Public Service Broadcasting w/The Big Moon – The Piece Hall, Halifax – 23rd August 2026

PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING

Public Service Broadcasting are class. Their biggest show outside of London finds their expansive music unconfined by walls and ceilings. Timing is everything, as the end of Summer twilight allows the visuals to kick in from the off rather than competing with the bright sunlight which has accompanied the hordes who’ve visited the quadrangle over the past few months.

A warm up of sorts for a big London show at Ally Pally add to their usual audio visual spectacle. It sees astronauts and brass supplement and complement the visuals that rain down on the big back projection screen that often portrays the band as silhouettes as they continue to add little pieces of decoration to the studious delivery. The brass trio in particular that slowly creeps up to add generous textures to Progress as we briefly visit the Welsh mines is a marvellous addition.

WAITING FOR THE GIFT

The intro music plays Bowie, singing about waiting for the gift of sound and vision. That’s us and that’s what Public Service Broadcasting bring. With no ‘new’ album as such to promote, The Last Flight now almost two years old, the show is one that cherry picks from their catalogue. They acknowledge their most recent work in the opening and a three song sequence mid set, although inevitably there are showcase moments and songs that they ‘have’ to play although not yet hanging as albatrosses around their necks.

Carefully crafted music celebrates and glorifies heroic deeds and conquests, pushing boundaries, and more often than not, has the goosebumps pricking. Some sombre issues, some celebratory topics, tales of derring do and some inspirational images – usually in black and white. On the other hand, they can be playful and colourful, emerging from the shadows with what might be viewed as a lighter side. The Fun Of It, People Let’s Dance and Blue Heaven, the latter surely inspired by some of the more contemporary and famous of bands from across the Pennines, all capable of shaking the Eurovision judges into awarding of double figure pwoints.

UNPRETENTIOUS AND RESERVED

Unpretentious and reserved – this is a Rock show that absorbs pulsing electronica, driving Krautrock, Disco, a hint of fizzing guitar and some sublime pop melodies. The mainly instrumental creations come often accompanied by the clipped tomes from the public service films that fit perfectly with the bow ties, smart tweeds, starched image. Recent collaborator EERA contributes several shifts with some vivid and breathy vocal parts

For an encore they return with another quarter hour that celebrates the achievements of Gagarin, which feels like we’re transported to a Soul show, and on conquering Everest. Plus a final opportunity for a bit of a dance or maybe just shimmy along, maybe an arm in the air. Keep it subtle and unassuming like the outfit on stage. To steal one of their own soundbites, perfect meeting of men (and women) and machines.

THE BIG MOON

Four piece The Big Moon deliver their nine song warm up set to a welcoming warm reception. They fall into the “here’s a new one – but they’re probably all new to you” category, although the familiar bounce of Praise You thrown in as a cover veers from the unexpacted.

There’s a clear case of gaining in confidence as the set progresses as they endear themselves despite the pockets of boos when they announce Manchester on their upcoming tour date plug – “that’s weird!“….hmm, not really…when you’re deepest Yorkshire. Like the Roses rivalry, the guitar pop continues with a few samples filling out the sound – an occasional trebly bass lines and some guitar leads lines that sound like Big Country bagpipes. The finale of Your Light has the front line trio around the drum kit in true old school Quo style – what you might call ‘going for it’ into close a set that’s as friendly and affable as the occasion.

Public Service Broadcasting: Website

The Big Moon: Website

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