Scissor Sisters – Live Review – The Piece Hall, Halifax
By Steve Crabtree, August 2026
Now, I’ll be honest. I’ve never been the biggest Scissor Sisters superfan in the world. I’ve always known their big tunes, liked a handful of them, and appreciated how upbeat they sound whenever they popped up on the radio.
When they were announced for a Sunday night show at The Piece Hall in Halifax though, I wasn’t sure if it was for me. As you can probably tell, I go to a lot of shows in that place every summer, and you can’t be too greedy. You can’t do them all!
But – everyone who’s seen them before say what an amazing live show they give you. “It’s amazing” some say. “It’s crazy” say others.
So, it was mind made up. I was going. And with tickets in hand, best mate in tow, it turned out to be a decent…and eye-opening, evening…
“Extravagant, fun, and uninhibited”
We rocked up at The Piece Hall at 8pm, and straight away we could tell this wasn’t going to be your standard gig. For a start, we had Bimini up on-stage, flanked by two male fetish-clad dancers. With lyrics that’d make your eyes water, you should have seen the BSL interpreter!
But the crowd was a brilliant. A blend of all ages, backgrounds, styles, and identities. From sequined outfits and cowboy hats to glam rock gear, (and basic t-shirt and jeans people like me!) the atmosphere felt extravagant, fun, and uninhibited. And Halifax had well and truly turned up to party.
Right on 9pm, the band stormed out and wasted zero time laying down the law of the evening. Rather than building up slowly, they went straight for the throat with banger ‘I Don’t Feel Like Dancin”. The entire floor did feel like dancing, and didn’t really stop all night.
Jake Shears was front and centre with tons of energy. And they followed that opener straight up with ‘Laura’ and ‘She’s My Man’. This is the way all live gigs should start!
“Theatrical party vibe”
It was a very theatrical party vibe on the stage. That grew as the hits kept coming too. Tracks like ‘Tits on the Radio’ and ‘I Can’t Decide’ were great, and ‘Take Your Mama’ was a proper standout moment that had everyone singing at the top of their lungs.
They sounded really good in the open-air setting. Their famous, disco-infused cover of Pink Floyd’s ‘Comfortably Numb’ sounded fantastic in Halifax, getting a huge response from the crowd.
What made the night so enjoyable was the sheer warmth between the stage and the audience. Yes it was zany, yes it was fun, but it was also sincere and really energetic. And the crowd were just having a great time together without a care in the world.
“Massive, camp, pop-rock spectacle”
As we rolled into the final stretch of the main set, ‘Let’s Have a Kiki’ brought the house down. It was camp, ridiculous, and utterly brilliant, before they closed the main set with ‘Only the Horses’.
Obviously, this left the audience shouting for more and they didn’t keep us waiting long. Returning to the stage, they unleashed a double-header of ‘Filthy/Gorgeous’ and ‘Music Is the Victim’. It was a triumphant end to the night, and I can see why people said what they said about Scissor Sisters when they were announced as a headliner for Halifax.
It felt like a perfect summer show. A massive, camp, pop-rock spectacle brought into our famous stone courtyard.
I might have walked in as a casual listener, but I walked out thoroughly entertained. Scissor Sisters are a band everyone should see live at least once. And, as per usual, we’d had another cracking night at The Piece Hall.
Images: Cuffe & Taylor
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.
