‘I am Loyle Carner, take these words and go forward’: Live at The Piece Hall
Written and edited by Millie Cain.
The legions of Salomon stomper-wearing students descended into Halifax after battling the downpouring summer weather and classic Northern rail strikes. After a slightly sweaty, but cheap journey, The Piece Hall loomed ahead as we climbed the cobbled streets to its grand square. Children of Zeus led the way as a bold support act, ironically backdropped by dark clouds and the hot air of an incoming storm, pushed the already packed crowd and had heads bobbing along from the get go. Hands were raised, pints too, but not a drop of the £7 lager was spilt.
The crowd swayed along, an aroma of weed snaked through the masses, and The Piece Hall’s floor must’ve been squeaky clean after the thousands of pairs of too-long baggy jeans were dragged across the stones. The church spire on the left of the stage made it feel almost a religious experience, and as Loyle Carner finally descended onto the stage, after technical weather difficulties, we were certainly enlightened.
Bouncing straight into ‘Hate’, Carner joked apologetically about the wait, but the crowd’s patience paid off as he sounded excellent, and the atmosphere was electric. The rush of the coming storm and the bouncing hands in the air led into ‘Plastic’, before Carner took his first moment to breathe after hitting the stage. The orange waves of light washed over the crowd for the more chill, almost leaning into a jazz number ‘Ain’t Nothing Changed’. Carner towards the end of the song leaned down into the crowd, taking a moment to hug and chat to a fan, telling the rest of the audience to applaud his fans at the front too ‘I was always front row of everyone I loved, like you man!’ and Carner joked with him about knowing every single word of his songs. It’s truly refreshing to see an artist connecting with his fans, instead of trying to be aloof and cool. Carner is honest, vulnerable and it’s clear to see that respect is paid back tenfold by the crowd.
Image Credit: Cuffe and Taylor and The Piece Hall.
For ‘Desoleil’ Carner began speaking through his lyrics, it felt raw, but hopeful, and the piano underlay added a real soft layer of depth. With the audience singing along with the vocals in the back, despite the volume it still felt so peaceful. ‘Trust me, trust me’ Carner begs his crowd, ‘listen’ he sings, ironically, as if we aren’t already hanging onto his every word. He also took some time to make noise for his band, showing appreciation for them as part of his performance, and bowing down to the crowd, arms aloft in such a display of gratefulness that it made this sold-out gig feel so much more intimate, despite the 6,000 fans around me.
A crowd favourite ‘Angel’ hit, to bring a more lighthearted tone, the bright lights of the stage bounced off the walls of the hall and the church behind it, as Carner preached on his alter, he had everyone clapping as one, as he, and we all appreciated what a ‘beautiful place’ this was to experience his music. Straight off this high he seamlessly transitioned into ‘Damselfly’. He laughed and joked along with the crowd ‘Oh you guys know this one?’ as the audience chanted along with him, undeterred as the first drops of rain began to fall.
Luckily, it seemed the whole crowd had their Arcteryx raincoats on, so both hoods and people alike rose over heads and balanced on shoulders. The song extended to allow for the chillest, angelic shred on guitar, that seemed effortlessly groovy and had everyone swaying into ‘Yesterday’. Carner throughout was so engaging, even as he faced difficulties with his microphone not working and the delayed set times, he performed with such positivity and pushed through with an incredible calibre that must be respected. ‘You should be up here with me!’ He complimented his die-hard fans, and he chatted about his experience touring with his son. After being with him for the first few weeks,his son had gone home 2 days before, and Carner was transparent with how much he missed exploring and performing with him, and he took this moment to play ‘Homerton’ for him. The drums were brilliant on this track, and Carner’s tone made it feel like a conversation as he let us in on his relationship with his family and his son, knitting the crowd together in appreciation for him and his openness on stage.
‘This is my favourite song I’ve ever written, but I’m scared to play because I’m kind of a shy person sometimes. Where I’m from there’s an idea of what a man is. I’m soft, and fuck the toxic masculinity bullshit please!’ Carner discussed before playing ‘Nobody Knows (Ladas Road’, a song he announced was also for his newly born daughter. ‘I was young when I had kids, it’s cool! My son is getting to the age where he can talk to me, it’s great, but it’s hard when I’m working, we shout scream laugh and cry, he come back he says I’m sorry I was frustrated, sad , angry but it’s so beautiful that my son at 3 and a half years old can articulate his emotions as a man’ as he thanked his own mother for doing that for him. Carner consistently shows he has more compassion than we’ve seen from a music artist in a long time. From his CALM campaigns and art exhibitions to ‘Chilli Con Carner’ his cooking program for ADHD children, he certainly is making an effort to bring more kindness into the world.
Breaking into ‘Still’, the crowd was sailing, the spotlights moved slowly over the outreached hands and Carner was left speechless admitting ‘Words fail me, which is rare, this is one of the best shows we’ve played in a really long time’ and the honour was ours. For the ending of the show he pulled in his dancier numbers, the heavily instrumental and groovy ‘Speed of Plight’, with punchy lyrics and a well-awaited final ‘Ottolenghi’, which had everyone singing along.
Loyle Carner ended his set in the drizzly rain with a poem. A new one, the crowd begged, and he obliged, even with his nerves. Dedicating it to his mother and brother, and the safety he found within his family, as well as the difficulties that come with it. The crowd was awed into silence and his words will stay with me for a long time.
‘My name is Loyle Carner, take these words and go forward’.
Image Credit: Cuffe and Taylor and The Piece Hall.
