Richard Hawley - Shepherds Bush Empire, London 8/10/09

Sometimes I wonder why I bother going to certain gigs. You know the ones where you just stand there staring at the back of someones head and then people keep pushing past, and then they come back and push past again. The man next you has decided to keep his rucksack attached to his back during the show and keeps slamming it into you. The people behind you keep talking during the quiet bits and you wish they would sod off and go home. And you think to yourself, that you paid 18 pounds for this and you should be enjoying it, but you are trying to, but only as far as enjoying the muffled audio "pumping" out of the nearest speakers that are 50 yards way. For the record I am not that short, it's just that most of Richard Hawley's fans seem to be over 6 feet tall and with high hair.

Of course this is no reflection of the music on the night. Richard Hawley is an engaging, warm and witty performer and this is the third time that I have seen him in concert. He played a blinding set, comprising mostly of tracks from his new album "Truelove's Gutter" and a small sprinkling of tracks from earlier works including "The Ocean", "Hotel Room" (from "Coles Corner"), "Lady Solitude" (from "Lady's Bridge") and "Run for Me" (from "Lowedges"). Amazingly there were no room from the likes of "Tonight the Streets Are Ours", "Serious", "Valentine", "Coles Corner", "Just Like the Rain" or "Born Under a Bad Sign". So Mr. Hawley must have some serious faith in his newer material and so he should have. The highlight for me was "For Your Lover, Give Some Time", the current single.

As I mentioned before in a previous review, "Truelove's Gutter" is a great body of work, but most of the content is "armchair business", so after 90 minutes or so of this gig (it stretched to two hours) I noticed a lot of clock watching going on and lots of bored partners of the female variety, harassing their other halves's to make a hasty exit.

For the encore a surprise guest Lisa Marie Presley was introduced on stage. It turns out that Elvis' offspring and the late Jacko's ex-wife has been working with Hawley on some tracks. It enjoyable enough stuff all round, but of course I saw more of my friend's earlobe than of Ms Presley.

Above is a picture that I managed to take from the bar during the brief few minutes that I managed to see anything on stage. It's not a great photo, but it's better than nothing.

Below is a clip from youtube of "Soldier On" from the gig.

Richard Hawley - Truelove's Gutter

Traditionally on rock/pop albums you get all the fast tracks first and then come track 5 you get a lull with a slower track, and then the pace is picked up again until track 9 and 10 when the pace can drop back down again. Richard Hawley's album tracks are usually the other way around, with a snail-paced ballad at the beginning ("Valentine" from "Lady's Bridge" and the title track from "Coles Corner", for example) and then a couple of fast/faster tracks appearing later on. Hawley doesn't do "fast" very often. His last album "Lady's Bridge", contained the most speedier tracks Richard ever released - "Serious", "Tonight The Streets Are Ours" and "I'm Looking For Someone To Find Me". It's all relative though, because after the first track on this album, "As The Dawn Breaks", anything else sounds speedy in comparison.

So in a way, "Truelove's Gutter" is a bit like all the more boring tracks I sometimes skip past on Hawley's previous albums because there isn't one track on here that will get you doing the twist. But really, they are not really boring at all, they are just not as immediate as say "Born Under a Bad Sign", "Just Like The Rain" or "Valentine". So it's a brave move on Hawley's part to release this album. He could have easily taken another route and made more radio friendly foot-tapping material and turn into a modern day Alvin Shardust, or perhaps a Shakin' Stevens. Perhaps not. Instead he has released eight tracks - some of epic proportions, of varying degrees of moodiness and texture which makes for a more than pleasant experience. One for listening to walking along the Thames on a cold winters day. That's one way I will be enjoying this album

Richard Hawley is a serious talent, a natural songwriter and a borderline geniue. In years to come his albums will be regarded as all time classics. Mark my words, people.

As a foot note, if you are a fan of the man you will no doubt have investigated last years release by old time crooner Tony Christie with the album "Made In Sheffield" that Hawley co-produced, if you haven't, then check it out because it's brilliant.

Richard comes to the Shepherds Bush Empire, London on Thursday next week. I will be attending and will be sure to mention it here.

Here are two clips. The audio to "Open Up Your Door" and the video to the current single "For Your Lover, Give Some Time".

Richard Hawley - For Your Lover Give Some Time

`For Your Lover Give Some Time' is business as usual for Richard Hawley. A beautifully crafted ballad with lush strings which leaves you wanting more. Excellent stuff that bodes well for the forthcoming album `Truelove's Gutter', Hawley's 6th, due for release in September. This is the first single to be taken from it.

`For Your Lover Give Some Time' is currently available for download on itunes and amazon.

Here is the video for the single: