Live

The Prince of Wales, Ledbury

I can't recall ever receiving an email from Russ, at Ledbury's POW before, but this gig was a change of program, they conjured up the energetic and rapidly rising Hardwicke Circus to play their Sunday evening slot. The band had been touring over the South, playing anywhere and everywhere, and would eventually head to Carlisle. There's a buzz about the band, a confidence, a band that was going places, check out their website, it's impressive for such a 'young' band. They are guided by Dave Robinson, co-founder of Stiff Records, and in his day, road manager for Hendrix, it's hard to believe you could have a better man behind you, 'If it ain't Stiff, it ain't worth a f***.'

They take a couple of songs to settle into their positions, tight as they were with literally 'Nowhere Left to Run'. Jonny has that warm thick voice, bit like woolly Southerners with a cold! Zack is like a caged tiger, he wants to move with those guitars, but there's nowhere to go. Andy, a statue, breathing down into his silver sax while Ben is bolted down. The only activity is Tom, bouncing around at his drums and Lewis, whose all over those key, sliders and knobs, the busiest hands in the band? The band are firing on all six cylinders, and it sounds pretty bloody good, as they dabble with the devil, 'Way Down in the Hole', Tom Waits, fully wired.

Jonny has the wiry look and swagger of a young Jagger, don't know about the moves with no space, but there's a nice touch of humour in his tales of the road. Most of the songs are theirs, taken from a couple of EP's, with the inevitable 'borrowed' and remoulded worthies to add to the mix. We're all chorusing to 'Addicted to You Love', the sound in this tiny pub is amazing. They close out the first set on a cracking pop'rocking, 'Woman'.

Hardwicke Circus are soon somersaulting through a second set, we all lift a glass for 'In Vino Veritas'. It bubbles like champagne under Lewis's fingers, before pouring into an anthem on the rocks, 'Walda', rocks you like a Glaswegian kiss. They wind the clock back to '78, riding The Jags for 'Back of my Hand', before we're all pulled into chorusing 'Hands Up', hand's up, don't shoot, brilliant.

You can't help feel the band are standing on the precipice of the big stage, they have real presence, an easy manner, humour, and above all else, some bloody good music. For the first time, in my memory, there was a collective decision to do a third set. Well it would have been a real challenge to pack everything together and get loaded into their ex-riot van.

I hope to have the opportunity to see this band again soon. Here is a final thought, they sometimes have a trombonist to add, he's on the EP, a dangerous weapon in such a tight space, could have had your eye out!

by Graham Munn

New Wave Punk Worley’s at The Swan, Stourport

Thursday nights in Stourport can be eventful in some way or other. Sliding into the Swan on the warm night, it was wonderful to feel a buzzing atmosphere all around from the audience..Headliners tonight Hardwicke Circus stormed onto the stage with pure professionalism. .Blending Americana with Indie Rock, the septet stopped by at the Swan the night before they journeyed to Hyde Park for their Bob Dylan and Neil Young support slot. .Taking to the stage with hit after hit, the musicianship in this band is incredible. Bouncing off one another with killer arrangements, the band are filled with youngsters too. .Hits such as “Walda” and “Woman” created a stadium feel in the Swan. Anthem after anthem, this band are all about the arrangements. Including a brass section alongside the warm rock structures, it created a soulful performance to each track. .Rock stars in the making, imagine The Rolling Stones creating an album with The Doors jamming with Primal Scream… THIS is Hardwicke Circus. Transforming their influences into their own originality, this night was one to remember for time to come. A beautiful rock and roll journey was had by all. Having heard about the success of their Hyde Park gig, it’s no surprise that this band are destined for stardom. They well and truly tore the roof off the Swan.

by Chloe Mogg, Slap Magazine, Worchester.

Hope & Anchor, London 

For out of town bands trying to make a dent in the concioussness of the capital's great and good, the second day of the new year is one of the worst to attempt it. Hardwicke Circus seemed totally unfazed by it though, as the alramingly fresh faced septet took to the stage of the famous pub rock haven. The last night of a monthly residency, the proud Cumbrians have been slogging it around the UK for a couple of years taking it all in their youthful stride, and their dogged tenacity finally seems to be paying off.

They've got the songs to do it to, cheerily charasmatic frontman and songwriter Jonny Foster has dozens of them, as their two sets tonight prove. The radio ready rock/soul of Nowhere Left To Run, the banner waving Why You Looking For Love, and the spruce funk of Nobody Loves You (Like I Do) all scream "geniuses at work". On top of that there's a handful of well chosen covers - Dylan, The Jags, Harold Melvin. Not particularly obvious, but crowd pleasers all. 

There's a retro pub rock element but that's just because it's great classic music that gets under the skin and into the feet. This isn't hard-nosed striped down RnB of Dr Feelgood, this is the real rhythm and blues - soulful, funky, passionate - played by a bunch of guys who love to play, not for fame but because they love it and believe in it, and know they can deliver. They're already lined up for several of this year's festivals. Get in early for the feel good hit of the summer!

RNR Magazine

Hope & Anchor, London

The band played a great set from a standing start and they managed to take a tried and tested format and enliven it with youthful vigour, twisting the tropes of soul and rock into some stimulating shapes. So disco keys met sledgehammer guitars (Chips Are Down); the horn section got as many soloes as the guitars and the tempos varied delightfully to keep the crowd engaged (although not so engaged they matched the Brum crowd during a cheekily requested singalong, to our fair City’s shame). There are plenty of bands with ability but this outfit’s advantage is Jonny Foster, a charismatic front man evoking the spirits of all the right icons, all hair, shape throwing and rabble rousing; his raspy soulful pipes showing promise already.

Southside Johnny support review

Even support band Hardwicke Circus looked and sounded like young Asbury Jukes protégés, with a horn section and lead singer Jonny Foster, one of two brothers, coming over like a young Mick Jagger or Van Morrison, long-haired and loose-limbed with a rough-edged R n B voice. It was therefore something of a shock a few songs in when he introduced the band as from Carlisle as I had assumed to that point they were New Jerseyites.

Songs like ‘Heartless Woman’ and ‘Nobody Does You Like I Do’ impressed alongside a cover of ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’, the musicianship was very tight, and while very sixties influenced, they showed enough freshness to be marked as an interesting sounding band potentially going places.

by Andy Nathan

Nozstock 

Hardwicke Circus were another revelation on the Orchard Stage, the band came across like prime Rolling Stones and the Small Faces clashing heads with Give Out But Don’t Give Up era Primal Scream and the Black Crowes and the band have got the songs to match. A twelve legged rock n roll machine, they swaggered across the stage and belted out some stadium sized anthems in the Sunday sun. The songs the band play like Walder and Rebel Because Of You are big and anthemic with great use of the organ and at times have huge eighties style choruses that ring out and are perfect to sing along to. Hardwicke Circus are another band to definitely seek out and they easily deliver another highlight of the weekend.

by Gavin Brown

Kendal Calling Music Festival

The Carlisle band got Saturday started with an immediate groove. The crowd were slow to warm up after a presumably heavy night the evening before, but the boys were on point from beat one, letting everyone know they're not a first-on-the-bill sort of act. It wasn't long until the tent was rocking, and all before anyone had time to grab lunch. Hardwicke Circus will soon outgrow stages like the one they played at KC16, and not just because there are so many of them crammed onto the stage. Like many acts they were spotted across the festival checking out their favourite performances and chatting to fans - a much-loved trait of bands at KC.

Kendal Calling Music Festival 

Carlisle-band Hardwicke Circus took to the House Party Stage early on Saturday afternoon, packing out the tent. With influences from the likes of Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones, these guys are vintage-tinged rock at its best. If you like 60s indie with a modern twist, give these guys a listen.

O2 Academy Belfast supporting Alabama 3

Look, anyone who doesn’t turn up for the support band(s) at a gig is a chump because who knows when you might see the latest best band you’ve never seen? Hardwicke Circus started their set in a virtually empty venue, but from the first song they had the few present tapping their feet and grinning, and everyone that arrived during the twelve song set ended up likewise, filling the floor and enjoying a powerful horn driven set of soul infused rock songs. The five piece band had endured a six hour drive from Cumbria but that didn’t stop ‘em filing the room with youthful enthusiasm and chops that belied their age.

A disparate bunch, they managed to look like a band despite seemingly having no sartorial commonality (much like the E Street Band when they first started out), thus Jonny Foster (lead vocals & guitar), Tom Foster (drums & vocals), Joe Hurst (bass & vocals) rocked the, well rock look – waistcoats, drainpipes, paisley shirt etc. and as for the horn section (Jack Pearce) – well have you ever seen a horn section that wasn’t dapper or without at least one trilby? But massive applause for Lewis Bewley-Taylor on keys and an insanely gonzo fringed cowboy shirt and humongous applause for drummer Tom Foster and a three piece shirtless suit combo the likes of which haven’t been seen on stage since Mud were in their polyester pomp.

The band played a great set from a standing start and they managed to take a tried and tested format and enliven it with youthful vigour, twisting the tropes of soul and rock into some stimulating shapes. So disco keys met sledgehammer guitars (Chips Are Down); the horn section got as many soloes as the guitars and the tempos varied delightfully to keep the crowd engaged (although not so engaged they matched the Brum crowd during a cheekily requested singalong, to our fair City’s shame). There are plenty of bands with ability but this outfit’s advantage is Jonny Foster, a charismatic front man evoking the spirits of all the right icons, all hair, shape throwing and rabble rousing; his raspy soulful pipes showing promise already.

The only time their youth showed was a mid-set decision to sandwich a cracking original Drive with two covers, preceding it with Baby Please Don’t Go and following it with Love Her Madly, something of a misfire as their own excellent tune was expunged from the memory by the all persuasive chorus of an overly familiar tune (even if the band did breathe new life in to it as a Doors / Stax hybrid). It’s a gamble covering material in this situation – sure, a familiar tune gets the crowd grooving and can be fun to play, but the risk is the set ends with the crowd’s mind buzzing with the cover rather than the originals. That comment notwithstanding, this was a splendid set from a band with much promise – given the popularity of Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats and St Paul & the Broken Bones it’s great to see home-grown talent with the potential to match the challenge from over the pond.

by Jonathon Kardasz

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