David Byrne live in Halifax: a life-affirming tonic

Tonight at Halifax’s picturesque Piece Hall, and at every gig on his world tour behind new album Who Is the Sky?, David Byrne reads the crowd a quote from actor and director John Cameron Mitchell. “Love and kindness are the most punk things you can do right now,” Mitchell said of finding hope in perilous times, and Byrne’s current show – one of the best on planet Earth – makes it flesh.

For nearly ten years now, the former Talking Heads singer has turned his live show into a wildly theatrical event that deconstructs the idea of a live band down to its component parts and belongs on Broadway (his 2018 album American Utopia was adapted for that very stage the following year). The acclaim has been near-universal, with Byrne even naming a live EP after one review that declared it “the best live show of all time”.

Even 2018 seems uncomplicated and utopian by 2026 standards though, and art focusing purely on positivity and love can easily feel saccharine and wilfully blind in this moment. Byrne’s show succeeds by not ignoring the elephants in the room, instead stating that they are exactly the reason that defiance and community are more vital than ever.

In a frantic and fabulous ‘Life During Wartime’, videos of ICE raids in the United States pepper the screens, asserting that, like its chorus lyrics, this show “ain’t no fooling around,” despite feeling a lot like both a party and a disco. Elsewhere, he shows the crowd videos of Italians singing from their balconies during the pandemic and celebrating their victory over fascism, and ponders the consciousness of animals on ‘Like Humans Do’. While some political points are gestured towards but not explicitly stated – namely the genocide in Gaza – it’s not a show that demands positivity without referencing the context.

Throughout his 100-minute show, Byrne is a delightful and magnetic ringleader of his 13-piece band, featuring drummers that play one part of a kit only, roaming violinists, keyboardists and guitarists, and a troupe of dancers. Choreographed perfectly but not to the point of feeling overly slick and sanitised, the 74-year-old is a remarkable showman as he runs through Talking Heads classics and exuberant solo material.

Speaking to The Guardian recently, Byrne explained how his deconstructed live band is emblematic of the overall themes of community and togetherness in the show. “Although the sound of six players constituting a drum kit is identical to one playing it, the effect of six people working in perfect sync is heartening,” he said. “Humans are not as dysfunctional as we think, we can work together to produce something joyful.”

This chemistry between band members, as well as between the performers and the audience, furthers the sense of connection and joy on show here. Talking Heads hits – ‘Psycho Killer’, ‘Once In a Lifetime’,  the divine love song ‘This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody)’ – dominate the set list, but one of the most impactful is the American Utopia track ‘Everybody’s Coming to My House’. The song paints Byrne as a welcoming host for the disaffected, a feeling it’s impossible to escape when leaving this remarkable show. He sings: “I’m pointing and describing / And I can be your guide.”

Conversely, the following track sees him burning down a metaphorical house on another Talking Heads classic to close the show; Byrne is both a soothing balm and a rabble rouser in truly wild times. “Despite our differences,” he says before the end of the show, “people love being with one another,” and this one-of-a-kind touring roadshow remains the best place to get that vital recharge.

David Byrne played:

‘Heaven’
‘Everybody Laughs’
‘And She Was’
‘Strange Overtones’
‘Houses in Motion’
‘Nothing But Flowers’
‘This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)’
‘What Is the Reason for It?’
‘Like Humans Do’
‘When We Are Singing’
‘Independence Day’
‘Slippery People’
‘Air’
‘Psycho Killer’
‘Life During Wartime’
‘Once in a Lifetime’

‘Everybody’s Coming to My House’
‘Burning Down the House’