Richard Hawley

Hi Rich,

Today I took proud delivery of my newly framed artwork signed by your good self from the warrington gig, which now has pride of place on my wall. ..you're too good to us!

But anyway, it got my mind jogging onto another question, I was just wondering how you, Shez and the rest of the lads in the band came to get together? Were any of you at school together, or mates before you got involved in music, did you meet on the live circuit pre/post longpigs, etc? Sorry if I'm asking too much, I was just curious really, purely because the musicianship is so good and you sound so tight live, n there seems to be a lot of chemistry on stage, like you've all known each other for ages.

It's amazing really, every time I go and see you play, there's never so much as a bum note from anyone on stage, which you can't say about many bands; Shez in particular sounds awesome when he gets the lap steel out, n I wouldn't have believed one bloke and a harmonica could sound like Clive unless I'd seen it for myself. I can only speak for me, but I'm sure everyone here would agree when I say that all the guys in the band are the business..

All the best Rich, lovin' rockabily radio!

Most definitely, the gig in Belfast back in February was without doubt the best I've ever attended.

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Hmm....

http://myspace.com/francisdonaghy

i new shez and Colin for years around Sheffield,we never played together really although we always talked at gigs and party's etc,we bumped into each other regularly,i started working with Colin first,he engineered a few Longpigs sessions and we got on great,i had some studio time in Yellowarch booked in to just mess around and thats when i did the mini album,Shez sang on one song with backing vocals,Happy families i think and our old drummer Andy Cook played on one song,col played bass on a few,anyway when it came to forming a band i immediately without having to think about it asked Shez,Colin,Andy and Simon Stafford from the Longpigs to join,that lasted a year or so then we got John Trier in,Andy left and we had a string of drummers before we settled with dean Beresford.|I am really happy with the band,it feels like a band not hired players they are all great and commited to the project,love em i do./

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now,then!

You all gel so well together on stage; all of your performances are so polished but still with a natural easy feel that must belie the amount of effort and practice that goes into every performance.

Do the guys have other ongoing projects of their own or are they mostly working only with you now?

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Always be a first rate version of yourself, instead of a second rate version of somebody else (Judy Garland)

believe it or not we hardly ever rehearse sometimes i will call out a tune they may have only played once.

Colin plays with sally Doherty a lot,John Trier plays with three girl singers,Dean plays with Imelda may and Palooka ville,Shez still does Djangoism and lots of session work they're all pretty busy guys.

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now,then!

The quality shines through. I know I've said this elsewhere, but to watch the rapport between yourself & the lads, Richard, - Shez in particular I feel, is marvellous. Now I've seen a live show I'm even more certain I've stumbled into something with a touch of gold about it. Ok, it's late & I know I have a tendency to rattle on, but believe me there is something special going on here. Right, Run For Me is playing, signifying bed time, good night all

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The heartbeat doesn't change, only the faces surrounding it.

speaking of instruments and that how many does Simon Stafford play ??? He was in a lot of bands I liked, Longpigs, Jarvis, Mescaleros etc. and always seems to be playing something different with each of them sometimes more than one at the same time. Is he that good or just some sort of droid, met him after one of the Meskies gigs superbly nice fella though.

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http://www.last.fm/user/strumms
I saw an elsebound train, on the overpass
In the driving rain, every ticket costs the same
For where you can't go
Mustang horses, champagne glasses
Anything frail anything wild
It's the price of living motion, what's beautiful is broken
And grace is just the measure of a fall.

no Simon is an awesome musical talent he can get a symphony out of a pair of spoons,i always liked playing with him he's a good soul too.

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now,then!