There is something about attending a show at London’s iconic Union Chapel in December which both warms the heart and captures the glow of the season. The illuminated tree to the right of the stage, reaching to the gallery, and the shimmering light through the impressive wheel window all add to the festive atmosphere. This intimacy is also reflected in the performance of headliner Hazlett to a packed house. It’s taken him some time to build up his audience, but a Hyde Park show in the summer of 2025, opening for Noah Kahan, hasn’t done his popularity any harm.
Hazlett is accompanied for most of the show by his band, who provide bass & keyboards, guitar & pedal steel and drums respectively. The overall sound is often ethereal, with the pedal steel and keyboard layers intermeshing while the drummer is playing mainly with brushes and mallets as well as his kick drum. All combining in an enveloping, mildly swirling whole. Hazlett’s vocal is run through two microphones, one of which has a fair chunk of reverb. The whole at times reminded this listener of the first two My Morning Jacket records.
As a performer, Hazlett is mildly self-deprecating, reminding the audience how he was a late starter in music and began singing in pubs until he was fired for playing his own songs instead of popular covers. The Sweden-based Australian began the set with his early tune ‘Pleaser Don’t Be’ before a breathy ‘Stolen Seasons’ led into a trio of songs from double EP “Goodbye To The Valley Low”. Hazlett switched to his acoustic guitar for ‘Cemetery’ with its sweet harmonies. He returns to the electric guitar for ‘Missionary Feelings’, based on soft verses building into a louder chorus and getting a strong reaction from the crowd.
He tells us of the process leading to the recording of his latest record, “last night you said you missed me,” and introduced its ‘Queen Of The Season’ as his mother’s favourite song. We get a two-song solo segment comprising a rhythmic ‘Bones Shake’ before taking us through the complexities of his emotions and psychology on ‘The First Train Home’. The latter’s solo version only underlines the depth of feeling.
The band rejoins for ‘Shiver’ after which Hazlett plays ‘I’m Not Ready To Go’, culminating in a whistling outro. By this point, he’s moving towards the conclusion of the set, joking with the audience that the prospect will, if not filling them with joy, at least provide them some relief from the downbeat songs. He wraps up with ‘Blame The Moon’ before closing with a plaintive valedictory ‘Doing My Best’. He gets a standing ovation, bows, a wave, no encore and gone.
Earlier, we had a first-ever London show from Hans Williams, who grew up in Vermont but now calls New Orleans home. The influence of the Crescent City on both his songwriting and performance is evident. Predominantly a folkie, he has a distinct R&B edge to his vocal along with a light nasal twang. Mid-set, he mulls on the divisiveness in his home country and the oppressive actions of ICE in New Orleans. Williams plays a cover of Wilco’s ‘Jesus Etc’ as a song that reminds him of what is good in the world. At the set end he gets a hugely enthusiastic round of extended applause with a part of the crowd standing to deliver it.
It’s been fascinating to see this emotional folk music in front of its natural live audience. Hazlett’s songs and performance clearly resonate deeply with the fans. His streaming statistics are impressive, so it’s likely his next London show will be in a bigger room.
