Few things are better than hearing Richard Hawley spin some grand acoustic numbers in a cave. For those lucky enough to attend the second and so far, the most recent appearance of Hawley in the Devil’s Arse venue, all which remains is this live recording. Live at the Devil’s Arse 2017 is a follow-up spectacle to the Elvis Presley covers, Christmas classics and crooner days of the Sheffield legend. Almost a decade on his return to the cave systems is still filled with those early days classics but the turn of form heard on this piece, so dependent on the linkup between Hawley and Shez Sheridan, is immense. Familiarity with the deep cuts and classics helps here, a Truelove’s Gutter-heavy experience. The “fucking freezing” Devil’s Arse venue makes sense for those calmer acoustics.
Hawley finds the humour and warmth within though, the sharper on-stage presence of a man whose decades of experience give this fourteen-track display a tremendous reworking of rock and ready tracks. As the Dawn Breaks and Ashes on the Fire feel relatively unchanged though the stripped-back appeal of Tonight the Streets Are Ours soon sets the mood. Even those tracks rarely turned into those essentialist instrumentals sound grand here. Standing at the Sky’s Edge receives a monumental turn and leads on ever-so-nicely into the Sheridan-starring Nothing Like a Friend. With Clive Mellor turning in an expectational performance too, the sweet and stylish feel Hollow Meadows presented fits in nicely. A real shame those tunes are no longer turned out, bar Heart of Oak.
This is the place for those deep cuts and Live at the Devil’s Arse 2017 feels like a great place for Hawley to hang up his crooner hat and kick on as a guitaring legend. A gut-wrenching acoustic display for Heart of Oak is the real gem to fish out of this sought-after record, the two recordings available from the heart of this legendary venue are monumental. Hawley is three for three when it comes to live recordings, Halifax Piece Hall following this five years on was a remarkable high. John Trier leaves his mark here – an essential piece of the Hawley unit in bringing these booming songs to their acoustic beauty. Uncovering this is one thing, but to tap into it unreservedly and as boldly as Hawley does here is remarkable.
Live at the Devil’s Arse 2017 does an exceptional job of showcasing what those who have not seen Hawley live are missing out on. Slick renditions of fine songs and a tremendous rapport with those in the audience. Managing the crowd, working them over with some softer moments and hitting back at those rowdy few are the key signs of a great performer and Hawley is one of the few. A grand and constant performer whose impressive works only get better once performed live. It is a tremendous shame there is not more of his work out there, officially released from the live venues. He does enough touring to warrant it – though that is greed taking over. What we have is this, a finely tuned piece of work from the guitar master.
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