Epic display from Richard Hawley

Richard Hawley

Town Hall, Birmingham

Words and pictures Andy Richardson

The streets outside Birmingham Town Hall were closed as fans made their way to pay homage to the nation's foremost purveyor of laconic, slow-strung tunes.

The BBC were filming an episode of Hustle last night, the all-action, frothy drama that's a triumph of style over substance.

The filming was a dramatic counterpoint to events inside the Town Hall. It was like entering another world.

Hawley was stunning last night. In his evocative, soft-strummed laments, he reshaped the humdrum of the everyday into something transformative and mesmerising.

The Mercury Music Prize-nominated Hawley played songs from his six-album solo career, proving himself a Scott Walker for modern times.

Rockabilly pop, down-on-his-luck blues, brooding introspection and working men's ballads were fused into something quite magical.

Hawley told last night's audience that the gig had been his favourite of his present UK tour. The feeling was mutual - fans gave him a deserved standing ovation for the newly-refurbished venue had not seen such a spellbinding performance in its new era.

Songs from Hawley's new album, the epic, widescreen Truelove's Gutter, were given a generous airing and played with an enchanting mastery by Hawley and his compelling band. His was a virtuoso performance that delighted his appreciative fans.

When pop historians chart recent decades, they'll find Hawley misplaced in the 21st century. His deep, rich baritone voice, orchestral playing and effortless harmonising means he belongs alongside true greats like Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and Nat King Cole.

Hawley belongs not to the Hustle generation, but to a different, better era.nextpage