Belle and Sebastian: If You’re Feeling Sinister Live at the Piece Hall

Nostalgia is a strange thing. It creeps up on you, bringing an immense sense of joy whilst carrying the quiet knowledge that the moment will never quite be the same again. For many of those who stood inside the glorious walls of Halifax’s Piece Hall on the summer solstice, the release of If You’re Feeling Sinister in 1996 by Belle and Sebastian marked a certain milestone in their lives. Perhaps the album soundtracked the early twenties of groups of friends who now danced and sang together thirty years on from its original release. Maybe the couple holding hands and watching from the balcony listened to the album when they first started dating. For the teenager who knew every single lyric throughout the entire set, the album could have been the first vinyl his parents played him when he was younger. For tonight, and tonight only, everyone was transported back to the very moment they first heard these songs, and the feeling was, undoubtedly, euphoric. 

The evening was beautifully opened by Saint Etienne, playing a string of crowd favourites from Foxbase Alpha (1991) like ‘Spring’, ‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’ and ‘Nothing Can Stop Us’. It quickly became apparent that seeing Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs take the stage was equally as important to much of the crowd as the headliners. These opening slots for Belle and Sebastian, which was the first time the band had played live in three years, marked the start of Saint Etienne’s farewell tour that will conclude in Cambridge in September. While I am certain that their signature sound full of synthesised dance rhythms and a sophisticated, nostalgic blend of 1960s pop and 1980s Italo Disco will continue to be cherished for decades to come, it was truly special to hear the songs live as the sun set on the longest day of the year. 

Belle and Sebastian took to the stage to a thunderous round of applause, jumping straight into the album’s opening track, ‘The Stars of Track & Field’, followed quickly by ‘Seeing Other People’, solidifying the idea that tonight we would be listening to the album in order, just as they originally intended audiences to experience it. ‘Me and the Major’ blessed us with some exceptional harmonica playing by Stevie Jackson before Stuart Murdoch introduced ‘The Fox in the Snow’ by asking audiences to always do the brave thing in life, and never regret that decision. The courtyard fell quiet and held its breath as stunning animated illustrations accompanied Murdoch’s hushed vocals and the effortlessly beautiful string accompaniment. It was devastatingly sad, yet invigorating all the same. Maybe he was feeling a bit nostalgic too. 

‘Get Me Away from Here, I’m Dying’, one of the most popular tracks from the album, provided a much-needed sing-along and dance after ‘The Fox in the Snow’, and was followed shortly after by the titular track. Murdoch introduced the song by saying that as long as you’re kind to the person next to you, it shouldn’t matter what you believe in. The song follows a series of doomed characters adrift as they navigate a spiritual crisis, and the instrumentation sounded spectacular, bouncing and echoing off the stone walls of the Piece Hall. ‘Mayfly’ kept the mood simmering before the first half of the set concluded with ‘Judy and The Dream of Horses’. Murdoch appeared from behind the piano, donning a horse mask, and impressively managed to sing the entire song wearing it on his head. It was silly, it was goofy, and a perfect ending to If You’re Feeling Sinister’s album celebrations. 

The issue with anniversary shows in general is that bands often treat the music they are playing as if they are part of a museum exhibition, leading to performances that feel careful and fall a little flat. Belle and Sebastian, however, did not fall into this trap. The album was aptly commemerated, the band honouring the music that propelled them into the indie-pop mainstream, before descending into a second half that recognised the success of the music that followed. ‘Step Into My Office, Baby’, ‘Reclaim the Night’ and ‘Another Sunny Day’ were met with the utmost enthusiasm from the Halifax crowd, before those on the front row were invited up onto the stage to dance with the band for ‘The Boy With the Arab Strap’. I was only a tiny bit jealous that I hadn’t quite beaten the rush to be up there dancing with them.

When you thought the victory lap of their discography had ended, they returned for the second encore of the night with ‘Sleep the Clock Around’. With only three minutes left until curfew, everyone was reminded what a joy it is to be alive, dancing the night away with friends and families under the stars. Speckled with Glaswegian humour, the show was a triumph. Belle and Sebastian have made their mark on history, and their music is here to soundtrack the lives of generations to come.