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by
BBC South Yorkshire
contributor Sean O'Keefe |
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Richard
Hawley is onstage and wants to introduce us to his band. "They
don't have a name, cos I think they're ridiculous, you know like
the Silver Surfers and it's four blokes in specs from Barnsley."
Welcome
to the wonderful, warm world of Sheffielder Richard Hawley, 36,
sometime member of Pulp, ex member of the little lamented Longpigs
and without doubt one of the best solo artists this country has
ever produced. And then some.
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"It's
four blokes in specs from Barnsley..."
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Hawley
continues this stream of semi-consciousness in his deep twenty a
day baritone. "I used to be in a band called the Longpigs.
I hated that name, seven years, every night… then I was in
Pulp. Now that's quite a cool name, cos Pulp means to recycle and
Pulp have recycled everything, ever."
It's
this stark honesty that helps to set Hawley apart. Like a Yorkshire
Neil Finn, Hawley has the craft and ability to disarm any crowd
with a well tuned anecdote before effortlessly launching into the
kind of performance that often reduces you to tears.
Add
this to a triumvirate of albums, each of which critically acclaimed
and an unerring ability to lyrically get under the skin of a relationship
and you have a winning combination.
Idiocy,
thy name is Mercury Music Prize for overlooking this year's Lowedges
album.
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"Baby,
you're my light(show)..."
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Hawley
begins with Coming Home, in which he's 'going to the station, ticket
in my hand', perhaps the standout track from his eponymous debut.
The yearn to travel and the emotional separations it brings is a
well ploughed furrow in Hawley's work. In between songs he asks
where people have travelled from today.
"It
isn't where you're from, but where you're at. I really believe that.
I mean, I know plenty of people from Sheffield and they're idiots."
This
prompts a shout of "yeah, we're here" from the front of
stage.
"Yeah,
they're all down the front," laughs Hawley.
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A
sneak peek at Hawley's dressing room - it's reet glam, this
rock thing!
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This
appearance at Leicester's Summer Sundae comes hot on the heels of
Hawley's appearance at Spain's Bennicasim Festival two days earlier.
Backstage
later Hawley reveals that he was surprised to see Pulp's Candida
Doyle arrive in Spain, complete with backpack from her year travelling
the world during Pulp's hiatus.
"It
was nice to see her, although she ended up having to sleep on the
hotel floor."
When
not in front of a crowd Hawley is as charming as he is on it, revealing
how he was once lured into a some ill advised bus surfing for the
benefit of an NME hack. Liam Gallagher had once done it, he was
assured.
Only
later did a terrified Hawley learn that the Oasis frontman had travelled
at five miles an hour, not the 65mph that Hawley hurtled towards
a bridge and certain death at.
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Happy
backstagers!
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Later,
he reveals, he will be joining Ian McCulloch onstage during his
set. One song later and Hawley is being called back onstage from
his dressing room, leaving him to run back with pizza in hand.
Despite
huge respect from those within the music industry, Hawley is reluctant
to play the 'rock star mates' card, preferring to make it in his
own way.
If
the individualism that colours his work is anything to go by, then
all bets are on that Hawley will achieve the success he deserves.
Anything
less would be a crime.
-
Sean O'Keefe
Pictures
courtesy of Matthew Slaymaker.
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