When I was a young lad and even as a teenager, I never dreamed that one day the Piece Hall here in Halifax would become one of the key outdoor music venues in the UK.
In fact, when I was three or four years old, the building came close to being demolished. The former cloth hall is a Grade I listed building which has, in truth, had a very chequered history especially over the past fifty to sixty years or so.
It has fallen into disrepair on more than one occasion however, in its current incarnation, it reopened in August 2017, it has had a new lease of life especially as a concert venue. The first major performance following the reopening was held on 26th May 2018 when Father John Misty was the headline act supported by former Orange Juice frontman Edwyn Collins.
During the subsequent years the venue has attracted many top stars from the music world. Personally, I was in a difficult financial period, especially in the years of, and immediately following COVID however, thankfully I am now in a better place, both mentally and physically as well as monetarily. This has allowed me to enjoy numerous evenings of pleasure listening to some of my favourite artists in a building that is no more than a fifteen-minute walk from my home.
By the end of this summer, as it stands, I will have attended twenty gigs at the Piece Hall. My first event was Sheryl Crow in June 2024. The final one of this summer currently means I will be seeing the Hollywood Vampires, a band that features rock legend Alice Cooper and Hollywood actor Johnny Depp amongst its members.
I am a big eighties music fan and to be able to see acts such as the Human League, Simple Minds, Texas, Rick Astley and Crowded House at such a fantastic and local venue is absolutely amazing from my perspective.
In 2026 I’m looking forward to seeing quite a few artists for the first time. These include the likes of Madness, Paul Weller, Gary Numan, David Byrne and Deacon Blue.
Amongst the artists I would have liked to have seen, and I hope will return to the venue, are The Cult, Duran Duran, First Aid Kit and Manic Street Preachers.
I would say that the Human League concert was probably my highlight of the events I have been to thus far. They put on a brilliant performance and had support from Tom Bailey, a local lad and former singer with the Thompson Twins and also support from Blancmange. Effectively it was a synth-pop overload, this being my favourite genre of music.
Whilst there has been some controversy in recent times over the financial viability of the Piece Hall, due to receiving funding from the local council, I hope and expect to be able to continue seeing more of these fabulous concerts for years to come.
