There were non-stop crowd favourites as the 74-year-old and his 12-piece band delivered a complete performance for the ages

“There she is. The only one we have”, says David Byrne, as the lunar visuals accompanying a gorgeous, stripped back and string-assisted rendition of the Talking Heads song ‘Heaven’ reveals a beatific image of Earth; before adding with a touch of menace: “Burn it up.”

It’s a powerful and prescient way to start what the 6,000 lucky attendees who bought their tickets within minutes of them going on sale have good reason to expect will be a flawless and enlivening show.

And so it proves as a performance where the word ‘joy’ repeatedly popped to mind came full circle by its glorious end.

David Byrne brings his 'Who Is The Sky?' show to the Piece Hall in Halifax. | Cuffe and Taylor

placeholder image — David Byrne brings his 'Who Is The Sky?' show to the Piece Hall in Halifax. | Cuffe and Taylor

Having redefined the possibilities of what can be expected from a live band with the Talking Heads’ magical 1983 show and film ‘Stop Making Sense’, Byrne has only further expanded the capacity for narrative, choreography and collaborative harmony in the ensuing four decades, culminating in the equally remarkable ‘American Utopia’ showcase throughout the late 2010s. And this is without mentioning the consistently intriguing and captivating output of music that has grounded the shows - from the Talking Heads wild ventures into punk and funk and later experiments with electronic and Afrobeat.

The ‘Who Is The Sky?’ tour came to the ornate and remarkable surroundings of the Piece Hall in Halifax on Saturday as a celebration of the capacity for human kindness and endurance while also serving as a requiem for the damage inflicted politically and, more directly, ecologically - a point made only more fitting by the record-breaking heat that some of the venue’s stellar line-up of artists have played under over the past two months.

Concise and equal parts jubilant and emboldening; it felt like a culmination of the 74-year-old’s work to date.

Similar to ‘American Utopia’, Byrne is accompanied by a 12-strong cast of musicians and singers who sing, run and dance in loose choreography and play their transportable instruments around the stage during the 18-song set, which goes galloping by.

David Byrne performs in the stunning setting of The Piece Hall in Halifax. | Cuffe and Taylor

How it differs from the minimalist offering of the previous show though is that ’Who Is The Sky’ is defined and enhanced by the visuals on the three monolithic screens that take us and the collective on stage from its interstellar intro into the depths of what the world has to offer.

With the group dressed in bright orange jumpsuits (resembling something between aliens and a futuristic removal crew), the initial voyage is musically one of sheer celebration and joy as we are whisked along with shots of quirky New Yorkers, soulless workspaces, placid suburbia and natural phenomena to the sounds of the lead single for Who Is The Sky? ‘Everybody Laughs’, the irresistible Brian Eno-collaboration ‘Strange Overtones’, Talking Heads pop pinnacle ‘And She Was’, the jaded groove of ‘Houses In Motion’ and the polyrhythmic effervescence of ‘(Nothing But) Flowers’, before reaching a glorious and life-affirming peak with ‘This Must Be The Place (Naïve Melody)’ - a song that can’t help but have a special place in your heart.

The unfathomably strong run and especially the latter number gets a huge ovation from the multi-generational crowd, who largely respect Byrne’s pre-show request to defer from using phones and not be afraid to have a dance.

Byrne himself remains one of the most endearing characters in music, tying his anti-establishment credentials with a demeaner that is cheerfully likeable and eccentric, as he makes a double faux pas of mentioning London and Royalty while discussing one of his cycling expeditions, ponders the emotional capacity of animals and suggests that “love and kindness is the new punk rock” at various points.

The former Talking Heads frontman is one of the most endearing figures in music. | Cuffe and Taylor

After a run of newer numbers and deeper cuts, the second barrage of sure-fire gems begins with the guttural funk and call-and-response brilliance of ‘Slippery People’ before Talking Heads’ most enduring song ‘Psycho Killer’ brings about a manic singalong that could be heard in Manchester and Leeds from which many have converged.

Hearts are racing by the time the chaotic outro of ‘Life In Wartime’ (which Byrne recently described as ‘more relevant than ever’) is accompanied by clips of ICE Agents being met with resistance and the main set comes to a close with the awkward transcendence of ‘Once In A Lifetime’, which has the screens envelope the band and crowd in a rich orange glow that is distorted as the throbbing guitar sweeps in; indicating not to get comfortable just yet.

Byrne returns and reflects on life during the pandemic as restrictions eased in New York and he heard people chattering away, reflecting: “I thought ‘despite all our differences and difficulties and all the craziness, people love being with one another’.”

The hopeful words are carried through to the communal celebration of ‘Everybody’s Coming To My House’ before the entire band gets into full swing for one last time for an electric rendition of ‘Burning Down The House’ to a deep red background, an image of prophetic warning as much as one of joyous defiance.