The Amy Winehouse Band – Live Review – Victoria Theatre, Halifax

By Kirsty Masterman, November 2026

It was a family affair at Halifax Victoria Theatre as fans of all ages gathered to celebrate the music of Amy Winehouse. Taking to the stage on what was only the third night of the epic Back to Black 20th-anniversary tour, the seasoned pros had the fans captivated right from the off.

The setting played its part beautifully. Low lighting and smoky mist gave the stage the atmosphere of a tucked-away jazz club, while the theatre’s magnificent Renaissance architecture and balcony seats provided a fitting backdrop, drawing both performers and audience together. Before the crowd found its feet, the surroundings had already helped establish the mood.

Having never seen Winehouse perform, I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to hear these songs played by the very musicians who helped shape her career. Led by her long-term musical director and bass player, Dale Davis, the band features members who both toured and recorded with Winehouse throughout her career.

The tour marks the twentieth anniversary of Back to Black – the Grammy award-winning album that transformed Winehouse into a global figure. Two decades on, the album’s blend of soul, jazz and Motown-inspired rhythms still feels distinctive. Familiarity has done little to soften its emotional impact, and hearing this material live was a reminder that beneath the instantly recognisable melodies sits a songwriter whose candour could make even the biggest theatre feel like a private conversation.

“Character and variety”

Fronting a show built around such an individual voice is no small undertaking, but lead vocalist, Beth Morris, captured the gravelly texture and soulful quality perfectly – so closely in fact, that if I closed my eyes, it could have been Winehouse herself up there on stage singing.

However, the star of the show had to be Amy’s beloved backing vocalist Ade Omotayo. Bursting with energy and charm, the toe-tapping, arm swinging crooner had the audience in the palm of his hand as he took on a couple of solo songs. His gorgeous voice matching the flair and charisma of his energetic moves.

On-screen visuals and footage added another dimension, bringing Winehouse’s presence into the room without taking attention away from the musicians. They also reinforced what made the evening affecting: these were songs with a person and a history behind them. Among the familiar titles were ‘Rehab’, ‘Love Is a Losing Game’, ‘Tears Dry on Their Own’ and ‘You Know I’m No Good’, a reminder of just how much character and variety her catalogue contains.

What struck me was the balance between heartbreak and warmth. It would be easy for a celebration of Winehouse to become weighed down by what happened beyond the music. Here, the songs offered a fuller picture. Their honesty and vulnerability were there, but so too were personality, rhythm and the sheer pleasure of hearing them played. The show gave the audience something to respond to, rather than simply asking it to look back.

That response took a little time to spill out of the seats. Early on, security kept a watchful eye, trying to keep the lively audience in their respective seats. A few managing to escape and dance their way to the edge of the theatre. Then, midway through the show, the invitation came from the stage for everyone to get up and join in. The change was immediate. Aisles filled, fans moved towards the stage and the atmosphere loosened into something much more exuberant. This was a raucous audience in the best possible sense.

“Much-loved collection”

There was no mistaking the affection behind it as calls of “We love you, Amy” mingled with demands for more, making the crowd part of the occasion rather than merely its witnesses. Seeing different generations share that enthusiasm gave the evening’s family feel real substance, leaving little distance between stage and auditorium.

Valerie brought the encore to a definitive close with the brighter, more playful energy making it a fitting finale. There clearly wasn’t anywhere else the evening could go after this. After the emotional pull of the wider songbook, it left the evening on a buoyant note. The calls of “one more song” suggested the audience would happily have stayed longer, the band too it seemed, as they promised to return to the venue and audience that “in the nicest way possible” had surprised them – a sentiment echoed by Gary Barlow when he performed here some 8 years ago. Halifax is clearly THE place to play! When the band remained on stage to issue their thankyous and share memories of Winehouse, those final moments gave the celebration a more personal ending.

Ultimately, this was more than an opportunity to revisit a much-loved collection of hits. It was a chance to appreciate the musicians behind them and to hear why those songs still command such affection. The evening was respectful without being solemn, nostalgic without feeling stuck in the past. I left wishing I had seen Winehouse herself, but grateful for a show that allowed her music, rather than the surrounding headlines, to have the final word.

Amy once said that “music is the only thing that will give and give and give and not take”. Tonight has proved that her music continues to do just that.

More info: theamywinehouseband.com
images: Kirsty Masterman