Public Service Broadcasting – Live Review – The Piece Hall, Halifax
By David Schuster – August 2026
It’s not often that you get to see 6,000 people get surprised simultaneously, but it’s a trick that Public Service Broadcasting managed to pull off at The Piece Hall in Halifax.
In the midst of playing ‘Gagarin’, they stop the music, dead. At that point, there’s a multitude of performers on stage; five band members, three horn players and two dancers dressed as cosmonauts. Moments before, all was frenzied activity. Then suddenly, everything stops, music, dancers and musicians all freeze in mid-motion.
They hold this tableau for what feels like a long time, but in reality is probably only 15 seconds or so, before resuming the climax of the track. It’s no mean feat of skill and timing, and the sound of 6,000 people all gasping, then laughing, in astonishment is something unique.
That moment came towards the end of a clever, engaging and emotionally complex set. Public Service Broadcasting have always chosen interesting topics for their songs, and then told those stories in their own unique fashion. ‘Gagarin’, their tribute to the Russian pilot who became the first person to travel into outer space, as a typical example, employs news coverage of that momentous moment in 1961 when mankind first ventured away from our planet. These images are projected over complex rhythms and melodies that gradually grow to a glorious climax. It’s unapologetically nostalgic and uplifting.
“A sense of nostalgia”
Other tracks from the night are more nuanced in their central messages. ‘Night Mail’ draws on black and white images from the 1936 documentary of the same name, along with extracts from W. H. Auden’s spoken verse. ‘The Pit’ and ‘Progress’ deal with the coal mining industry that was so central to life, work and community across the United Kingdom at one point. Whilst these evoke a sense of nostalgia and admiration for the pride and sheer hard work of earlier generations, they are also poignant records of things which have now passed into history, usually to the detriment of those involved.
Likewise, ‘Spitfire’ celebrates the aeroplane of the same name. In his own words, the narration tells of the aspirations of the engineer, Reginald Joseph Mitchell, who primarily created it: “The birds fly a lot better than we do….Someday, I’m going to create a plane that flew just like a bird.”
But, of course, that’s not the true purpose of the Spitfire. This was a weapon that, “breathes fire and spits out death and destruction.” So, the message isn’t a simple one. The past isn’t simply a golden era which we should strive to return to. In many ways it was hard, dirty and dangerous. What the music tells us is that we should take pride in our history, achievements and country, but learn the lessons of the past and, most importantly, not repeat the same mistakes.
“New directions”
The group’s last two album releases, 2021’s Bright Magic, and The Last Flight, from 2024, have evolved their sound in new directions with the inclusion of vocals. Several of these newer tracks have featured Anna Lena Bruland, the Norwegian singer/songwriter who performs as EERA. She’s subsequently become a touring member of the ensemble, and is there tonight. Her singing gives the performance some additional dimensions. There’s the haunting ‘South Atlantic’, the bright pop of ‘The Fun of It’ and the (appropriately) danceable ‘People, Let’s Dance’. All these provide a counterpoint to the band’s previous documentary narration style.
Public Service Broadcasting have never played The Piece Hall in Halifax before and they obviously loved every minute of it, concluding the evening with no less than four encores. ‘They Gave Me a Lamp’, where they were joined on stage by instrumental, post–rock trio Haiku Salute and ‘People, Let’s Dance’ with EERA.
After these came that fantastic performance of ‘Gagarin’ and they ended the night with the epic and uplifting ‘Everest’. It’s impossible not to like Public Service Broadcasting, they’re clearly such nice people. That much is evident in founder-member J. Willgoose Esquire’s awe at the fact that so many people to had turned up to watch them play. Believe me, it was our pleasure.
Images: Cuffe and Taylor
David Schuster describes himself as an “adventurer, collector, musician and writer. Not necessarily in that order.” Growing up west of the Pennine hills of the UK and living his adult life east of them, he’s inclined to think that the Wars of the Roses were a mistake. David loves discovering new bands and musicians and is happiest listening to live music. He has travelled extensively in the UK and is fascinated by the variety, history and landscapes of the thousands of islands that comprise the British Isles. David is always reassured when online shops confirm that he’s not a robot.
