CityLife

Richard Hawley, Vincent Villain and the Villains @ Academy 1

RICHARD Hawley's journey from drug-addled Britpop-also ran to everyone's favourite 'Elvis of the North' has been as meteoric as it has been surprising.

Now something of a cult celebrity, Hawley is no longer known as Jarvis Cocker's-best mate-who-was-in-Pulp-for-a-bit, or even the guy who played guitar for perennial mid-90's underachievers The Longpigs (for those that can remember them). Hawley is now an earthy, everyman star in his own right, back in Manchester for the second time in five months.

Support act Vincent Villain and the Villains get the night off to a suitably retro start. Their brand of '50's enthused rock(abilly), although for the most part louder and less extravagant, is certainly derived from the same musical compass as Hawley himself.

Previewing songs from forthcoming debut Gospel Bombs, they play enthusiastically, although they are rather weighed down by their influences rather than embracing them.

Latest album 'Lady's Bridge' is hardly a massive departure for Hawley from the glorious Mercury Prize nominated breakthrough 'Cole's Corner' - he still depicts a Sheffield full of romanticism, vulnerability and forlorn hope - but it transfers wonderfully into the live arena.

His surprisingly touching Roy Orbison-esque croon is in tact, and he somehow manages to play the 1970's workingman's club comedian in-between the tunes without detracting from the delicate and poignant nature of them.

Single 'Tonight the Streets Are Ours' is a wondrous, soaring pop classic; 'Valentine' is a grandiose opener reminiscent of early Scott Walker, whilst 'The Sea Calls' is a subtle mini-epic that quietly builds into one of the finest things he's ever done.

The 'Cole's Corner' material obviously goes down a treat, with 'Born Under a Bad Sign' the sing-along of the night. Only on the underwhelming 'Dark Road' does he sound like he's scrambling around Johnny Cash Converters for inspiration, as his critics would have you believe.

As with his Bridgewater Hall show in September, Hawley revels in the encore, with blinding renditions of Hank Williams and Henry Nelson tracks, complete with the peerless harmonica playing of Manchester's very own Clive, a regular in The Castle pub on Oldham Street, who Hawley invites onstage whenever in town after he overheard his playing during an afternoon session.

The decision is inspired, leaving just an extended version of The Ocean to be the storming finale that it always is.

Then Hawley's off, as he has already told us, to get drunk. It's typical of Hawley to play the working class hero, but when it's done with as much style and panache as tonight, it really is a joy to watch.

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