of Sheffield. He has thus far released ten studio albums over the last twenty three years, with two being nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. He is also a Brit nominee and received a South Bank Award in 2007.
In 2023 he received two Olivier Awards for ‘Best Musical’ and ‘Best Music’ for his musical ‘Standing At The Sky’s Edge’ which was staged at The National Theatre and The Crucible in Sheffield. Richard Hawley has duetted with Tom Jones, Nancy Sinatra and Shirley Bassey, and played with (amongst many more) Arctic Monkeys, Elbow, Paul Weller, Manic Street Preachers, John Grant, and Pulp, the band he played guitar with for a number of years. Best known for his mix of classic songwriting, soothing vocals and northern grit realism, Richard Hawley is something of a unique artist in British popular music, being able to cross boundaries from one musical style to another whilst keeping intact his own strong identity.
Richard Hawley is currently in the middle of his 16-date UK tour in support of his brand new ‘In This City They Call You Love’ album which was released on 31st May and on Friday went crashing in at No.1 on the Official Vinyl Album Charts as well as No.5 in the Official Album Charts, also his new single ‘People’ is riding high at No.2 in the Official Vinyl Singles Chart. This evening he arrived at Brighton Dome for date eight of the tour and the packed venue witnessed a selection of 19 career spanning selections from him and his five piece band, which comprises of Shez Sheridan (guitars), Colin Elliot (bass guitars), Dean Beresford (drums), John Trier (keyboards, shakers) and new boy Bryan on guitars. I didn’t quite catch his surname when Hawley announced the band during the set, but I think it might have been Dale?
The six musicians, mainly all dressed in black, took to the Brighton Dome stage bang on the allotted 9pm slot and we were in their hands for the next 96 minutes. There was an impressive array of guitars on offer, with 6 located on stands on stage left (our right) which were utilised by Hawley throughout the set, behind that by the side of the drum rise there were two bass guitars for Elliot to play and across the right hand side of the stage (our left) there were a further half dozen guitars for Sheridan to play including a 12-string and an acoustic. Without fail, after every tune, the guitars were swapped around, keeping the guitar tecs busy all night, including Gordon who was sporting a “…Not a Moron” t-shirt in homage to the Jilted John self-titled classic single from 1978, and by the end of the night Gordon had earned his own chant from certain sections of the crowd, which was a light-hearted moment. Beresford, sporting a white Rubettes style hat, was behind the drumkit and Trier, sporting his new pork pie hat, was on Roland RD-2000 digital piano as well as occasionally using shakers. There were six searchlights dotted across the stage of the floor with a simple black and white patterned backdrop, and finally a replica “Welcome to Sheffield” road sign, which Hawley held aloft once during the performance. We were, as it was, being transported to Sheffield for this performance.
We were positioned very near the front and could witness first hand the top level musicianship on offer this evening, aided by the simple, but effective lighting, with minimal dry ice, unlike say that of an Echo & The Bunnymen concert, where the players are just shadows. Hawley and chums launched straight into the first of four cuts from 2012’s ‘Standing At The Sky’s Edge’ album, this being ‘She Brings The Sunlight’ and Hawley was wielding a Gibson with Bigsby tremolo and the overall sound was absolutely crisp. Selection two was the first of six songs from the new ‘In This City They Call You Love’ album, this being ‘Two For His Heels’. After this had concluded Hawley spoke to the crowd informing us that he had taken a taxi to Brighton Dome and on his journey had witnessed hundreds of naked people on bicycles and that clearly this was better than starting any wars!
‘Prism In Jeans’, from ‘In This City They Call You Love’, was up next and was the choice of the three cuts so far as it benefitted from a decent strings arrangement, but then that Häagen-Dazs TV advert song arrived! This being the absolute classic ‘Open Up Your Door’ from back in 2009, a song when released, that was on continual repeat on my Sony Digital Music Player as it soothed into my brain via my headphones, as I walked along the beach to and from work. The climax of this number really does have that James Bond theme vibe! After this dreamy wonderfulness, the sextet got rockin’ a tad with the arrival of the title track of 2012’s ‘Standing At The Sky’s Edge’, which witnessed Trier on shakers as well as keys for the first time, and Elliot joined Beresford on drums. After this, they performed the rockin’ ‘Deep Space’ from the new LP. Hawley then spoke to the crowd and informed a packed house that the next number is the oldest one that they do and in fact he wrote it on his 16th birthday, the track in question being ‘Just Like The Rain’ from 2005’s ‘Coles Corner’ album. Sheridan was certainly a master of his guitar during this tune.
The fourth offering from the new LP followed with the slower paced ‘Hear That Lonesome Whistle Blow’, after which they played another of my fave numbers, this being the terrific ‘Tonight The Streets Are Ours’ which was the first of two tunes being played this evening from 2007’s must buy ‘Lady’s Bridge’ album. This rendition was to be the best track of the night for me bar the final number…..
‘Alone’ (from 2019’s ‘Further’ album) came and went and then Hawley ditched his guitar for the only time this evening with the arrival of the title track of his decent ‘Coles Corner’ album from back in 2005, which was another set highlight for me. After this sedate tune, the lads got rockin’ again as they took the tempo up with the arrival of ‘Leave Your Body Behind You’ (from 2012’s ‘Standing At The Sky’s Edge’) and Hawley certainly threw us some really decent guitar licks during this track. Having raised the beat, the lads then made a U-turn and the gentle newbie ‘Heavy Rain’ was expertly crafted for us. It then dawned on me just how many Hawley tunes reference the weather, which quite possibly be ingrained from his Sheffield childhood with the steelworks skies. This was the second song with the word “rain” in it, and as if by magic, the following number featured the word “sun”, this being ‘Don’t Stare At The Sun’ (from 2012’s ‘Standing At The Sky’s Edge’), which grew with its depth of sound. With a “1-2-3” from Beresford they were off rockin’ again for ‘Is There A Pill?’, their second selection from the ‘Further’ album from 2019. After which Hawley introduced the band and informed us that the next number would be the last song of the night. It turned out to be ‘Heart Of Oak’ the sole cut played from 2015’s ‘Hollow Meadows’ long player. For this Hawley was in Bigsby tremolo overload and it was fabulous to watch the master at work! It was now 10:24pm and they vacated the stage….
The punters clapped, shouted, screamed and stamped their feet and after a two minute hiatus, the gentlemen returned in order to send us off home on our merry way with a trio of other numbers. The first of these Hawley informed us is the quietest song he’s ever written, this being the newbie ‘People’ which simply saw Hawley centre stage, flanked by Sheridan, who didn’t actually strum his acoustic guitar, but slap the bodywork in order to give off a drum sound, and on the other side of Hawley was Elliott on bass. This song being so clearly written about his beloved Sheffield, with the opening lyrics “Well I was born and raised by the river; Slowly it flows through this city of knives; Not too far from the mountain that shivers; Folks work so hard and they stay all their lives; And people in this city call us love; And people in this city call you love”. Tonight, Hawley said that he loved Brighton, but then uttered (almost under his breath) but I couldn’t live here! And I guess the lyrics in this song tell the tale.
After this, the remaining three musicians returned to the stage and they struck up the fast swinging ‘I’m Looking For Someone To Find Me’ (from 2007 ‘Lady’s Bridge’ album), which I think Beresford had switched his drumsticks for those with brushes at the end. This was a decent tune, but we had arrived for the final track of the night and as the quiet tones of ‘The Ocean’ (from 2005’s ‘Coles Corner’ album) began to play, I was very pleased indeed as he had failed to include this during his previous Brighton Dome performance back in 2019 – Review HERE. The quality of this musicianship was of the highest order and mid tune where the beat rises a notch, the hairs on my arms also rise in appreciation – fabulous stuff! The time was 10:46pm and that was our lot. The standing punters (ourselves included) slowly made our way out of the venue and discussed what we all had just witnessed. I presume the seated punters upstairs were doing the same.
Last Autumn Richard Hawley also appeared at Brighton Dome as part of the homage to Patsy Cline with John Grant. Read our account of that night HERE.
Richard Hawley:
Richard Hawley – lead vocals, guitars
Shez Sheridan – guitars, backing vocals
Colin Elliot – bass guitars, drum, backing vocals
Dean Beresford – drums
John Trier – keyboards, shakers
Bryan Dale – guitars, backing vocals
Richard Hawley setlist:
‘She Brings The Sunlight’ (found on 2012 ‘Standing At The Sky’s Edge’ album)
‘Two For His Heels’ (from 2024 ‘In This City They Call You Love’ album)
‘Prism In Jeans’ (from 2024 ‘In This City They Call You Love’ album)
‘Open Up Your Door’ (found on 2009 ‘Truelove’s Gutter’ album)
‘Standing At The Sky’s Edge’ (found on 2012 ‘Standing At The Sky’s Edge’ album)
‘Deep Space’ (from 2024 ‘In This City They Call You Love’ album)
‘Just Like The Rain’ (found on 2005 ‘Coles Corner’ album)
‘Hear That Lonesome Whistle Blow’ (from 2024 ‘In This City They Call You Love’ album)
‘Tonight The Streets Are Ours’ (found on 2007 ‘Lady’s Bridge’ album)
‘Alone’ (found on 2019 ‘Further’ album)
‘Coles Corner’ (found on 2005 ‘Coles Corner’ album)
‘Leave Your Body Behind You’ (found on 2012 ‘Standing At The Sky’s Edge’ album)
‘Heavy Rain’ (from 2024 ‘In This City They Call You Love’ album)
‘Don’t Stare At The Sun’ (found on 2012 ‘Standing At The Sky’s Edge’ album)
‘Is There A Pill?’ (found on 2019 ‘Further’ album)
‘Heart Of Oak’ (found on 2015 ‘Hollow Meadows’ album)
(encore)
‘People’ (from 2024 ‘In This City They Call You Love’ album)
‘I’m Looking For Someone To Find Me’ (found on 2007 ‘Lady’s Bridge’ album)
‘The Ocean’ (found on 2005 ‘Coles Corner’ album)
Opening for Richard Hawley this evening was Thea Gilmore who was playing her second date of the tour having entertained the crowds in London last night. She is set to perform four other nights on this tour (Wolverhampton, Manchester Gateshead, and Liverpool) before handing over the slot to James Badshaw for the remaining trio of dates. Kieran O’Connell played two first two performances in Dublin, and then John Smith performed the next five. I find it rather refreshing that Hawley is giving chances to four up-and-coming acts on his tour.
This evening Thea is to give us seven select numbers across her half hour taster set, which ran from 8pm to 8:30pm. With a “How you doing Brighton? It’s been a while since I’ve played here!” welcoming intro, she launched into her first composition ‘Friendly Little Heart Attack’ found on her 2021 ‘Afterlight’ album. It was simply her voice and her acoustic guitar and like Hawley’s set, the sound was crisp and clear and the audience were politely silent and paying attention to what was being performed for them. Before tune two, ‘Razor Valentine’ from her 2003 ‘Avalanche’ album, Thea told us that she loved this place (referring to Brighton Dome as she looked up at the ceiling) and that she was now going to play a “f*cked up love song that I wrote years ago”. This was well received and then Thea informed us that selection three ‘She Speaks In Colours’ (from 2023’s self-titled ‘Thea Gilmore’ album was written about a woman in the North of England who lost her daughter to anaphylaxis and this has been the hardest song that she has ever had to write! Suffice to say this received a hearty applause after its delivery, as in fact all of her songs did. I suspect that this is also on account of Thea having a relaxed, informal, but likeable stage presence, where you feel you could just sit down with her over a bottle of wine and share interesting stories.
Selection four we were informed was a cover and that we can sing along if we like, this being Thea’s rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s ‘Bad Moon Rising’ which she had recorded on her 2003 ‘Loftmusic’ album and one in which she told us was used in a film and that she herself was likened to a witch in it. Bit harsh! As with Richard Hawley the lyrics were shown on an iPad attached to the microphone stand, but I suspect for both singers that these were surplus to requirements, with both being in the game a long time and knowing to learn their lines. Track five we were informed was written in 2016, this was ‘Rise’ which turned up on her album called ‘The Counterweight’. Up until now it had just be Thea and her acoustic guitar, but to her left there was a Alesis unit that has presets on it and so for the final two combined songs, she ditched her guitar in favour of modern technology, with the use of a floor drum pedal and layers of vocals atop she created a totally different sound. The first of these was ‘This Girl Is Taking Bets’ from her 2015 ‘Ghosts & Graffiti’ album and the second was the talky poem ‘Nice Normal Woman’ from her self-titled album from last year. This had been a successful performance and no doubt Thea spoke to many new fans at the merch stall afterwards.
Thea Gilmore setlist:
‘Friendly Little Heart Attack’ (from 2021 ‘Afterlight’ album)
‘Razor Valentine’ (from 2003 ‘Avalanche’ album)
‘She Speaks In Colours’ (from 2023 ‘Thea Gilmore’ album)
‘Bad Moon Rising’ (Creedence Clearwater Revival cover) (from 2003 ‘Loftmusic’ album)
‘Rise’ (from 2017 ‘The Counterweight’ album)
‘This Girl Is Taking Bets’ (from 2015 ‘Ghosts & Graffiti’ album) / ’Nice Normal Woman’ (from 2023 ‘Thea Gilmore’ album)
