This was my first time visiting Halifax, the amber-sand-coloured Pennine mill town.

Review and Photos by Stuart Duthie

The pubs were busy as I made my way towards the venue, with the Ring O’ Bells near the station playing exactly the type of music this evening’s crowd was going to enjoy: She Sells Sanctuary by The Cult (who were excellent when they played York Barbican last year, incidentally).

The sun was shining as I arrived at Piece Hall, the historic cloth traders’ marketplace dating back to 1779. Although I didn’t have the opportunity to explore its heritage this evening, it is a venue I have been keen to visit for some time, having heard many good things about it.

Despite the sunshine, the temperature had dipped well below what we have become accustomed to of late. I began to understand why people in Italy wear coats in winter temperatures that many of us would once have considered summery. Fortunately, things warmed up as the evening progressed.

First up were Ladytron. Not a band I know particularly well, but one with a strong reputation in the electronic music world and an impressive catalogue of remixes, including work with the likes of Nine Inch Nails. Piece Hall was already filling up by this point, and it was clear many people were here to see Ladytron, not just Gary Numan.

I was pleased to see they had a live drummer. I’ve seen several bands who have performed without one. As I’ve mentioned before, having a live drummer makes a huge difference.

It perhaps took the band a few songs to warm up and settle into their set. They seemed a little reserved while the pit was full of photographers, but the energy steadily built throughout the performance, and they took the audience with them. As Ladytron closed their set, the chap standing next to me turned and said “wow, they were good.” He was absolutely right.

By now, Piece Hall seemed even fuller. The crowd diversified somewhat in both age and gender, with Gary Numan drawing a broader audience that leaned a little more towards rock and emo.

You want your rock stars to retain their energy as they age, and Gary Numan, now 68, clearly still has both his passion and presence. He brought dark-star levels of intensity to the stage.

Occupying the more gothic end of electronica, his performance felt cinematic throughout. Numan was accompanied by guitarist Steve Harris and bassist Tim Slade, who looked like high priests from a Blade Runner-inspired future, dressed head to toe in black with floor-length skirts.

Among the crowd stood his army of Numanoids. There were plenty of Gary Numan T-shirts on display and a fair number of the jet-black, choppy hairstyles that identify his most dedicated followers. There was also the warmth and friendliness so often found within alternative music scenes.

Having seen Pendulum on the Download Festival main stage earlier this year, the influence Gary Numan has had on modern music felt impossible to ignore. This performance could easily have occupied a Download main stage slot itself. The energy, spectacle and showmanship were all there.

Many people around me had seen Gary Numan multiple times before. The obvious highlights were Cars and Are ‘Friends’ Electric?, but that should not detract from the rest of the set. What I particularly enjoyed was that, despite much of the material being electronic in nature, the performance still carried the power and organic energy of a live rock show.

This was my first time seeing Gary Numan, and I can completely understand why so many people keep coming back.

Ladytron and Gary Numan played at Piece Hall, Halifax on Friday 25 July 2025.