Ed Hamell, performing as Hamell on Trial, is not a man to be pigeonholed. Narrative driven heavy accoustic folk punk, bordering on spoken word at times, sardonic with a twist of optimism, equally angry and contemplative… nah, screw it, I couldn’t possibly explain with mere words. The best attempt was probably Village Voice magazine, who once described him as ‘a one-man Tarantino flick: loud, vicious, luridly hilarious, gleefully and deeply offensive.’
Not a young man anymore, Ed remains a relentless hard working tourer meaning we UK folk are lucky enough to have regular opportunities to experience a HoT show. It’s something I would recommend everyone with a sense of humour tries at least once. One of Hamell’s set-ending showpieces, the ‘face solo’, is a part of the act that only gets better with age!