Simon Donohue's gig of 2008
IF 2008 was destined to be Elbow’s year, then their October date at the Manchester Apollo should best be remembered as their triumphant and elegant homecoming.
The Bury band took the stage only a few weeks after the Seldom Seen Kid had secured the coveted Mercury Music Prize for best album and the band proved that they are far more than a sophisticated studio outfit.
The intricate orchestrations which make up the Elbow sound mean their music shouldn’t sound as good as it did away from a CD player or an iPod. Guy Garvey, Elbow’s inestimably cordial frontman, was charm itself, concentrating as much on asking whether people were ‘still alright’ as he did on his magnificent vocals.
There was nothing brash about the celebrations, just an evening of mesmerising and spine tingling entertainment, all topped off by the fact that the performers in front of us were local boys finally made good. Or at least recognised for the good they do.
As well as airing moments from the Seldom Seen Kid, there was also time spent running over some of the other songs in Elbow’s back-catalogue which their fans also consider worthy of recognition.
Already old hands in musical terms, Elbow are already working on the follow up to the Seldom Seen Kid, which is due to be released this year.
May the good times continue to roll.
Published: Mon, 01 December, 2008
Comment on this article
You need to be logged in to comment. Login | Register