Chesney Hawkes – Live Review – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
By Steve Crabtree, March 2026
Nostalgia is one of my favourite feelings. Everyone’s nostalgia is different, and it’s 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.
That’s 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’s one artist who’s right up there to bring back memories of my 2nd year at senior school (or year 8 as it’s known now), it’s Chesney Hawkes.
I’ve 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…but his newer material is something to be reckoned with too.
“Still sickeningly youthful”
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’d heard. It set a great tone for the evening.
It was quite apt that he strutted on with one of his newer songs, ‘Live Forever’, before diving into ‘I’m A Man Not A Boy’. For the rest of the night, we were treated to a mix of old hits and more current stuff. ‘Nobody Like You’, ‘The Ballad of Benny & Alice’, and ‘Feel So Alive’ all sounded fantastic, but ‘LOUD!’ was a particular stand-out for me.
The Brudenell was packed with about 300 people, and the atmosphere was just brilliant—a proper feel-good evening.
There’s more to Chesney Hawkes than his music, though. He’s a great storyteller, a real positive and upbeat guy, and a doting family man who seems to genuinely enjoy every second on stage.
That clean-cut image of 1991 has grown with him – he’s still sickeningly youthful, and clearly a really nice guy. And that just adds to the show.
“THAT song”
The night wasn’t without its emotional weight. His performance of ‘13’ 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’ hit ‘Silence is Golden’ as a tribute to their dad. It was a lovely touch that the whole room appreciated.
There was a Nik Kershaw cover halfway through – ‘Wouldn’t It Be Good’. 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 that Kershaw was his favourite too. He actually penned ‘The One and Only’ for Hawkes, and they’ve been pals ever since. It was one of those moments that reminded you why live music in small venues is so special.
Towards the end, THAT song came out, and it was a predictably brilliant live version of that timelessly great pop song. ‘The One And Only’ had everyone in fine voice, and Chesney looked like he was having the time of his life. I really liked the fact he didn’t just end on the big hit, though. He’s got plenty more to say than just the big one.
“Nobody he’d rather be”
Like me, Chesney Hawkes thinks encores are rubbish. A waste of time, and we ALL know you’re coming back.
So, he stayed and gave us two final songs. A brand-new track called ‘Rock N Roll Sunday’, the first time he’d 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’ ‘Human’.
What a brilliant night. As we filed out of the Brudenell and into the torrential Leeds rain, everyone was in a great mood. We’d all had a really good night. The tour is called Smash It To Pieces, and Chesney Hawkes certainly did that tonight. He’s not just that guy who sang that song…he’s a performer who clearly still loves his what he does, and he’s so good at doing it.
He comes across as one of the happiest guys I’ve ever seen. And, I’m sure there’s nobody he’d rather be.
Give Steve music, give him food, give him theatre, tech or travel… and he’s a happy man. He’s 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.
