Richard Hawley

22nd of September 2016

Queen's Hall, Edinburgh

Despite what the blurb stated, this was neither an acoustic concert, nor a solo one.  For not only did Richard strap on a shiny white electric Gretch on a couple of occasions, but was also accompanied by long-term collaborator Shez Sheridan on acoustic guitar and occasional mobile-phone drum machine.

And whilst there was a lot to love and enjoy here this evening, I need to get the bad stuff out of the way first.  The sound was rubbish.  Richard's voice was maddeningly over- amplified throughout.  I could just about have forgiven this fact had we been seated to the side of the stage up on the Queens Hall balcony.  

But we were not – we were sat pretty much directly behind the mixing desk.  If we could hear things were a long way from OK, how come the boffin twiddling the knobs could not.  On some songs, the sound balance was so poor I felt tempted to elbow him out of his seat and have a go myself.  I could surely do no worse.

Fortunately there was more than sufficient magic in Richard's songs to shine through the distorted sound.  Remorse Code and Lady Solitude in particular were utterly sublime.  Wife and I came away from the gig with that pleasing all over glow a special gig endows, but also agreeing upon just how so much better it could have been.


Setlist
(Although, the middle order is probably incorrect - and there were one or two further songs with which I was unfamiliar)

As the Dawn Breaks
Ashes on the Fire
Tonight the Streets are Ours
The Sea Calls
Don't Stare at the Sun
Nothing Like a Friend
For Your Lover Give Some Time
?
Remorse Code
?
Just Like the Rain
Lady Solitude

Encore
Heart of Oak
Long Time Down
What Love Means

Shez Sheridan & Richard Hawley - Edinburgh 2016

Richard Hawley - Edinburgh 2016

Richard Hawley - Edinburgh 2016