It’s August Bank Holiday weekend. The summer drought is being replaced by autumn dreariness, and outdoor entertainment is ending for another season.

By Graeme Smith

Photos courtesy of Cuffe and Taylor

While Leeds Festival was taking place closer to our doorstep, I was in the high-altitude climes of Halifax. I’ve heard it described as the ‘Shoreditch of the North.’ What they’re doing in the Piece Hall certainly have given the Pennine town a bit of buzziness.

A sister venue to Scarborough’s Open Air Theatre, it has a quite different feel to it. While the punters are still exposed to the elements, they’re in the relative confines of an open-air market, walled in, standing room only. The food trucks are all in there too and you get a constant whiff of barbecue or garlic hitting you as you watch the show.

The acts have been generally the same across both venues. Bastille came to Scarborough in July and serves as something of a climax for the Halifax schedule.

They were joined on both occasions by Nectar Woode, a soul-jazz-pop artist in the vein of Norah Jones and Sade. You might be thinking that sounds quite serene and for the first couple of numbers, Woode and her band were.

Then they got down to the business of warming up the crowd. Things got decidedly funkier as the set wore on. Naturally was a highlight, channelling elements of Simply Red and Janet Jackson to my ear.

They were the only support and a 45-minute break before Bastille came on served to build anticipation. As I observed the many percussive instruments on stage, I found myself thinking that I didn’t remember the band being so percussive. Turns out, I didn’t really know Bastille at all.

They’re the ones that do Pompeii, right? Well, yes, they did and gave the casual fan what they wanted by dropping it at the end of the set. I must confess, though, most of what else they played was a mystery to me. My wife knew it all, and loved every minute, but I found myself in a situation where I was discovering them anew.

Alongside the percussiveness, there was a folksy undercurrent that I’d never known was there in their music. It was almost sea shanty-esque at times. Mid set they broke down into what I can only describe as drum and bass karaoke as vocalist Dan Smith worked his way through a medley of covers under the guise of ‘Other People’s Heartbreak.’ Apparently, they’re known for this, doing different numbers tied to a theme at each show.

The Piece Hall was at its rowdiest as the band played their greatest hits at the end of the set including their cover of Corona’s Rhythm of the Night, Happier, and of course Pompeii, but I found myself intrigued throughout. On the drive home we listened to a couple of their albums and I discovered even more.

Nectar Woode and Bastille played at Halifax Piece Hall on Friday 28 August 2026.