Rockabilly trio the Pat Capocci Combo set the mood with a rollicking set of mid-tempo party tunes, warming the stage for the impending tidal wave of sound with aplomb, though it was difficult to avoid the monotony midway through their set, with each song sounding almost exactly the same.
Richard Hawley appeared to hoots and hollers, immaculately presented with his Brylcreem hair and leather jacket, guitar strapped on and launched into Standing At The Sky's Edge headfirst. His sinister lyricism poured forth with honeyed tones, his deep voice vibrating under our feet and bouncing off the Town Hall's auspicious walls. Hawley was immediately magnetic and beguiling. Able to hold the audience's attention through quieter moments like Don't Stare At The Sun, he asked for silence from the crowd and 'even the bar staff', and was granted a breath-held hush into Soldier On.
Despite the oft brooding nature of his music, Hawley revelled in amusing banter between songs, throwing out anecdotes about heading to Bondi Beach with a four-pack of Tooheys, assuaging any doubts regarding his working class image. Introducing the sweet melody of Tonight The Streets Are Ours with the note that it was used in a film about cartoons (that is, Exit Through The Gift Shop), using the appropriate charade gestures to illustrate his point, his humour won over the audience. Not that it was even needed; the aforementioned being an early set highlight, Hawley's voice ringing out smooth and soulful, his band skilful and incredibly tight.
Under Hawley's masterful hand, the songs took flight dramatically. Leave Your Body Behind You picked up the pace, building slowly from quiet into climactic guitar solos mirroring the flashing lights behind the band. For a brief moment, we were transported to a different time, Hawley and his band at the helm in fine form.
