A BALMY midsummer evening in the Piece Hall courtyard was a pretty perfect backdrop for a sublime set from rock giants Crowded House.

A packed crowd sang along to the antipodean band's beloved hits, early tracks and treats from new album Gravity Stairs, as Neil Finn held us in his palm for a cracking two-hour gig. And they sure brought the weather with them!

Along the way, Neil and the guys - fellow original member Nick Seymour, Mitchell Froom, Liam Finn and Elroy Finn - shared laughs on stage, chatted with the audience and marvelled at the beauty of the historic Halifax venue. Neil was particularly taken by the idea of browsing "the independent shops on every floor." You had to be there.

Crowded House delighted the crowd at the historic venueCrowded House delighted the crowd at the historic venue (Image: The Piece Hall/Cuffe and Taylor)

The latest headline act at TK Maxx presents Live at The Piece Hall 2024, Crowded House delighted fans with utterly beautiful performances of Don’t Dream It’s Over, Distant Sun, Fall At Your Feet, Four Seasons in One Day, as well as more recent hits Oh Hi and Teenage Summer. The night's biggest crowd-pleaser, Weather With You, had us all singing along.

There was a lovely moment when bassist Nick Seymour joined the sign language interpreter, who did an excellent job throughout, for a cute duet at the side of the stage.

Bassist Nick Seymour with the sign language interpreter Bassist Nick Seymour with the sign language interpreter (Image: The Piece Hall/Cuffe and Taylor)

Neil shared some jokey banter with his sons, Liam and Elroy. "You've had more costume changes than Taylor Swift," Neil told Liam, who opened the evening with a cracking solo set. Shifting from high energy punk to a more mellow quirky vibe, Liam's set showcased his skills as a multi-instrumentalist, revealing songs from new album The Hyperverse.

Liam Finn opened the evening with a cracking solo setLiam Finn opened the evening with a cracking solo set (Image: The Piece Hall/Cuffe and Taylor)

The main Crowded House show was a perfect storm of Neil Finn's genius songwriting and mesmerising vocals (he still has that great voice), gorgeous harmonies and the brilliant band playing as such a tight unit.

Neil Finn held the crowd in his palm throughoutNeil Finn held the crowd in his palm throughout (Image: Piece Hall)

It was a treat to see the excellent Nick Seymour and Mitchell Froom in action - Froom working his magic on the keyboard - and Liam and Elroy, both talented musicians, rocking guitar and drums.

"We look like the Eagles," laughed Neil, as the guitarists stood side by side.

So many Crowded House songs are resonant with nature, its beauty and drama, that an outdoor venue is the perfect way of hearing them played live. There were a lot of us in the Piece Hall courtyard, singing along, but there was also a beautiful sense of intimacy at this concert. It felt like sitting with the guys and their guitars around a campfire on a South Island beach.

For the final part of the show, Neil sat at the piano - shifting it to "a jaunty angle" so he could gaze out at the happy crowd - and as the sun went down, we were treated to a sublime set, with highlights Better Be Home Soon and quirky sing-along favourite, Chocolate Cake.

Simply wonderful. A highlight of the Piece Hall summer of music so far. I could have listened to those guys all night.

The delighted crowd on a balmy summer evening in Piece HallThe delighted crowd on a balmy summer evening in Piece Hall (Image: The Piece Hall/Cuffe and Taylor)

* Live at the Piece Hall continues on Saturday, June 22 with Grace Jones followed by Bryan Adams on Sunday, June 23, then Placebo, Air, Michael Kiwanuka and Underworld next week. For tickets go to ticketmaster.co.uk