Yard Act – Live Review – Octagon Centre, Sheffield
By Brad Jones, November 2026
It is a unique feeling heading to see a band like Yard Act with no prior experience of how they perform live. The Leeds-based act mesh together so many genres spanning from earnest, heavy rock-fuelled anger to humorous, vibrant funk-pop, so it was intriguing to find out how that would all culminate at the Octagon Centre in Sheffield.
It was, therefore, a relief to quickly discover that the same calculated chaos came across in their on-stage mannerisms right from the start.
With an unusual formation which saw pianist and saxophonist Christopher Duffin, and drummer Jay Russell on a raised platform behind the rest of the band, frontman James Smith would appear in control as he stood perched closely to the crowd before springing backwards and losing himself in the fierce tempo of ‘Cherophobe Rock’ and ‘The Overload’ among others as those close to the barrier followed suit.
Yard Act, 2026
image: James Winstanley
“High-octane”
That unhinged intensity was perhaps best captured by Sam Shipstone, who stood out not merely for his magnificent moustache, but his powerful presence and skill on the guitar raised the roof through ‘Dark Days’ and ‘The Trench Coat Museum’ in particular.
Often during live gigs, there are moments where things drift along as crowds wait in anticipation for the stand-out, sing-along tracks that many of them came for. However, even with six song changes and a sizeable amount of setlist rearrangement from their previous night in Glasgow, Yard Act proved they are a band capable of keeping fans on their toes and engaged at a consistent rate throughout a high-octane performance.
It is a testament to their varied discography and their initiative just three albums in that they are able to play around with the order and figure out what does and doesn’t work in real time. Having admitted to not playing the song for a long time, Smith’s self-deprecating tone at misspeaking during 2021 track ‘Peanuts’ in the encore was proof of that.
image: Brad Jones
“Evolution”
That being said, the more easily palatable singles from across their recent album You’re Gonna Need A Little Music – such as the title track and ‘Tall Tales’ – provided structure and allowed other aspects of their versatility to shine with the increased prominence of piano and saxophone parts.
The messiness and unpredictability are part of the band’s charm and, much like how their attitude and outlook can fluctuate massively from one song to another, it is what connects them to so many people in a world of uncertainty and rumination. No one really has things figured out and successful bands of their ilk are of course no exception to that, but they wear that well.
With three songs from their debut 2021 EP and at least four tracks from each of their three albums spread evenly across the setlist, it really was a showcase of where they started and where they’re going. Much like in their new album – which was released in July and recorded in their own studio – the more gristly sound paired with elements of disco house and desert rock has proved a solid evolution from their earlier stuff without losing their strong story-telling foundations.
image: James Winstanley
“Settled”
They’re on a trajectory which, after a chaotic process through the first two albums due in part to the pandemic and pressures on tour, feels more settled and in their own hands.
Whether they will go onto bigger and better things – or even want to given the challenges of heightened success they talk about in numerous songs – remains to be seen, but right now they are well worth seeing as they perform with more than enough personality and capability to fill rooms with a few-hundred capacity, the best kind in my opinion.
Top image: Brad Jones
Having spent most of the seven years since studying Sports Journalism at university producing TV guide magazines at the Press Association, as well as creating programme content for Hull City and venturing into music reviews, Brad quickly learnt the joy that comes with the variety of a career in journalism. Getting a story published in Karan Tejwani’s Iberia Chronicles book in 2020 gave him the bug for bringing stories to life on anything he’s passionate about ever since, which ranges from food to football and stand-up comedy to solo holidays.
