DESPITE delivering a memorable headline performance at Ramsbottom Festival, Richard Hawley was not a happy bunny.

Whether it was the sudden realisation that summer is over with temperatures only reaching single figures, technical problems, or being heckled by a rather lubricated fan on the front row, it will probably not go down as one of his personal favourites.

Nevertheless, Ramsbottom certainly had a good time. His set came largely from his 2012 Mercury Music Prize nominated album Standing At The Sky’s Edge, which marked a departure from his previous work.

His 1950s crooner-style on tracks such as Tonight The Streets Are Ours, which he played on Saturday night, has been replaced with a more politically charged, hard rock sound.

The Ramsbottom crowd were left in no uncertain terms about his views of those at Number 10 - unrepeatable in a family newspaper - which he aired ahead of an atmospheric version of his latest album’s title track.

And Hawley, who hails from Sheffield, was clearly not familiar with the quirkily named town. After saying hello to Ramsbottom, he quipped: “In all my 30 years in music, that is one thing I never thought I would say.”

Bowing out with a euphoric and apt rendition of Down Into The Woods, given the scenic settings of Ramsbottom Cricket Club, it was clear Hawley would never forget his day at Ramsbottom Festival — even if it was for all the wrong reasons.