GIG REVIEW – RICHARD HAWLEY

Richard Hawley played two special evening dates this month in the rather spectacular venue of the Devil’s Arse Cavern in Castleton. The cavern is basically the underground opening to the Peak Cavern, one of Castleton’s famous underground caverns. The Caverns are normally open to the public for walks underground but had been temporarily converted for this purpose to a music venue with temporary seating and a bar.

RICHARD HAWLEY GIG REVIEW

Your LGA reviewer Paul Wood donned his Parka coat and walking boots and was there to witness the first of the two nights on the 28^th April.

Neil McSweeney was the opening act on the Friday night –I’d say it was his job to “warm up” the audience but the temperature was dropping pretty fast! His 40 minute set of self compositions was well received.

Richard Hawley Devils Cave

Hawley took to the stage to what was almost a “home crowd” (you can catch the bus from Sheffield to Castleton) and it’s clear that everyone there was a Hawley fan.  Opening songs “As The Dawn Breaks” and “Ashes on the Fire” set up the typical Hawley concert experience, strong voice, melody and excellent guitar sounds. An up tempo “Tonight The Streets Are Ours” followed, before which Hawley quipped “if you think I’ve put on weight it’s because I’m wearing 50 layers!”

The intricate “Standing At The Skys Edge” had Hawley saying how difficult it was to keep the 12 string in tune under these temperatures and then Clive Miller was brought out to join the onstage band to add tasteful harmonica to “Nothing Like A Friend”.

Richard Hawley Devils Cave pic

Here’s a link to the official video for “Nothing Like A Friend”

The rest of the onstage band were long time Hawley cohorts Shez Sheridan and Jon Trier with an occasional drum machine added to give some of the songs a rhythm boost.

Here’s a link to the official video for “Tuesday PM” featuring Shez Sheridan and Jon Trier.

Closing song of the set was a rather aptly titled “The Nights Are Cold” before the band came back for a 3 song encore. Hawley dedicated the final song (a cover of Lee Hazelwood’s “Son Of A Gun”) to his father and grandfather who had first brought him to the Peak Cavern just over 50 years ago in 1976.

Here’s a link to live footage of Richard playing “Son OF A Gun” from the Union Chapel earlier this year

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPXaalDC4Wo

The whole Devils Arse show was recorded by liveherenow and CD recordings of the concert were ready and available for purchase as you left the show.

BAND

Richard Hawley – guitar, vocals

Shez Sheridan – guitar, backing vocals

Jon Trier – keyboards

Clive Miller –harmonica (selected tracks)

The Drum Machine

SETLIST

1. As The Dawn Breaks
2. Ashes On The Fire
3. Tonight The Streets Are Ours
4. Standing At The Sky’s Edge
5. Nothing Like A Friend
6. Tuesday PM
7. Remorse Code
8. Leave Your Body Behind You
9. Just Like The Rain
10. For Your Lover Give Some Time
11. The Nights Are Cold

Encore

1. Heart of Oak
2. What Love Means
3. Son Of A Gun (Lee Hazelwood cover)

BLAST FROM THE PAST

To give you a flavor of the unique atmosphere at the Cavern, here’s a link to video footage of Richard playing “Just Like The Rain” live at the Devil’s Arse Cavern at an earlier show in 2008