Yard Act

Yard Act land at Rock City, Nottingham, on 17 November 2026. The Leeds quartet, led by singer James Smith and bassist Ryan Needham, work within post-punk with an almost spoken delivery, bass lines that drive the music and songwriting focused on everyday life. Since 2020, their tracks blend social observation, dry irony and rhythmic tension, sketching characters and street-corner scenes that stay in the mind without overstating the case.

Their debut album, The Overload (2022), established the approach: precise narratives, guitars that jab more than they soar, a tight pulse. On stage, this formula becomes a direct, no-frills energy, somewhere between spoken-word reportage and a dance-driven surge, with a sense of timing that builds pressure without letting it spill over. Tour after tour, Yard Act have honed that balance, drawing a line from a post-punk inheritance toward sharp, accessible songwriting. Between new songs and early singles, the band rolls out a straight-ahead set carried by the dry, sardonic swing that has become their hallmark.