Roll up, roll up – the wildest show in Sheffield is back for more. Next month, Rock N Roll Circus returns to Don Valley Bowl, bringing with it not just a stacked live music lineup, but fire breathers, acrobats, stunt performers and general scenes of gig-based chaos.
But this year, there’s an extra reason to celebrate: our very own Reverend and the Makers are marking 20 years in the game – and they’re doing it in style, by throwing a proper hometown bash and inviting some of their favourite acts along for the ride.
Exposed caught up with the big man himself in esteemed Broad Lane watering hole Fagan’s. Over a couple of pints, we looked back on two decades of tunes and talked tackling personal struggles, championing Sheffield spirit and why 30 August is a date every festival-lover in South Yorks should be saving.
First off – 20 years of Reverend & The Makers. How does it feel hitting that milestone, and celebrating it with a hometown headline slot?
Well, you never really think you’re going to be in a band when you’re in your 40s, so I’m kind of just amazed that it’s lasted this long and that people have stuck in their ways. It seems to be going from strength to strength, really. And obviously, to celebrate that in Sheffield, where it all began and where my home is, it’s wonderful. That’s why I want the gig to be about family, friends and things that I do. Sheffield is a very unique place. I’m incredibly proud, in a civic sense, of Sheffield – the place, the people, the community, and especially the musical community. I think it’s very special, like even when we’re sat every night jamming in here [Fagan’s], it’s a musical city.
Rock N Roll Circus is far from your standard festival setting – what’s your take on playing under the big top, and how do you think it’ll shape the atmosphere?
It’s gonna be great. It’s like a mad, rollicking carnival, innit? I went down there last year and saw Richard Hawley and Milburn, and my wife went to watch Self Esteem. I have a lot of admiration for Steve and his brother Paul, who promote it, because they’re two Newcastle lads from working-class lives and they pulled themselves up by the bootstraps and did a great thing. So I just admire people who are trying to do good things. Rock N Roll Circus is just a bit different. It’s not like the usual gigs – having people on high wires and fire breathers, I hope that causes a little bit of chaos.
Sheffield’s always played a big role in your sound and your lyrics – how much of the city is still in the DNA of Reverend & The Makers in 2025?
Every single day of my life. Richard Hawley recently told me that Sheffield is where the mojo is. People have called me the Godfather of Sheffield, but I’m not. Richard has always been the Godfather. Maybe one day I will be. But Hawley is the Don, right? And Richard’s been a great source of advice for me, because he’s older than me and he’s done more than me. He said, “Sheffield’s the place – do it in Sheffield.” And therefore, every single day of my life, I’m inspired by people in Sheffield. I love it. We just do things in our own way here. And I feel like that tradition is something that persists to this day. You’ve only to look at what Self Esteem is doing. That’s firstly because she is who she is – she’s that kind of woman and she’s got a vibe – but also because she’s from Sheffield. Same for Arctic Monkeys – you listen to Alex’s lyrics and you can see how Sheffield really informs people’s thinking.
Are there any tracks that have taken on new meaning for you after all this time, especially when performing them live?
Yeah, definitely, because a lot of them are about my life. ‘Open Your Window’ is me saying to my wife Laura, leave your boyfriend and go out with me. ‘Heavyweight Champion of the World’ is about people I know in Grenoside, where I’m from in Sheffield. They’re all about people I know or me. So inevitably, things are very emotional for me. And I got very emotional singing ‘A Letter to My 21 Year Old Self’. It’s a relatively new song, but it’s all about my career and life. I sang it in Australia recently – they were all loving it and singing it back to me, and I did get a bit choked up.
What message do you hope fans walk away with after your set?
I want them to think, ‘Oh my God, that was an amazing party. I’m really sweaty. I’ve sung my heart out. My voice is hoarse. I love the Reverends. I love Steve Bracknall. I love Lottery Winners. I love Everly Pregnant Brothers. I love Sheffield. This is the best city on Earth.’
To celebrate in Sheffield, where it all began and where my home is, it’s wonderful. That’s why I want the gig to be about family, friends and things that I do.
And finally – with 20 years behind you, what’s next for Reverend & The Makers? More music? New directions?
Lots of stuff is coming. I’m in the process of writing a novel that I’ve been working on for a long time. It’s set in Sheffield in 1968 and it’s like an alt-history kind of novel that I’m hoping to publish at some point. Day Fever, obviously, is a runaway success. I think it’s now the leading daytime economy gig in the country, which has been amazing. There’s a new album on the horizon, and I’m working on another project in Sheffield that I can’t reveal yet, but I hope it’s going to be transforming for the city. So I’m always up to something.
Above that, I’m just trying to be a better human because I’ve spent a lot of my life being angry – carrying around a lot of trauma and ADHD numbness. I think part of what fuels me, and what fuels a lot of Northern people, is anger – especially a lot of men. It’s an energy that can drive you, but it can also be incredibly destructive and distressing to people. I just want my dad to be proud of me and what I’m doing. He died very suddenly and it really hit my heart like a thunderball. So I want to do this gig, put him on the big screen, and know in my heart that he is proud of me.
Reverend and the Makers headline Rock N Roll Circus on Saturday 30 August. Full lineup info and tickets (£55 adult, £27 under-12 and free for under-5) available from rocknrollcircus.co.uk.
