Texas – Live Review – The Piece Hall, Halifax
By Steve Crabtree, July 2025
There’s something special about The Piece Hall when it’s gig night on a Friday in summer. The week’s winding down, there’s a glow when the weather holds, and there’s the atmosphere that I keep banging on about that builds in the town like something you can’t adequately describe.
And this was a Friday night I’d been looking forward to for a long time. The visit of Texas to this place was WAY overdue, and I’ve lost track of the amount of comments saying what a perfect band they are for The Piece Hall. Well, this was their time.
I’ve always liked Texas. Back in the mid-90s, they found their way onto more than a few of my guitar-soaked mixtapes, and I’ve seen them live a couple of times too. They’re always brilliant and never disappoint. This time, I was there with my wife Alex – and walking into the venue while support act Rianne Downey (fresh from the Paul Heaton double-header earlier in the week) was mid-set, it was clear the vibe was building up quite nicely.
“Big tune followed big tune”
At 9pm sharp, the band appeared, and they were quickly followed by Sharleen Spiteri – striding out, green Gretsch G6120THR in hand, to a massive roar from the crowd. And they weren’t hanging about, jumping straight into ‘I Don’t Want a Lover’. And suddenly, the courtyard was bouncing.
This sensational start was just the start of a fast moving, hard-hitting set. The Glasgow rockers gave us big tune followed big tune, with a dip into every corner of their 40-year plus back catalogue. ‘Halo’ sounded immense, and ‘In Our Lifetime’ was fantastic too. That’s one that you sometimes forget how good it is. If you could take a lullaby and turn it into an anthem, that’d be it.
And then there was, of course, Spiteri. Always the frontwoman you want – full of banter, full of spark, and as commanding as always.
“You’ll-feel-better-for-being-here energy”
It was a Scottish rock-fest of the best order tonight. The crowd was made up of die-hards and those who maybe hadn’t realised just how many Texas songs they knew. The sort of gig where you keep hearing people say “Oh this one!” as another hit kicks in.
‘Summer Son’ and ‘When We Are Together’ had the place swaying and smiling, and by the time ‘Let’s Work It Out’ dropped – complete with a random Thierry Henry car cameo on the big screen behind them – we were all dancing. Don’t ask me what the link is to the French footballer, but the tune worked.
One of the real standouts for me was ‘Keep On Talking’. That Northern Soul sound is proper feelgood stuff, and it lifted the crowd even more. We had loads of moments like that. Bits that made you smile, nod, dance, sing. And from start to finish, the whole set just carried that you’ll-feel-better-for-being-here energy.
“Pouring love all over Yorkshire”
Alex and I were loving Texas, and Sharleen Spiteri‘s form between songs was is a vital part of the Texas act. Sharing stories about motherhood, encountering suits going to the races, sending her daughter to the States, and pouring love all over Yorkshire – and The Piece Hall. And we all lapped that up.
As the night got darker, the set started to head down its home straight. ‘Mr Haze’ turned the dial up again before they dropped in the track that first got me hooked on Texas all those years ago – ‘Black Eyed Boy’. That one got everyone bouncing. The lights, the band, the voice – it all came together so well, and provided Halifax with the most epic way to end a main set.
Then came a short pause. The lights dimmed. Off they went, but of course…they were coming back.
“Flawless”
The encore gave us two final tracks – the brilliant ‘Inner Smile’ and a cracking cover of Elvis’ ‘Suspicious Minds’. Proper crowd-pleasers, both of them, and by the end we were singing like it was the last gig on earth.
As we left, Alex and I were grinning. We’d seen something great, it was one of those nights where everything was right. I never doubted that though – the venue, the weather, the band, the crowd…Texas were flawless again. The predictions that they’re fully suited to play The Piece Hall had just become completely justified. And, if they could come back year after year, I reckon we’d all be happy about that.
Images: Cuffe & Taylor and The Piece Hall
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.
