Public Service Broadcasting brought their uniquely coined “collage rock” to the majestic Piece Hall, delivering a 17-track, career-spanning set that felt tailor-made for one of the UK’s most atmospheric venues.

By Andy Murray

Public Service Broadcasting brought their uniquely coined “collage rock” to the majestic Piece Hall, delivering a 17-track, career-spanning set that felt tailor-made for one of the UK’s most atmospheric venues.

Propelling us into what proved to be a truly memorable evening were the beautifully engaging and aptly named Big Moon, who delivered a high-energy set, including a fun take on Fatboy Slim’s Praise You.

Photographer Ellis Robinson

For the first time, I had the privilege of watching a show from the upper level of the Grade I-listed Georgian masterpiece, offering a spectacular new perspective as daylight faded and Public Service Broadcasting took to the stage.

From above, the band, the crowd, the beautifully illuminated historic courtyard and the vast open night were framed together in one glorious scene.

“Special audience, special venue,” declared founder member J. Willgoose, Esq., before adding, “this is by far our biggest show yet” – and it certainly felt like it.

There was a beautiful symmetry to the whole spectacle. The painstakingly restored Piece Hall, once at the heart of Britain’s Industrial Revolution, provided the setting for a band whose music is so deeply rooted in the nation’s past.

Photographer Ellis Robinson

Archive footage from public information films, educational reels and propaganda broadcasts flickered across giant screens as we were treated to standout tracks from all five studio albums.

Highlights included The Pit & Progress from Every Valley, exploring the rise and fall of the Welsh coal-mining industry between the 1950s and 1980s, and Monsoons, The South Atlantic & A Different Kind Of Love from The Last Flight, their atmospheric account of Amelia Earhart’s final journey.

This was more than a gig, it was an immersive audiovisual journey through Britain’s cultural and industrial past, with the Piece Hall itself becoming part of the performance.

And then came the perfect cinematic moment.

As the moon rose above Halifax, Public Service Broadcasting launched into their trio of space-themed tracks — The Other Side, Gagarin and Go! — all taken from their acclaimed second album, The Race for Space.

For a band so fascinated by mankind’s journey beyond Earth, having the moon itself providing the backdrop felt like an almost impossibly perfect piece of staging, enhanced further two dancing astronauts busting a groove on the stage.

Tonight the Piece Hall wasn’t just a venue, for a few glorious hours, it was mission control.