Richard Ashcroft Adds to the List of Unforgettable Nights at The Piece Hall in Halifax [Photos]

Richard Ashcroft’s Piece Hall show was truly a night to remember. The former Verve frontman, a hero to anyone awake in the ’90s, was a masterclass in songwriting and rock star delivery, proving music really is power.

Arms aloft flashing the peace sign with both hands as he took the stage, Richard Ashcroft received a rapturous welcome from a frothing crowd. It’s very possible most of the audience were on their second show in 2 days as Noel Gallagher had played the previous night – and where Noel is a bit boring and overly arrogant, Ashcroft is a joy to watch (read Dalby Forest show review here).

“I’ve not been somewhere like this since I was in Verona,” Ashcroft muses as he surveys the stunning Piece Hall venue. “It’s such a great part of the world round here – just beautiful.” He’s not wrong either, but it’s made even more special when the air echoes with the sounds of one of the best songwriters we’ve ever produced.

Pulling heavily from The Verve’s Urban Hymns album for most of his setlist the fans were treated to some of the best music to come from the ’90s. “Sonnet,” “Weeping Willow,” and “Velvet Morning” had all the arms in the air – and the strained vocals of bucket hat-wearing middle-aged men turning back the clock was a joy to hear.

The band sounded great, and in particular, Steve Wyreman on guitar was incredible, playing some properly goosebumps-inducing stuff.

They loved his solo stuff as much, though, with “Music is Power” and “A Song for the Lovers” getting as big a singalong, but it was a poignant “Drugs Don’t Work,” which Richard Ashcroft dedicated to his recently passed dog, followed by the glorious “Lucky Man” that really got people going followed as the main set ended.

The encore featured an extended psychedelic-tinged “C’Mon People (We’re Making it Now),” “History,” and an emphatic “Bittersweet Symphony” to end the night. Before leaving the stage while the band finished the song, he passed his sunglasses to a young fan in the audience – who will no doubt remember the show for the rest of his life.

Unforgettable nights like these at The Piece Hall are becoming par for the course, and they’re only halfway through this year’s summer series. If you want to see what all the fuss is about getting yourself to one of the shows, you won’t be disappointed.

Richard Ashcroft @ The Piece Hall (Halifax, UK) on August 4th, 2024

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