Listening to the last Turnstile album, NEVER ENOUGH the record isn’t the best introduction to the band live. The record mixes the ferocity of Rage Against The Machine, the melody of The Offspring and, although they probably would not admit to it, the pop perfection of The Police. When the band admits to being influenced by the smoothness of Sade, that explains the jazz influence heard in the background to many a track on the album.

Watching the band in a live context was like seeing a band entirely different from their last album: the pop smoothness was replaced by an energetic whirlwind that picked you up and never brought you back down again.

There are gigs where you watch a band perform, and then there are gigs where the entire venue seems to lose its collective mind. Turnstile’s visit to Halifax belongs firmly in the second category.

On a warm August evening, the magnificent surroundings of The Piece Hall became an unlikely battleground for one of the most exhilarating live bands around.

This was Turnstile’s UK-exclusive headline show, with Dynamite opening proceedings, and by the time Baltimore’s hardcore innovators arrived, the anticipation was bordering on fever pitch.

It started with a heartfelt tribute to Dolly Parton as Islands In The Stream was played out to a 6,000-capacity crowd before the band took to the stage. Turnstile wasted little time getting down to business.

The opening assault hits with such force that any lingering thoughts of simply standing back and watching quickly disappear. Lead singer Brendan Yates is a restless, magnetic presence at the centre of it all, while the band behind him sound impossibly tight, never sacrificing the chaos that makes their live shows so addictive.

The remarkable thing about Turnstile is just how far they have travelled from their hardcore roots without losing the attitude that got them there. There are huge riffs, melodic hooks and moments of genuine pop sensibility, but underneath it all remains that unmistakable physicality. Their music isn't just heard tonight – it's felt.

And then there is the crowd.

Whilst most audiences get out their mobile phones to film the band, contrastingly, Turnstile have their own cameraman who bravely walks through the moshpit videoing them as the images are shown on a huge screen behind the band.

The Piece Hall becomes a mass of bodies bouncing, surging and colliding, with the mosh pit appearing to take on a life of its own. Yet there is an overwhelming sense of community amid the mayhem. Old-school hardcore devotees stand alongside younger fans discovering the band for the first time, all united by the same irrepressible energy.

Tracks such as I CARE and Canned Heat demonstrated why Turnstile has become so difficult to categorise, while BLACKOUT and HOLIDAY unleashed the kind of controlled destruction that makes a live audience completely surrender. NEVER ENOUGH felt enormous, transforming the courtyard into something resembling an open-air arena.

The biggest surprise comes with a towering rendition of The Stone Roses’ I Wanna Be Adored, performed live in front of an audience for the first time. It is a beautifully unexpected moment, connecting Turnstile’s American hardcore heritage with the psychedelic swagger of Manchester.

By the time T.L.C. (TURNSTILE LOVE CONNECTION) arrives, the evening has descended into glorious chaos. Yates and his band aren't simply playing songs anymore; they're conducting an enormous communal release of energy.

Turnstile may have started life firmly within the hardcore scene, but shows like this demonstrate that their ambitions have outgrown any convenient genre label. They can still hit with the ferocity of a punk band while possessing the hooks, imagination and sheer scale of something much bigger.

Halifax didn't just get a Turnstile gig. It got a reminder of what rock music can feel like when everyone in the room is completely, unapologetically alive and focused – and their mobile phones are kept hidden deeply away. After this commanding performance the headline festival appearances next year are almost assured.