Travis – Live Review – The Piece Hall, Halifax
By Steve Crabtree, July 2025
We’re beyond halfway through the summer season of music at The Piece Hall, Halifax – and I was back again with a few friends on a Saturday night to see a band that I’ve never seen before.
Following on from Texas the previous evening, another Scottish favourite Travis were here in the ‘fax this time. Formed in Glasgow in the early 90s, Travis were one of the UK’s most cherished indie bands, hitting the mainstream in the late 90s. They came at us back then with chart-topping albums like The Man Who and The Invisible Band, so this show had all the promise of yet another good gig.
For this one, we arrived close to the 8pm last entry time and arrived just in time to catch some of the support from The Magic Numbers before finding a good spot. They sounded quite nice and were celebrating 20 years since first touring England… they were warm-up for Travis then as well. I’m glad we got their last few songs.
“Minimal fuss”
By 8.45pm, Travis took to the stage with minimal fuss. No big build-up, just a warm Halifax welcome and straight into the music. They opened with ‘Bus’, before following up with ‘Driftwood’ early on – a smart move that instantly reminded us in the crowd of the strength of their back catalogue.
Speaking of the crowd, it was a mixed-age audience that I’d say were mostly in the 40–60 bracket. A few families scattered around and plenty of dedicated fans sporting Travis t-shirts too. And the mood was easy-going – appreciative more than raucous – and while some of the crowd were chatting during parts of the set, others were fully locked into a band they clearly love.
“Best-loved tracks”
Midway through the 16 song main set, we heard some of the band’s best-loved tracks. ‘Writing To Reach You’, ‘Side’, and ‘Sing’ all stood out, and while the atmosphere didn’t hit the high-energy levels of some other shows at this venue, the quality of the music still landed with plenty.
Fran Healy’s relaxed stage persona and extended chats between songs kept the tempo mellow – at one point even joking about how much he’d been talking – but I’m putting that down to it being all part of Travis’ laid-back style. Some artists thrive on intensity, others on familiarity, and Travis leaned into the latter.
The visuals were understated, and the band let the music do the heavy lifting. As dusk fell, things began to shift – the lights kicked in, and there was a bigger energy in the crowd.
“Brilliant encore”
‘Gaslight’ and ‘Turn’ sparked a little more movement towards the end of the main set, before the band grouped together for a brilliant encore. It was worth waiting for, and for me – the highlight of the night.
Travis brought everything together with ‘As You Are’, ‘Flowers In The Window’, and a rousing ‘Why Does It Always Rain On Me?’. The last one was the song we were all yearning for, and they did a brilliant job with it. There was full crowd participation and plenty of voices raised in unison on that one.
While the show might not have reached the fever pitch of some recent Piece Hall nights, it still delivered something enjoyable for the thousands who were there. It’s a reminder that not every gig needs to be explosive to make a connection, and for those who grew up with Travis or simply wanted to enjoy a night of solid, melodic indie rock in a beautiful venue, it did the job.
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.
