{"id":856149,"date":"2026-03-28T13:30:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T13:30:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/856149\/"},"modified":"2026-03-28T13:30:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T13:30:17","slug":"chesney-hawkes-live-review-brudenell-social-club-leeds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/856149\/","title":{"rendered":"Chesney Hawkes \u2013 Live Review \u2013 Brudenell Social Club, Leeds"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Chesney<\/p>\n

By Steve Crabtree,<\/a> March 2026<\/p>\n

Nostalgia is one of my favourite feelings. Everyone\u2019s nostalgia is different, and it\u2019s something that can bring up incredibly positive emotions like warmth, joy, comfort, and affection when you recall those cherished moments, people, or memories from your past.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why I love revisiting all the musical memories from my fast-approaching 50 years of my life. Music is the first thing I attach to periods of my life, and if there\u2019s one artist who\u2019s right up there to bring back memories of my 2nd year at senior school (or year 8 as it\u2019s known now), it\u2019s Chesney Hawkes.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve kept tabs on his music over the years. I even saw him in the Coliseum nightclub in Halifax over 25 years ago! But he, like me, is now a man, not a boy. And his gig at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds proved to be a brilliant night. Yep, nostalgia was part of it\u2026but his newer material is something to be reckoned with too.<\/p>\n

\"Chesney<\/p>\n

\u201cStill sickeningly youthful\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Me and the wife got into the Brudenell Social Club just as support act Laura Aston was finishing her set. She sounded lovely, and the busy club obviously loved what they\u2019d heard. It set a great tone for the evening.<\/p>\n

It was quite apt that he strutted on with one of his newer songs, \u2018Live Forever\u2019, before diving into \u2018I\u2019m A Man Not A Boy\u2019. For the rest of the night, we were treated to a mix of old hits and more current stuff. \u2018Nobody Like You\u2019, \u2018The Ballad of Benny & Alice\u2019, and \u2018Feel So Alive\u2019 all sounded fantastic, but \u2018LOUD!\u2019 was a particular stand-out for me.<\/p>\n

The Brudenell was packed with about 300 people, and the atmosphere was just brilliant\u2014a proper feel-good evening.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s more to Chesney Hawkes than his music, though. He\u2019s a great storyteller, a real positive and upbeat guy, and a doting family man who seems to genuinely enjoy every second on stage.<\/p>\n

That clean-cut image of 1991 has grown with him \u2013 he\u2019s still sickeningly youthful, and clearly a really nice guy. And that just adds to the show.<\/p>\n

\"Chesney<\/p>\n

\u201cTHAT song\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

The night wasn\u2019t without its emotional weight. His performance of \u201813\u2019 was raw, and you could really feel the emotion behind it as he explained it was a song that took him to a deep place during the writing process. He even brought his brother Jody forward from the drums to perform The Tremeloes\u2019 hit \u2018Silence is Golden\u2019 as a tribute to their dad. It was a lovely touch that the whole room appreciated.<\/p>\n

There was a Nik Kershaw<\/a> cover halfway through \u2013 \u2018Wouldn\u2019t It Be Good\u2019. The inclusion of this in the set made me immensely happy as he was my first favourite pop star. Chesney told me in a recent interview<\/a> that Kershaw was his favourite too. He actually penned \u2018The One and Only\u2019 for Hawkes, and they\u2019ve been pals ever since. It was one of those moments that reminded you why live music in small venues is so special.<\/p>\n

Towards the end, THAT song came out, and it was a predictably brilliant live version of that timelessly great pop song. \u2018The One And Only\u2019 had everyone in fine voice, and Chesney looked like he was having the time of his life. I really liked the fact he didn\u2019t just end on the big hit, though. He\u2019s got plenty more to say than just the big one.<\/p>\n

\"Chesney<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody he\u2019d rather be\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Like me, Chesney Hawkes thinks encores are rubbish. A waste of time, and we ALL know you\u2019re coming back.<\/p>\n

So, he stayed and gave us two final songs. A brand-new track called \u2018Rock N Roll Sunday\u2019, the first time he\u2019d performed it, sounded great and one to listen to again when we go home. Then we said our goodbyes after a cracking singalong cover of The Killers\u2019 \u2018Human\u2019.<\/p>\n

What a brilliant night. As we filed out of the Brudenell and into the torrential Leeds rain, everyone was in a great mood. We\u2019d all had a really good night. The tour is called Smash It To Pieces, and Chesney Hawkes certainly did that tonight. He\u2019s not just that guy who sang that song\u2026he\u2019s a performer who clearly still loves his what he does, and he\u2019s so good at doing it.<\/p>\n

He comes across as one of the happiest guys I\u2019ve ever seen. And, I\u2019m sure there\u2019s nobody he\u2019d rather be.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Steve Crabtree( Writer )<\/p>\n

Give Steve music, give him food, give him theatre, tech or travel\u2026 and he\u2019s a happy man. He\u2019s been writing professionally since 2003, turning to journalism in 2017 when it offered him the chance to enjoy a lot of his existing passions, and learn some new ones at the same time. Steve can be found spending many of his summer nights watching bands at The Piece Hall in his hometown of Halifax, or enjoying a bite to eat and a drink with his wife anywhere in Yorkshire at any time of year. Random fact: He does the best impression of Zippy and George from Rainbow that anyone has ever heard.<\/p>\n

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