One last show at The Leadmill for music legend Richard Hawley. This time, he means it. The Coles Corner songwriter had suggested he had washed his hands of the venue after it was ordered to close. A long-standing, historic business evicted by landlords with property in cities whose culture they do not care for. It is one thing to close a cultural landmark, another to crush the soul of a city which still shines brightest when The Leadmill is included in conversation. Hawley has likely played the venue more times than anyone, and knowing this is his last stand at the Steel City’s finest venue adds an inevitably sentimental layer. Hawley released In This City They Call You Love last year, and never has he quite so clearly embodied the unconditional love for the region heard on his latest studio album than he has done at his last-ever Leadmill gig. A truly heartbreaking moment, but still much to love.
Hawley and the band give what may be a career-best performance for each member of the band. They and the crowd are aware of the occasion. Tinged with tragedy, but still reason to have fun. Shez Sheridan is given more than a few moments to take lead with some exceptional guitar work while the rhythm section quite literally shakes the barricade on songs like Deep Space. Final gig or not, the complex guitar work and the ever-exciting tone taken by the 1950s-inspired rock and roll Hawley is now performing is of a high quality. Staggering renditions of Standing at the Sky’s Edge and Open Up Your Door feature early in the show, both highlights of the studio discography and the always strong live performances. Here, they feel special. A hometown show always does. Sombre realisations of every song exiting the stage for one final time is felt, but what is seen is the rage Hawley holds for the decisions going against the venue.
He and the band do well to keep the night from veering into tragedy. Staggered and performative throws of the guitar, powerful playing and all with the ability to switch off the menace for a moment and charm the audience. We are, after all, here to enjoy the time we have left. Tonight the Streets and Heart of Oak are both magnificently performed. Staples of the set, which line up well alongside those In This City They Call You Love tracks. Hear That Lonesome Whistle Blow is a delightful addition to the setlist, a reject from the Asteroid City soundtrack. It, along with I’m Looking for Someone to Find Me, incorporates that inevitable Hawley charm. Light in the dark is the tone Hawley takes, and it brings a celebratory feel to sold-out crowd. He and the band are in white hot form. His and Sheridan’s shared guitar solos are masterful, and are as fitting a close as any to what will be the last time many step foot in The Leadmill.
This was Sheffield’s Brudenell Club. Their Cluny. Their Windmill. Fuck all has been done to protect these venues in the past, and even less will be done in future. At a time when so many call for grassroots venues to be protected, so few are doing something to help. Hawley pulls out some phenomenal work here, some of the purest and focused playing he has provided on stage to date. The occasion certainly helps him along, but there was never any doubt that his final show at The Leadmill would be a special one. One of the best in class at one of the finest venues the country has ever seen and will ever see. A show like that sticks with you for years to come. Crucial to any great performance is having fun, whatever the circumstance. Tragedy tinges the performance Hawley gives at The Leadmill, but it does not stop him and the crowd from having the time of their lives.
