Echo and the Bunnymen – Live Review – The Piece Hall, Halifax
By Steve Crabtree, August 2025
Guess what? Another night, another gig at The Piece Hall. It’s becoming a habit, isn’t it?
With this one being on a Saturday – and a lovely warm one at that – me and a couple of friends decided to descend on Halifax early afternoon for food, drinks, sunshine and chatting gibberish.
Sunshine is great, and Halifax was full of life. There was a brilliant atmosphere around the town, not just from the gig-goers, but the general public too.
It was Echo and the Bunnymen this time, the Liverpool band formed in the late 1970s, and one of the most distinctive post-punk bands of their era. A bit moody, atmospheric sounds and sharp lyricis.
And whilst we enjoyed the sunshine in the rooftop garden at The Grayston Unity, or wandered for another drink at Dukes, you could spot those heading to the show a mile off. Die-hard Echo and the Bunnymen fans have a particular look – an image that’s been tied to the band since their peak in the 80s. The alternative rockers, goth-tinted style, a few with Cure-esque hair, and that sense of devoted identity to a band that means everything to them. It all added to the vibe.
“Post-punk, alt-rock image”
Me? I was a latecomer to Echo and the Bunnymen, if I’m honest. I first stood up and took notice of them through Ian McCulloch’s guest vocal on Manic Street Preachers’ ‘Some Kind of Nothingness’ – one of my favourite tracks from their later material. That collab made me listen to them, and I soon found myself enjoying much of The Bunnymen’s back catalogue. So when they were announced for The Piece Hall, I was always going to go.
I was at this one with a couple of friends. And, although we were inside The Piece Hall later than the 8pm cut off time (scanner problems meant we were sent round the building to a different queue) we made our way in and found a pretty central spot to watch from. The place was relaxed, we had a lot of space around us and there was a good mood.
The crowd was mostly made up of over-55s, people who’d looked like they’ve followed the band since the start. That post-punk, alt-rock image was everywhere – albeit more toned down that it was back in the day. Those people who had New Order, The Cure and The Bunnymen records on their shelves for decades. It was a really respectful and appreciative audience – full of love for this band and just ready to enjoy the night.
What we perhaps didn’t expect, though, was how it would all play out.
“Mystifying”
The gig was split into two halves, with a short break in between. And I have to say, the first part left me – and I think a lot of others – underwhelmed. The band kicked off with ‘Going Up’ and then into ‘All That Jazz’, but something didn’t quite land. There was a distance between the stage and the crowd – not physically, but emotionally. We were all there and willing, but I just don’t think the show took hold.
It wasn’t bad – it just lacked that spark, that energy or connection you hope for.
‘Rescue’ and ‘Flowers’ were decent, and probably the standouts from the eight-song opening section, but even those didn’t quite light the fuse. Then, quite out of the blue, Echo and the Bunnymen left the stage. ‘Over the Wall’ closed the first half, and barely 30 minutes after they’d come on, they were gone. There was no sense of dissatisfaction from the crowd – just confusion. It was a bit mystifying.
For us, the three of us took this as time for a refreshment break, and after a ten-minute interlude, the band returned. And this time we had a different story.
“Beautifully delivered”
Second set opener ‘Bring On the Dancing Horses’ changed the tone straight away, and it felt like the night had woken up. You know when you have your first coffee of the day and you’re ready to get going? It was like that. It brought that missing element we were all craving – a proper connection. From then on, the night really began.
‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ was phenomenal – and the atmosphere lifted with every note. ‘Seven Seas’ followed, and then we were treated to cracking renditions of ‘The Cutter’ and ‘The Killing Moon’. Those tracks were powerful – full of the eerie, moody magic that defines the band. The Piece Hall always comes alive when night falls, and it matched the tone of these songs perfectly. You could feel the energy shift – what started subdued was now in a full, atmospheric flow.
McCulloch didn’t say much to the crowd throughout the night – and that’s fine. His presence has always been more about the vibe than the chat. And by the end, the entire crowd was right there with the band, and enjoying the show. A short encore followed at the end with two final classics: ‘Lips Like Sugar’ and ‘Ocean Rain’. Both beautifully delivered. And just like that, it was over – a swift show overall, wrapping up by about 10:15pm. We’d put that down to the low levels of chatter between songs, but thankfully that second half gave us what we came for.
In the end, it turned into a good night. Not flawless – but when it landed, it landed.
Images: Cuffe & Taylor and The Piece Hall
Give Steve music, give him food, give him theatre, tech or travel… and he’s a happy man. He’s been writing professionally since 2003, turning to journalism in 2017 when it offered him the chance to enjoy a lot of his existing passions, and learn some new ones at the same time. Steve can be found spending many of his summer nights watching bands at The Piece Hall in his hometown of Halifax, or enjoying a bite to eat and a drink with his wife anywhere in Yorkshire at any time of year. Random fact: He does the best impression of Zippy and George from Rainbow that anyone has ever heard.
