Live Review: James – The Piece Hall, Halifax 07/07/23


Indie band James is tonight’s headline act at The Piece Hall on the first of two consecutive sold out nights with each night promising a different setlist featuring support slots from Tom A Smith and Jamie Webster.

James celebrated their 40th anniversary last year along with their 16 studio album releases and tonight the set list has a variety of songs from their extensive career with some tracks from the 80s and 90s along with newer tracks from within the last decade. Formed in 1982, the band now consists of nine members; Tim Booth (vocals), Jim Glennie (bass), Adrian Oxaal (lead guitar/cello), David Baynton-Power (drums), Saul Davies (rhythm guitar), Mark Hunter (keyboard), Andy Diagram (trumpet) along with Deborah Knox-Hewson and Chloe Alper joining the band on drums.

Opening the set with ‘Johnny Yen’ the band take fans back to their early days with the song being a release from the band’s debut album ‘Stutter’ back in 1986. As the second song starts ‘What For’, both Deborah and Chloe join the band on drums as well as the Inspirational Voices Choir. During ‘Waltzing Along’, Tim comes off stage and greets fans on barrier before performing the song whilst stood on the barrier – holding a person’s hand in the crowd for support.

Following ‘Getting Away With It (All Messed Up), the band spontaneously launch into ‘Just Like Fred Astaire’. Ending the night with two songs from their 1993 album ‘Laid’ the final tracks are ‘Sometimes (Lester Piggott) followed by their biggest and most streamed song to date ‘Laid’. 

Set List

Johnny Yen

What For

Waltzing Along

All the Colours of You

Interrogation

Born of Frustration

Space

Out to Get You

Hymn From a Village

Medieval

Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)

Just Like Fred Astaire

Moving On

Nothing but Love

Sit Down

Sometimes (Lester Piggott)

Laid

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