Rag ‘n’ Bone Man – Live Review – The Piece Hall, Halifax
It was a searchingly warm summer’s evening in Halifax, the kind where sunglasses and summer clothes make everything feel that little bit more exciting. And the buzz around The Piece Hall before Rag’n’Bone Man took to the stage was real. His colossal voice, the golden weather, and the happy crowd was the perfect combination.
This was the second time I’d seen him live – and once again, at the same venue. The last show was so good, I had to come back. This time I was with my mum, and we met up with friends inside, which gave the whole night a special feel. Everyone was ready for an epic performance, and that’s exactly what we got.
“Huge cheers”
He came on to huge cheers and opened the set with ‘Lovers In A Past Life’, immediately followed by the multi-award winning ‘Skin’. The atmosphere was already fantastic, and his voice – that unforgettable voice – just layered more magic on top of it.
We then got new song ‘Time To Love’, before he ventured into a hit-filled set including ‘Anywhere Away From Here’, ‘All You Ever Wanted’ and ‘Grace’.
Rag ‘n’ Bone Man isn’t one for lots of chat between songs – he just gets on with it. I didn’t mind that, because when he did stop to speak, it was worth it.
He made everyone laugh when he recalled a sign from a previous Piece Hall gig that read: “My mum says you’re my dad!” The crowd laughed and cheered in all the right places, and the good feeling around the place was something you could really feel.
“The place exploded”
It’s hard to explain just how good his voice is live. On record it’s something special – but in person? It’s unbelievable, really. You don’t expect someone to be able to reach those kinds of heights with such consistency. So powerful, and so perfect.
More songs came too: ‘Ghosts’ and ‘Rush of Blood’ were two I really liked, and with me, my mum and my friends were all enjoying the show – it wasn’t one we were clock watching for at all. But, inevitably, it did have to come to an end at some point.
He closed the main set with his global smash ‘Human’, which had everyone clapping and moving. But the real shift in atmosphere came with the encore. First up was the beautiful ‘Put A Little Hurt On Me’, and then came the anthem: ‘Giant’.
As soon as it kicked in, the place exploded. People were singing, dancing, smiling – the energy was unreal. A fantastic finish to a night I won’t forget.
