Podcast Summary: Almost Live... Nashville

Episode: Hardwicke Circus: the First UK Band to Tour Ukraine
Host: Tony Mantor
Guest: Johnny (lead singer/guitarist, Hardwicke Circus)
Date: November 4, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode spotlights British indie rock band Hardwicke Circus—specifically, their historic 2025 tour as the first UK band to perform in war-torn Ukraine since the full-scale Russian invasion. Host Tony Mantor delves into the origins of the band, their mission to use music for positive impact, the specifics and spirit of their Ukrainian tour, and how such experiences are reshaping both the band and audiences.

Episode Breakdown

1. Band Origins & Ethos

• Background: Hardwicke Circus hails from Carlisle, a remote town in Northern England. Founded by brothers Johnny and Tom, the group now has six members playing guitar, drums, bass, sax, and keyboards.
• Formative Approach: Johnny describes their early years as being "out the womb doing this," growing up learning to write, play, and perform together. The band is an evolving project, continually seeking new experiences and authenticity ([03:53]).

2. Preparing for the Ukrainian Tour

• Band Lineup for Ukraine: Due to parental concern, two original members bowed out before the border. Replacements included musicians from the UK, US, Australia, and Ukraine. The final lineup came together serendipitously just before their first Ukrainian gig in Lviv ([05:27]).
• Tour Intentions:
  • Bring music—and hope—where it’s needed most in a time of war.
  • Raise money for a casualty emergency vehicle for frontline aid.
  • Show other bands that cross-border music aid is possible ([06:56]).
  • "It wasn't about us, it was about showing that it can be done and the other band should go and do it, if at all possible." — Johnny ([06:56]).

3. Experiences Touring Ukraine

• Route & Venues: From Lviv to Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Kharkiv (close to the Russian border), Dnipro, and second Kyiv show.
• Performing at a Soldier Rehabilitation Center: Played for veterans, some fighting since 2014 ([08:56]).
• Audience: Mostly women, as many men were on the frontline. Johnny highlights their resilience:
  • “These were the women that were holding it up back home... everything functioned perfectly... all run by the women.” ([09:52])
• Cultural Differences: Describes the contrast between English snobbery and Ukraine’s "lust for life" even under constant threat:
  • “They had a get go attitude that would put a lot of other places in the west to shame.” — Johnny ([10:36]).
• Travel Challenges: Border bureaucracy left the band “stateless” for 15 hours trying to exit into Poland—the toughest logistical moment of the tour ([14:21]).

4. Recording the Live Kyiv Album

• Album Purpose: "One Hour Ahead of the Posse" was recorded live at Mezzanine in Kyiv. All proceeds go to Ukrainian aid ([12:20]).
• Musical Energy: Johnny describes an "intensity there that you couldn't get anywhere else in the world…a real rock and roll live album.” ([13:00])

5. Impact, Connections & Reflections

• Positive Local Response: Recounts overwhelming support and hospitality. The tour has inspired bands from Japan, US, and Germany to perform in Ukraine ([15:29]).
• Personal Takeaway: "It confirmed life. It was a life-affirming trip. It gives you a sense of perspective on what you are doing and what's important." — Johnny ([18:15])
• Changed Perceptions: After seeing Ukraine firsthand, everyday Western worries now “seem very frivolous in comparison.” ([17:23])
• Safety Concerns: On friends/family who worry about the tour: "It can be dangerous and people have a right to be concerned, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important." ([18:47])
• Fan Engagement: Ukrainian fans and musicians have reached out, with connections becoming deep friendships:
  • "There's fans, but there's also friends. There's people, you know, that we'll know for life." ([20:28])
• Power of Music: "It not only can create great memories, but in your case, it's creating new fans, new friends. And you're really making a difference in people's lives because of that." – Tony ([20:50])

6. Music’s Transformative Power

• Lyrical Adaptation: Songs take new meaning depending on audience—whether in UK prisons or Ukrainian cities.
  • “There was one song that we'd play in every prison called Let's Make New Mistakes, which, of course, for a bunch of inmates, you know, they enjoyed that one especially.” ([21:14])
  • Adapted “The Ballad of the Gypsy King” in Ukraine for national champion Oleksandr Usyk ([22:41]).

7. What’s Next for Hardwicke Circus

• New Music: Released "Hollow," the lead single from their third studio album, produced by Alan Winstanley and John McPhee ([16:20]).
• Future Plans: Another Ukraine tour planned for October; more gigs in the UK and mainland Europe imminent ([16:20]).
• Sustaining Ethos: “We're a band that's trying to, you know, write good songs and play live and play where it matters most… If that means Ukraine. …be it a prison or a venue, will be there.” ([23:24])
• Support: UK Arts Council backed their UK prison tour, reinforcing belief that “everyone deserves live music.” ([24:21])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On taking music to Ukraine:

  “The ambition was to go there and to take music to where we felt it mattered most… to remind other groups from all over the world that, you know, music has no border.” — Johnny ([06:56])

• On Ukrainian outlook:

  “There was a lust for life. Everyone was so positive… a get go attitude that…would put a lot of other places in the west to shame.” — Johnny ([10:36])

• On music’s impact in crisis:

  “You can sense the atmosphere in the room… There’s an intensity there you couldn’t get anywhere else in the world…” — Johnny ([13:00])

• Personal transformation:

  “It was a life-affirming trip. It gives you a sense of perspective on what you are doing and what's important.” — Johnny ([18:15])

• On doing things despite danger:

  “Yes, it can be dangerous and people have a right to be concerned, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important…the world would be a very stale place if you did everything based on how secure it is. Who wants that?” — Johnny ([18:47])

• Music as connection:

  “Yes, there’s fans, but there’s also friends. There’s people…that we’ll know for life and we’ve got to know even more since coming back to the UK.” — Johnny ([20:28])

• On adapting music’s meaning:

  “The songs, we played them differently, the lyrics developed a new meaning… the music sounded different.” — Johnny ([21:14])

Key Timestamps

• Band history and formation – [03:53]
• Touring Ukraine lineup, logistics – [05:27], [06:09]
• Tour motivation and philosophy – [06:56]
• Ukrainian tour cities and experiences – [08:56]
• Ukrainian audience and social conditions – [09:52], [10:36]
• Recording the live album in Kyiv – [12:20], [13:00]
• Travel and border issues – [13:44], [14:21]
• Impact on other bands and legacy – [15:29]
• Personal and artistic growth/reflection – [17:23], [18:15]
• Fan response and transnational friendships – [20:28]
• Music's transformative and adaptive power – [21:14], [22:41]
• Band ethos and future goals – [23:24]

Resources & Band Info

• Band Website: HardwickCircus TV
• Album: "One Hour Ahead of the Posse" (live from Kyiv; proceeds to Ukraine aid)
• Single: "Hollow" (available on all major streaming platforms)

Summary

Johnny of Hardwicke Circus provides a raw, heartfelt account of pioneering live music in a war-torn country, detailing the realities, the risks, and above all, the redemptive joy and unexpected normalcy music brings to people in crisis. Both host and guest emphasize the vital, boundary-crossing power of music to create community and hope. The episode is a testament to artistic courage, connection, and the conviction that music—performed wherever it's needed most—can have a direct, meaningful impact.