Richard Hawley at The Queen’s Hall

Some artists really manage to tune into the energy of this much-loved venue.

Richard Hawley’s well-crafted songs and vintage guitars were a good fit during a Saturday evening in Edinburgh. Opener Off My Mind is an immediately catchy rock n’ roll riff matched with Hawley’s velvet voice. During Further, he straps on a Gibson Les Paul Gold Top, and the tone of the guitar is only matched by his smooth baritone which also shone during a jazz-flavoured Coles Corner.

The rockabilly Buddy Holly pop of I’m Looking for Someone to Find Me takes us back to 1955. Hawley had the south-side rocking with Galley Girl, the sonic riffs send an adrenaline rush far and wide warming up plummeting temperatures in the city. Don’t Stare At The Sun suggests the soundtrack to a 1960s espionage thriller with some beautiful guitar work from Hawley and Shez Sheridan, whose fan club get vocal on the balcony.

A highlight was Down In The Woods, the psychedelic, full-throttle rocker was inspired by Hawley taking his dog for long walks. One fan sings along to riff with a few lyrics from Iggy and the Stooges 1969. It was a delight to witness so much joy around the venue, many have taken tentative steps since Covid-19 and at the end of 2022, it’s been profoundly significant to see people so immersed in live shows again.

As Hawley pointed out earlier this year “music is essential to the human experience, the whole existence of humanity is connected to music, I don’t care what form it takes, it is as important as food and oxygen – it’s vital for our survival and the most important form of communication”.