By Alexandra Pullen
The first time Irish singer-songwriter CMAT (Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson) popped up on my radar was in September 2024, when she co-wrote two songs for Blossoms’ fifth album, Gary. She provided vocals on the feverishly funky and Blondie-esque track I Like Your Look, and I remember thinking she was insanely charismatic, cool, and talented. The following year was an incredible one for CMAT, releasing her third studio album Euro-Country, beginning her headline tour for said album, performing on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, and then receiving a BRIT Award nomination for International Artist of the Year. Now, she’s performing at Halifax’s backyard concert hall – the world renowned, 7,500-capacity open air courtyard – The Piece Hall.
Before CMAT took to the stage, her support act Katy J Pearson endowed us with a beautiful set of about 45 minutes, greeting the Yorkshire crowd with a compliment: “you all look nice”. Alongside her band (Ben, Robbie and Tommy), Pearson herself donned a cool navy blue two-piece set of flared trousers and a jacket accompanied by an acoustic guitar. This was her first time playing in Halifax, but candidly told us that she had fallen off her bike the previous week so found a brilliant place for a massage in the town!
Throughout her entire set, Pearson was personable and chatty, and delivered some catchy songs which warmed the crowd up for CMAT. Some highlights include the heavier Alligator, underpinned by a constantly funky bassline, a soul-crushing tune called Miracle which she shared she hadn’t played for a while, but “it’s about time to bring it back”, and Take Back the Radio.
A short 30-minute break followed before CMAT made her incredibly triumphant and energetic entrance to The Piece Hall’s stage. Just four years ago, she was in the town supporting Swedish duo First Aid Kit, but now she was headlining a summer session of her own, and in this set she proved herself as a titan of the music industry with a generational talent.
Bursting onto the stage, “We’re going to make a reasonable amount of jokes about Yorkshire tonight…but first let’s suck some diesel!” The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station was a perfect opening song, a bellowing chant of “Okay, don’t be a b*tch!” echoing across the venue and fans young and old jumping along. CMAT took plenty of time out of her show to connect with the audience, and that began early with a comical bit where she picks on someone to be “mean” to. It would be difficult to ever perceive her as mean when at her core, Thompson is magnetically charming and kind.
A skim of the crowd’s brilliant signs continued the previous trend, with some reading ‘Gingers for CMAT’ and ‘This is my first show’ to which CMAT jokingly responded “the other ones are going to be sooo bad after this!” She gave a big shout out to her “best friend Olivia R”, before When A Good Man Cries, of course referring to Olivia Rodrigo who covered the song on BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge. 2 Wrecked 2 Care, Aw Shoot! and Running/Planning followed, ebbing and flowing between upbeat country twang and intense and pensive lyrics.
CMAT has the ability to build a community around her with her songs being the string that pulls everyone together; a group of individuals who were particularly integral to the night’s uplifting atmosphere were The Very Sexy CMAT Band. Colm Conlan on keys, Morgan Karabel on drums (a last-minute replacement for Hannah Morgan who was ill this night!), “real life cowboy” Daniel Vildosola, and Jack Wolter on guitars, William “Willy Bish” Bishop on bass, and Holly Carpenter on the fiddle: this sextet were a family alongside CMAT in Halifax. Expanding the family for this night in Yorkshire, people had been queuing outside The Piece Hall since 10 o’clock that morning, and many had the chance to meet CMAT as she wandered round the town. One person in particular who Thompson returned to in the crowd was Rebecca, the Director of the Brontë Parsonage in Haworth…
I turned to my friend, ear to ear grin across my face as I knew exactly what was coming. The song had been played earlier that evening in the pre-show playlist. “I love the Brontë’s because I have what? Depression?” Echoing through the Yorkshire moors, CMAT transformed into a “wily windy whore” (in her own words), her green cape flowing, but if you weren’t looking at her you would believe that Kate Bush had just graced the stage. The haunting opening keys of Wuthering Heights triggered an immediate wave of cheers across The Piece Hall as CMAT delivered a perfect rendition of a song which is difficult to do justice. The natural response, a “Yorkshire!” chant was bestowed upon the singer in that moment, almost like a crowning ritual and an ultimate act of embrace from such a crowd.
Nothing was done by half this evening, as even pouring a glass of wine was done in a thespian nature, accompanied with an interpretive dance. The next moment felt like a short interlude, but in reality it was just another chance to connect with CMAT and her band. She opened up to the audience about experiencing a lot of shaming online surrounding her physical appearance before bursting into her biggest hit Take A Sexy Picture of Me. Besides being an exceptionally catchy tune, the entire capacity of The Piece Hall joined in with CMAT’s viral dance as she sang “I did the butcher, I did the baker/I did the home and the family maker/I did school girl fantasies…”.
A completely stripped back moment of poignancy between Thompson and Conlan came with Where Are Your Kids Tonight?, winding down into a couple of solo songs simply with a spotlight and an acoustic guitar. CMAT took two requests from fans: Nashville, from her 2022 album If My Wife New I’d Be Dead, and Rent, from her second album Crazymad, for Me.
CMAT truly deserves every bit of success which has come her way over the past few years. Not only is she immensely talented, but she comes across as a genuine person and someone who was born to perform, and loves doing it.
A final 15 minutes of communal festivities occurred with a beautiful performance of EURO-COUNTRY, the simple yet effective Dunboyne Two Step which came with I Wanna Be A Cowboy Baby! and a triumphant end in Stay For Something. Thompson ended the show with a tradition, making an aisle through the centre of the crowd to truly immerse herself in sharing final moments of this gig with her fans. “And they tell me I should hate you/Say, you put me through it/Lord, I know I used to/But I just can’t do it” reverberated its way through the streets of Halifax even after the show ended.
I genuinely could have watched CMAT perform for hours longer. She has a truly captivating presence and is a once in a generation talent. Her grandeur and theatricality blends with magnetic amiability and unbelievable vocal ability, making Thompson an act everyone should see. Even our train conductor was a fan, making puns over the speakers on our way home to Manchester. It would not be surprising if CMAT was to return to Glastonbury in the next couple of years for a headline slot on the Pyramid Stage.
Text Copyright 2026 © Alexandra Pullen/ADRENALINE Magazine.
Photography Copyright 2026 © Kyle Horne/ADRENALINE Magazine.
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