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 atmosphere around The Piece Hall before Rag’n’Bone Man took to the stage was in keeping with this beautiful, warm day.
The thousands of us, with refreshments in hand were ready for this. His colossal voice and the golden weather, was a perfect combination for yet another fantastic evening at this stunning venue.
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. We were all 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 smothered more magic on top of it.
We then got new song ‘Time To Love’, before he ventured into a hit-filled set that included ‘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, and the good feeling around the place was something really got you.
“The only instrument we need”
Another nice touch was when he also signed a paper aeroplane that his son had made, and asked him to throw it out to the crowd. That made everyone smile, and I think that sums the the guy up.
So does the fact that his show isn’t showy. No over the top lighting or backdrops, no over exuberant backing singers or band members.
The power, the show…the everything is what comes out of his mouth. His voice is the only instrument we need on a night like this, and 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.
“The place exploded”
More songs came at us in the form of ‘Ghosts’ and ‘Rush of Blood’ – two that I really liked. And ‘Anywhere Away From Here’ – the duet with P!nk (who wasnt’ in Halifax, unfortunately) was great too.
We 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 that kicked in, the place exploded. People were singing, dancing, and smiling. He’d delivered another brilliant night to Halifax, and gave us a fantastic finish to one of my favourite nights of the summer so far.
