More on: Elbow

Date: 15/04/08
Rating:

It's the final night of Elbow's tour, where they get to show off their universally acclaimed fourth LP 'The Seldom Seen Kid'. It's testament to the band that 18 years after they formed, they can make the majority of their live set recent numbers and sound the best they've sounded. So we begin with all five members taking to Brixton Academy's stage armed with trumpets for 'Starlings'. A slow and subtle fanfare of a track, it leads into 'The Bones Of You', which is a remarkable showcase for frontman Guy Garvey's achingly beautiful vocals. The room is filled, effortlessly, by this man, and it's a wonderful contradiction to witness - in between his warm Mancunian banter he transforms into this gut-wrenching force of energy with this soaring vocal. Never is this more impressive than in 'The Loneliness Of A Tower Crane Driver', where the band, bathed in green light, bring the intensity of the song to life before your very eyes.

It's this moment that points out the problem with Elbow, if you could call it that. Not the band themselves - who are faultless and passionate. It's the kind of crowd that they play to. Elbow find themselves in a peculiar spot in music, even though they are possibly one of the greatest British bands playing today. Not commercially huge, they still attract a sold-out 5000 strong crowd (the ever-humble Garvey takes a genuine joy in jokingly bragging it's their third time selling it out) - but do the fans give back what they receive? Maybe 'The Seldom Seen Kid' hasn't been spun enough in their households, as while 'Leaders Of The Free World' sees the atmosphere increase tenfold and the audience come to life, and those chatting amongst themselves prick up their ears for 'Newborn' (dedicated to the band's Potter brothers, being recent fathers), they seem to be missing the beauty of 'Mirrorball' and even 'The Stops'. Maybe there's an intimacy in Elbow's more poignant songs that is too much for a huge crowd. How does one react though, when Garvey is pouring his heart out? So a raucous 'Grounds For Divorce' puts us at ease, and there's a mid-set euphoric highlight in 'Forget Myself'.

Garvey reminds us of the guest star on 'The Fix', Richard Hawley, and sadly explains he couldn't be here tonight. "Only joking!" On comes Hawley with his guitar, and he and Garvey are pitch perfect and complement each other perfectly. The set closes with next single 'One Day Like This', a song that is begging for a mass singalong, and Garvey makes sure those casual listeners don't miss out by giving the crowd a quick rehearsal, joking that "one day like this a year would see me right" is typically northern. The three multi-skilled ladies onstage for backing vocals, brass and strings help create an undoubtedly epic moment - one that should naturally end the night. However, Garvey and Craig Potter come back for the encore, where they dedicate 'Puncture Repair' to the audience, thanking them for the last 18 years of support. The rest of the band come back onstage and the glorious lovesong to Manchester that is 'Station Approach' is dedicated to Garvey's brother, present in London tonight. Support act Two Gallants and Hawley return to the stage for the classic set-closer 'Grace Under Pressure'. However, Elbow have rewritten their own rulebook, and have outdone themselves in the gospel-tinged, inspirational stakes with 'One Day Like This', so it almost feels like an anti-climax. A perfect setlist, with Elbow not being afraid to play mainly new songs - quite rightly too, as they stand head and shoulders above their traditional crowd-pleasers. Maybe in a few more years, their audience will come to appreciate that.

Becky Reed

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