Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

It has been a productive time for Hegarty, a much loved band that quite rightly Liverpool has taken to its mighty Mersey heart, a new single which has had the group’s loyal fans and new comers aglow with anticipation in what is too come next and the return of their sublime drumming machine Waka Staffo after time out nursing himself back to full fitness.

In some bands the latter would have been a major setback, it would have put things on ice for a while and in this day and age when the constant and the consistency needs to be absolute, to go down is to be a shame, a letting go and the invariably slow release of a break up; Time heals, so do broken bones and let downs, for Hegarty none of that applies for they have rode the storm, come out with one of the singles of the year and a fresh beguiling approach from seemingly out of nowhere.

Every band in the town has its loyal fans, they will turn up to almost every gig and propel the evening into something very special, it is the way of the world and more power to it, however in the shadow of the half torn and deserted grounds of the old Johnson’s cleaners and dye works, stood a band soaking up the sun, the applause and a truth of their appearance, have fans will travel, have a swell of the enthusiasts and the devote  willing to come to Bootle and you can pretty much assure that Hegarty, along with other bands in the Merseyside area, should be seen with the grace and musical addiction they espouse.

In songs such as Hope It’s Not Forever, the excellent Drifting, Slowly Sinking, which even without the rhythm behind it makes for fantastic reading as a piece of poetry, Even The Joker Cries Sometimes, I Only Dream In Black and White, Redemption Can’t Be Found and Time On Our Hands, Hegarty are on the march once more, broken bones heal and Time is fair when art in this form is just and played with passion.

For those who made their way to The Hub on a hot August day, it will be remembered as a wonderful return to the Bootle area for Hegarty; a real pleasure to see them perform for a packed out crowd at the Party in the Park.

Ian D. Hall