Belle & Sebastian – The Piece Hall, Halifax: Live Review

By Kevin Stanley on 23rd June 2026 • ( Leave a comment )

Belle & Sebastian – The Piece Hall, Halifax – 21st June 2026

BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED

Belle and Sebastian’s music is beautifully crafted, full of personality, warmth and humour. The Glasgow indie-pop veterans have a catalogue of work going back to 1996 when they released not only their debut album but also their second album in the same year. Now celebrating their 30^th anniversary, the band are playing them in full, alternating them at gigs.

So the gig opens with The Stars Of Track And Field, Like Dylan In The Movies, and The Fox In The Snow. Belle and Sebastian’s songs find beauty, horror, delight and tragedy in everyday life situations and occurrences. Their songs are filled with ordinary people, small, but acute, observations of moments of joy, sadness or humour. No more evident than on tracks such as Seeing Other People, Like Dylan In The Movies, or Get Me Away From Here I’m Dying.

“If you hadn’t noticed we’re playing an album called If You’re Feeling Sinister. If you’re here for any other album, you can leave the room,” quips Murdoch. Apart From Foxbase Alpha. That was amazing you got to see Saint Etienne tonight,” he says, a nod to the support band.

The first set concludes with Judy And The Dream Of Horses which is pretty much everyone’s favourite isn’t it? It should be.

DISTINCTIVE

Lead vocalist Stuart Murdoch is one of indie music’s most distinctive performers – he’s charming, witty and he writes introspective, but completely relatable songs. He creates a swift and genuine connection with the crowd and he reminds me of Tim Booth from James, not only in the way that he sings but also in how he moves.

Musically the band are excellent, tight, rehearsed but loose and flexible enough to tweak the set most nights. Murdoch plays guitar and piano throughout a various songs. And there are so many instruments on stage throughout the evening including, violin, double bass, tambourine and recorder. They sound fantastic in wonderful open air surroundings of The Piece Hall with all of its history.

UNDERSTATED CHARM

The Piece Hall is the perfect venue for the understated charm that Belle And Sebastian quietly ooze. They don’t mean to. They’re not trying to be cool. They just are. Belle and Sebastian’s music is intimate and subtle, and as the sun goes down and darkness replaces daylight there is a sense of occasion that suits the music. As they play through a string of hits including Another Sunny Day, Reclaim The Night and Dear Catastrophe Waitress they invite some of the audience into their world, and onto the stage to dance, which they thoroughly enjoy.

Belle and Sebastian delivered exactly the sort of evening their fans would have hoped for, but there’s still no place on tonight’s set list for Piazza New York Catcher, I”m A Cuckoo, Expectations or Funny Little Frog which is fine by me, as I’ll just have to see them again. And honestly no one needs an excuse to see this band. Add them to your ‘life goals list’ or ‘bucket list’ today.

The Boy With The Arab Strap gets a big response from the crowd and the night ends with Sleep The Clock Around which the band just about squeeze in before the 10.30pm curfew. “Thank you Piece Hall. We love you. We’ll see you again soon. We love this venue we’ll come back next year,” promises Murdoch.