ELVIS COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS (WITH CHARLIE SEXTON) / CHRIS DIFFORD / HARDWICKE CIRCUS - Glasgow Royal Concert Hall 23 June 2026 Live review

Hardwicke Circus

Hardwicke Circus were first to take to the stage to a mostly-full auditorium. Hailing from Carlisle and managed by Dave Robinson (who previously managed Elvis Costello and co-founded Stiff Records) Hardwicke Circus have been developing a hard-working reputation which has seen them gigging around the U.K., Europe and Ukraine. 

Unmistakably retro in sound, equipment and image, they played a short, lively and committed set of original material including ‘Walking on Broken Glass’ and ‘Woman’. Providing their own take on 70’s ‘pub rock’, as made popular by Dr. Feelgood, Graham Parker and others, their sound also has elements of The Kinks, The Doors, Ian Dury and the Boomtown Rats in places. 

Straying furthest from this formula, but not too far, was ‘The Ballad of Oleksandr Usyk’ with the Fratellis’-influenced ‘da-da-da-da’ chorus aimed at and succeeding in creating a ‘ you don’t need to know any words’ communal crowd sing-along. 

While playing as a six-piece, it would be hard not to single out Johnny Foster, on vocals and guitar, who is a compelling front man with what appeared to be effortless and natural stage presence - definitely one to watch now and a potential star of the future.

Chris Difford 

Providing the main support was Chris Difford - one half of the main songwriting partnership behind and within Squeeze. 

Playing a solo set on acoustic guitar and accompanied by the excellent Melvyn Duffy (who it would probably be easier to list who he hasn’t played with) on pedal steel and electric guitar, Chris also displayed a very dry and self-deprecating sense of humour which had the audience in tears of laughter and could easily have been classed as stand-up comedy of a level people would pay to hear as just banter between songs.

Introducing his set by saying he’d been allowed out of his care home for the evening and that he recognised some in the audience from there and the bus ride over, he treated the highly-appreciative Glasgow audience to a trip through Squeeze’s hits, of which there are many, and from his solo career - ‘Take Me I’m Yours’, ‘Up The Junction’, ‘Pulling Mussels (from the shell)’, ‘Labelled With Love’, ‘Tempted’ and ‘Cool for Cats’. If you grew up in the U.K. in the “80’s, it doesn’t matter how much of a rock or metal fan you were, you know the songs, you know the words, we all do. 

Interspersed after every second or third song was more banter mostly all linked by a common thread - about how many bands he met in their early days about whom he felt something was “a bit shit” (a song, the band name), but who all ended up playing at Wembley while Squeeze were still only playing their local pub on a Council estate. 

Chris also appeared genuinely surprised and moved by how much the audience was singing along to his songs - almost word for word to most of the set. But he also couldn’t resist winding up those who were singing (mostly quietly and gently, mainly female and of an age to have been fans in the 80’s) by saying that he was getting a “semi” and that it sounded like the wartime spirit during the blitz … only here the communal singing wasn’t of Vera Lynn’s songs, but those of one of our greatest pop songwriters. 

An absolute gem of a set. Hat doffed. Glass raised etc etc. Without any risk of hyperbole or over-statement one of the best support slots that I’ve seen, ever. Wonderful stuff. And if you ever see him touring with this do what it takes - sell the house/your arm/dog - just get a ticket. 

Elvis Costello & the Imposters (with Charlie Sexton)

So, how do you follow that? Not easy and many artists wouldn’t have taken the risk of being upstaged and touring with such a strong act as the main support. But when you’ve both known each other for years and have a catalogue of hits and deep cuts that most other artists couldn’t dream of (as Elvis Costello has) you just do your thing, as he’s being throughout his career and I hope he’ll continue to do. Straddling genres - pop, punk, power pop, new wave, rock, jazz, singer/songwriter, movie soundtracks and many more.

Tonight’s gig had been promoted as being by ‘Elvis Costello & the Imposters with Charlie Sexton’. While the Imposters have been playing with Elvis for about 25 years (with Steve Nieve on keyboards, Davey Faragher on bass and Pete Thomas on drums) and Steve and Pete also played in the Attractions before then, it was clear the respect that Elvis gives to Charlie Sexton who has joined this tour on guitar, having played in Bob Dylan’s band for years and offering a further dimension in sound. 

Billed as the ‘Radio Soul! The Early Songs of Elvis Costello’ tour, the gig promised much and didn’t disappoint with a strong focus on his earlier albums.

Bursting into life, the band opened with ‘You Belong To Me’ and ‘Mystery Dance’. Being honest, the sound wasn’t great at the start, which it should have been given the acoustics in the purpose-built concert hall, but Elvis’s vocals were quite low in the mix, with the keyboards dominating and the guitars fighting for space. I did wonder if they’d sound-checked earlier, but the sound improved as the gig progressed.

Sitting in the circle, we had a great view from above as the band filled their spaces. At one side of the stage Steve stood at the centre of keyboards arranged in a square around him in the style favoured by many prog bands, gliding from one to the other and back again as a master of keyboard wizardry as Charlie Sexton prowled the other side of the stage with his guitars and looking like a cross between Keith Richards and Dave Vanian. Behind them Pete powered away on the drums as Davey held things down on the bass, with Elvis fronting and co-ordinating his band of musicians and frequently changing position around stage. They are such a gifted group of musicians that at times there was so much going on musically the songs could have gone anywhere, but they kept their course. 

And big song after big song, they just kept coming - ‘Watching the Detectives’, ‘Little Triggers’, ‘Lover’s Walk’, I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down’, ‘(I Don’t Want to go to) Chelsea’, ‘Pump It Up’, ‘Radio, Radio’, ‘Alison’ and ‘Oliver’s Army’. 

But the highlight of the gig for me was within the first half when Elvis rounded up his band members, ushered them across to Stage Right, swapped places with Steve and also his guitar for a piano. There then followed jaw-droppingly good renditions of Charlie Rich’s ‘Who Will the Next Fool Be’ and then ‘Everyday I Write the Book’. Forget we were in a 2500 seat concert hall. This was late night music delivered in a small club with all the feels. Goosebumps wouldn’t come close in describing it and in which the vocals and music were just sublime. 

Sadly, I had to leave before the end of the gig to get back through to the East and a big day at work the next day. As I drove back along the M8 with sounds of the gig still going through my head I reflected that it’s nights like this which keep me going to see and hear live music. Simply brilliant.

GMcA