IDLES, Shame, The Murder Capital, Fontaines D.C.: that’s only a small selection of British and Irish post punk acts that have been making waves on the live scene in recent years. You can easily add Yard Act to that list, as since 2022 they have been one of the most remarkable live bands in the genre.
Yard Act was founded in September 2019 in Leeds when Ryan Needham had to crash in James Smith’s guest bedroom for a while. Their living condition led to a creative partnership between the two, in which satirical lyrics with proto punk were combined into demos. Their first EP “Dark Days” contains four edgy songs with spoken word monologues by Smith. Talking Heads is never far away. They’re not just funny and witty, but their songs are very catchy too.