Hawley tyres of glamorous surroundings

The Bridge Street branch of Hawley’s Tyres (no relations) served as the setting for a gig to usher in Tonight The Streets Are Ours, a biting bit of social commentary and taster for the imminent new album Lady’s Bridge.

“I saw this programme on TV about ASBOs and by the end of it I almost shoed the telly in,” reveals the Greystones singer-songwriter.

“For me that’s quite angry so I wanted to turn that into a positive cause.

“I just think old people and women and kids should be able to go out on the streets and not be worried about being battered.

“It’s partly that and how much people need each other; we can’t exist on our own, we have to co-exist.

“But mainly it’s about the insensitive way this government has decided to deal with anti-social behaviour. The future of any country is in its kids and if a load of them are basically taught to just be consumers is it a surprise that when they can’t consume because they’re poor they just go ‘Well, we’ll take it anyway’?”

The motivation for the song comes as a bit of a surprise, perhaps, seeing as the result is fairly typical of a man who has won many hearts with a style that belies his rockier past.

Lady’s Bridge, sequel to the gold-selling Coles Corner, follows on August 20, named after the oldest bridge to cross the River Don. “I used to walk across it nearly every day - it was a gateway from the poor bit of town to the rich bit.”

The record is followed by 15 live dates, including a return to Sheffield City Hall on September 12.