There’s probably no need to introduce you to Richard Hawley. He’s the South Yorkshire troubadour with the desert dry sense of humour and beguiling crooning voice who used to be part of Britpop nearly-men Longpigs and once toured with Pulp. He’s now on his seventh solo album, Hollow Meadow, packed like the others with romantic, swooning, woozy tunes displaying his absolute mastery of his art.
Late Night Final, his first full solo record, was one of the only albums I’ve ever bought at a gig, having not previously known anything about the artist, and Baby You’re My Light, the lead single from that LP, was the first dance at our wedding. I’ve enjoyed some albums more than others, but he is an extraordinary talent who always puts on a cracking show and is therefore well worth you booking a baby sitter this month.
The only downside of seeing Hawley in action is that it brings back memories of one of the most embarrassing moments of my radio career. I interviewed him a number of years ago and had created what I thought was the perfect witty introduction to my musical hero. It went like this:
“He’s Sheffield music royalty, he’s played with Longpigs and Pulp and he could probably lend Def Leppard a hand if they asked. Or an arm. He’s Richard Hawley!”
*silence*
“That’s a bit sick”
He was, of course, correct. Thankfully the atmosphere warmed and it ended up being an enjoyable chat, but I’ve regretted that ‘joke’ ever since.
Here are the Richard Hawley tour dates:
- Tue 3rd – Gateshead Sage
- Thu 5th – Glasgow Barrowland
- Fri 6th – Sheffield Arena – Steel Hall
- Sun 8th – London Roundhouse
- Mon 9th – Bristol Colston Hall
- Tue 10th – Southampton Guildhall
All this talk of Richard Hawley makes me think there should be one of his tracks on the Alternative Toddler Playlist. Which one do you think it should be? Let me know.
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