Every now and then I come across someone of my age on social media complaining about how shallow and trite modern lyrics are compared to ‘proper music’ from back in our day. Leaving apart that such complaints ignore our day's fair share of shallow and trite – Bay City Rollers, anyone? Brotherhood of Man? The Rubettes? – I always think that the ageing malcontents just aren’t looking hard enough, because the good stuff is definitely still out there. Last week I got to see a perfect example playing live.

I discovered Hamish Hawk a couple of albums ago: Heavy Elevator (2021) brought him to my attention via 6 Music, but somehow I always missed out on seeing him play. Imagine my frustration when I saw a Facebook ad promoting a brief tour of record shops to promote his new album, A Firmer Hand: he was playing two local-to-me shows, in Southampton and Portsmouth, but they were both happening while I was away visiting family in the North-West. Then I realised, the Liverpool show on Monday 19th was also during that visit and just half an hour away from my in-laws’ house.

Rough Trade in Liverpool is a great little venue. It reminded me of my 80s visits to the Marquee Club in London, although it was a lot sprucer than my memories of the classic, shabby Wardour Street dive. There were maybe 300 or so of us, and along with two new friends who I met in the queue (hi, Neil and Penny!) I found myself right at the front, within touching distance of the main man (I resisted, you and he will be relieved to hear). Although I didn’t know it at the time, I was also immediately in front of someone intent on filming the whole gig. As a result, there are now several YouTube videos from the show, all featuring my rather dashing back-of-head/right-sided-profile. I’ve added links to a few below, although more so that you can see Hamish and the band’s performance than my own.

The band came onstage, taking up their instruments with a minimum of fanfare and minus their leader. They launched into the brooding ‘Machiavelli’s Room’ from the new album, with Hamish Hawk himself striding onstage in time to hit the vocal. It was an intense start to the show, with an animated, agitated Hawk commanding the stage like Ian Curtis as played by Peter Serafinowicz (in a good way). 

The early numbers focused on the new album, with Hawk becoming more relaxed and playful as the show progressed. He’s one of those acts who are hard to pigeonhole – idiosyncratic, literate, alternative-indy-pop is my best attempt – but there is a harder musical edge to the new material, with some great guitar textures from Andrew Pearson. Hearing them live I caught a definite 80s vibe – he’s often been compared to lyricists such as Morrissey or Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy, but I was picking up musical hints of Heaven 17 and, at times, the Cure too, as well as his fellow Scots Franz Ferdinand.   

The second half of the gig mixed in material from the previous albums, Angel Numbers and Heavy Elevator. One of those, ‘This, Whatever it is, Needs Improving’  – as requested by my new friend Penny – set up a stunning run to the end of the show. New single ‘Men Like Wire’ followed, along with another track from the new album, before Hawk unleashed two crowd-pleasing oldies to finish things off: ‘Bakerloo Unbecoming’ and ‘The Mauritian Badminton Doubles Champion, 1973’ (a personal favourite). Chatting with other audience members afterwards, we met the drummer’s parents, who it turns out were the inspiration for the song (the drummer’s mum, apparently, was “the wife with the perfect serve” mentioned in the lyrics). You heard it here first.

The 10-song set was over too soon, but it was a short, joyous blast from a fabulous performer and songwriter, who I hope I’ll get to see again closer to home. I’m already enjoying the new album, although I suspect it won’t dislodge Heavy Elevator as my favourite of his. I’m not sure that Dave from Dead Man Singing would be a fan, but I’m certain James from Foul and Fair would be. I’m with James on this one.