CityLife

Elbow bring Mercury winner home

By Simon Donohue

LOST IN MUSIC: Garvey at the Apollo

"MANCHESTER gigs are always different from anything else we do,” enthuses Elbow’s ebullient frontman Guy Garvey.

“Without saying a word or playing a note, it always goes off,” he adds. “Things will be different this time, but I can’t tell you how.”

He’s talking, of course, about the first Elbow dates in Manchester since the Bury band clinched the Mercury Music prize for best album.

It’s only a few weeks since The Seldom Seen Kid – a clash of soaring sentiment and brilliantly observed Mancunian melancholy – provided the mass recognition which the band has deserved but done without for almost two decades.

Their feet still haven’t touched the ground.

“It’s mental,” Garvey deadpans. “The only time I forget about it for more than a couple of minutes at a time is when I’m asleep. I have to pinch myself every morning.

“There were people in Manchester congratulating me on the street – and all of the band have said the same thing – who I’m pretty sure don’t own any Elbow records.

"They were just proud because we’re local and we brought a trophy home. That’s really touching. What a lovely place for us to be – to have people patting us on the back in the street.”

Wake-up pinch

Fans will be relieved that once the individual members of Elbow have given themselves a wake-up pinch, producing the next big album becomes the priority. Roadies are rigging up a studio at each venue on the tour should the lads feel the urge to get creative.

“Five out of six dates that we’ve played on this tour, we’ve written something,” Garvey adds. “We’re not hungry for it. That makes it sound like something to do with business. It’s an ongoing process. If you stop for a while you have to learn how to do it again, as we learned to our cost after the first record. It’s just leaving the boiler stoked.

“Just for a couple of days there was a pause in the ongoing process of writing new material,” Garvey adds. “ I’m fascinated by what makes songwriters tick because I’m not entirely sure why I want to do it as much as I do.

Back to writing

“I sat back for a couple of days – I’m sure the lads felt the same – then it was back to work, back to writing.”

Garvey says can’t yet be sure whether writing is any easier in the arc light of a Mercury Music prize but is already working towards a 2010 release date for the follow-up to Seldom Seen Kid.

“I’ll only know that later on in the whole process, when traditionally it’s got a bit tricky, and you start having all the doubts about ‘is anyone going to be bothered about this record?’ and ‘is this the best thing I’m capable of?’

"I think then we’ll know if it’s made any change. It’s positive at the moment. It’s got a quietly content little ring to it. I’m sure it will get dark and dramatic as usual at some point.”

For now, CityLife – whose music writer David Sue correctly predicted this would be their year back in January – will forgive Elbow a few hours of reflective glory as they tour the country.

“It’s just been brilliant. Most of these places sold out before we won the Mercury so it’s old fans that are really proud of us. So it’s been really cool.

“It’s going to be just amazing playing Manchester. I can’t tell you how excited we all are.”

*YOU can read Guy Garvey's lowdown on each track on the award winner to the right.

Elbow play the Manchester Apollo again on Thursday, October 30. Sold out. Jesca Hoop supports.

Published: Fri, 03 October, 2008

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