I have recently woken to the delights of Edinburgh-based and a graduate of the University of St Andrews Hamish Hawk. After reviewing his latest album `Angel Numbers` I said that I felt that this singer-songwriter was on the cusp of something really consequential and tonight he reaffirmed that belief.
There`s little fuss as the singer and his quartet of musicians squeeze onto the stage to a backing tape of the White Stripes’ `Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine` and launch into the wonderfully titled `Dog-eared August` from his latest release which races along and almost stupefies this sold out crowd. Another one from the same album follows with `Elvis Lookalike Shadows` which swaggers along and it hits me that his voice is every bit as good live as on record.
The majority of tonight`s performance is culled from the last two albums `Angel Numbers` and `Heavy Elevator` and `This, Whatever It Is, Needs Improvements` follows from the latter release and at times was almost a spoken word oration.
`Bridget St John` is a song that i`ve only just gotten out of my head and this dreamy travelogue is joyous as it re-enters before supporting act Lizzie Reid is asked onstage to be the foil on the country tinged `Rest & Veneers`. Sadly, I didn`t manage to get to the venue in time to catch this Glaswegian’s set.
The show moves along with tracks such as the reflective `Daggers`, `Angel Numbers` a wonderful earworm, `Think of Us Kissing`, `Grey Seals` and what is referred to as an old one with the questioning `Calls to Tiree` a longing for the most westerly island in the Inner Hebrides possiblye.
The singer alludes to the packed nature of tonight`s venue as he relates that this is indeed a “sweaty room before sharing what he says is a brand new track that isn`t yet released with `You Can Film Me` which sways along. The home stretch includes the contemplative `Desperately` with its scorching guitar shredding, imploring `Money`, `Bakerloo, Unbecoming` which for me felt like the kind of all-encompassing number that Bruce Springsteen used to create, the quite mesmerising `The Mauritian Badminton Doubles Champion, 1973` and closing out with a cover of Talking Head`s `Thank You For Sending Me An Angel` which the troupe really make their own and `Caterpillar` which had a Gang of Four nerviness about it.
The singer had warned us that they don`t endure the charade of encores and that tonight`s show was the first sell out show apart from the gigs in Scotland. I have to say that the quartet of gifted musicians that were part of the band were superb and comprised Andrew Pearson (guitars), Stefan Maurice (drums), Alex Duthie (bass) and John Cashman (keyboards).
Everything about this performance was excellent from the venue highlighted by BBC music recently, what was delivered from the stage to the sound we heard through the mixer. I am fortunate enough to attend and experience around a hundred gigs a year and this, I have to say, will be the marker that I judge all the rest against.
In a word, Stunning.
