Shed Seven – Live Review – Halifax Victoria Theatre
By Steve Crabtree, November 2024
In April 2001 I went to my first ever Shed Seven gig. It was at the Victoria Theatre, Halifax and 23 years later they returned to the venue for the first time since that evening… and I was there again.
In tow was my good friend, also called Steve, and it transpired that it was his first Shed Seven gig too! We didn’t go to that one together, but we’ve been to a fair few together since.
So on this snowy Monday night in November, we joined a packed theatre for what I thought was one of the finest performances I’d seen the band has deliver…
“Classics and newer gems”
Sadly, due to traffic and the incoming snow, we didn’t get in to see The Sherlocks in support. But, come 9pm we’d found a great spot down the left-hand side of the stalls and the theme from The Magnificent Seven began. The band emerged to a massive ovation and played out the first bars of ‘Room In My House.’ As they did, Rick Witter’s iconic strut brought him to the stage and we all began the now traditional “Woah-oh-oh” singalong to get the evening rolling.
I have to say, it was the best rendition of that song I’ve heard. The sound was crystal clear, rich… and it’d stay that way for the next hour and 45 minutes.
The York indie-rockers gave us a treat. As always, the setlist spanned their back catalogue, giving us a load of classics and newer gems. The crowd loved ‘Where Have You Been Tonight?’ and ‘Bully Boy,’ as well as a stunning ‘Devil In Your Shoes’ which I always love hearing. And then we got some of the fresher tracks like ‘Starlings’ and ‘Let’s Go Dancing’. These proving to be just as powerful.
One of the evening’s standout moments came with ‘Waiting For The Catch,’ a song that has evolved over several years but now feels fully realised on the band’s Liquid Gold LP. While Issy Ferris wasn’t around to sing her bit of the duet, her recorded vocals and presence on the screen behind the band added a smart touch.
So far, we were all having a blast in Halifax. Shed Seven really should come here more often!
“Charismatic showman”
Rick Witter was, as ever, the charismatic showman, and his banter with the crowd added that engagement that we love from Shed Seven.
From cracking jokes to handing an eight-year-old her first maraca and teaching her the perils of swearing, Witter’s charm was in full force.
There was also the usual fun during ‘On Standby,’ when the crowd predictably came in too early. Paul Banks and Tom Gladwin kept the rhythm going as Witter’s faux annoyance made him take a seat on stage, commenting “Oh, they’re carrying on!” His manner is one of the reasons we stay loyal to the Sheds, and why we’ll always love them.
The crowd’s energy was always up there too. The main set closed with ‘Going For Gold,’ that perfect singalong tune – and I have to say us Yorkshire folk were in fine voice!
Returning for a three-song encore that included the bouncing energy of ‘Disco Down’, before their anthem ‘Chasing Rainbows’ gave us that beautiful, emotional ending to a fantastic night.
“Always over too soon”
In the nine or ten times I’ve seen Shed Seven live, I’m confident that this show might just well be the best of them so far. It was epic from start to finish, and my friend and I wouldn’t have minded it lasting a little longer. But that’s the thing with Shed Seven gigs – they’re always over too soon, leaving you counting down the days until the next one.
Here’s hoping it’s not too far away. Until then, Halifax will be humming the tunes and remembering their best Monday night of the year.
