How did you discover them?

I heard them on some music channel (either Q, MTV 2 or NME) last year when Grounds...came out. I thought it sounded so different and loved the meaty riff.

I remember seeing them on Granada Reports years ago, i'm pretty sure they were interviewed on a barge or somewhere near Mcr ship canal, they played a bit of a song (dont know what it was though), they were talking about how they were finding it really difficult to get a record deal. I remember thinking the song was great, but then not hearing anything of them again for ages. I bought COT from asda for about £4, liked some of it, but then it kind of got lost with all my other stuff. Got really into Richard Hawley a couple of years back and it was him going on about Elbow that made me pull their cd out for another listen, I loved it, then I bought AITB and LOTFW, really loved them, and waited patiently for SSK to come out. Saw them live last Oct for the first time and really really loved them. Since then I've met Guy and seen them live again in Blackpool, and I'm going to both nights their playing with the Halle and to the evening with Guy and I cannot wait

I bought an ipod in January 08 and uploaded all of my CD's. Newborn and were on a compilation CD ("Acoustic") and Fugitive Motel was on a free CD from the Guardian. I hadn't really noticed them before....So, I went out and borrowed AITB, COT and LOTFW from the record library at the Uni where I work and fell in love! I was boring anyone who would listen but couldn't find anyone who would! I'd been living in Bury for a while last year, and I'm from the nort west. I don't know why but I think that's one of the reasons I love them so much - I just feel at home with them. During the summer I bought tickets for last Autumn's tour (couldn't find anyone to go with me!) and saw them twice, and have just seen them twice more! I am that I haven't got a ticket for the Halle, though...So, if anyone has a spare one, think of me please.

That's Newborn and Powder Blue on the Acoustic compilation...

Me? I first saw them on, what was then, the Carling Stage at Reading Festival in 2000 (or it may have been '99?). It wasn't until I got AITB and saw them a year later on the Evening Session stage at the same festival that I really fell in love with them.

Like loads of others - it was the Jonathan Ross show that did it for me.

gazzmatazz wrote:

I heard Newborn on radio 1 (of all places) back in 2001. I'd never heard anyhting like it before and fell head over heels. The rest, they say, is histroy

i first heard them on Mark & Lard, October 2001 (the 10th i think)... turned the radio on just before they came on and was blown away by what i heard... was driving to work at the time, drove straight past work and went straight to HMV to buy the album (not something i would normally do), didnt mind showing up late for work for something that good...

I too first heard (an edited version of) Newborn on Mark and Lard, must've been some time in 2001. Heard and liked the odd single over the years, but almost forgot about them until I bought LOTFW on a whim for about £6 in Tesco - this was early 2006.

I became obsessed by the album - it didn't leave my car CD player for three months! I'd often get up early on Sundays and take my baby boy for a drive to give Mrs Spoons a break, and LOTFW was always the soundtrack.

Bought the first two albums on Ebay later in 2006, and TSSK on the day of release - first time I've done that since I was a teenager.

I caught them on TV last year playing Glastonbury. Liked what I heard/ saw and started to find out more. Have since become a big fan and recently saw them play Wembley. A great concert. Have been lucky to get hold of tickets to the Halle concert in July. Looking forward to it

Has certainly rekindled my interest in music again having spent my earlier years following a lot of prog rock groups like Pink Floyd and Yes.

yesman wrote:

I caught them on TV last year playing Glastonbury. Liked what I heard/ saw and started to find out more. Have since become a big fan and recently saw them play Wembley. A great concert. Have been lucky to get hold of tickets to the Halle concert in July. Looking forward to it

Has certainly rekindled my interest in music again having spent my earlier years following a lot of prog rock groups like Pink Floyd and Yes.

My story's very similar to yours, Yesman. I too was a fortysomething jaded with the modern music scene, until that magical moment watching last years Glastonbury coverage.
I haven't really got an excuse for not getting into them earlier though, I recently dug out an old mixtape that my record shop manager buddy made me nearly ten years ago.. the first two tracks on it were Newborn and Powder Blue..

I heard a very short clip of ' The Bones of You' on Radio 2 right at the beginning of this year. I had no idea who it was and had to keep listening out until I heard it again. I downloaded SSK from Itunes and within a week had the entire back catalogue. I have ended up a bit obsessed and just constantly alternate the CD's in my car!!! I heard of Elbow years ago but think I had always convinced myself I wouldn't like the music.

Still it's grown me out of my Kaiser Chiefs obsession!!!! I have got a bit more music sophistication since I turned 30!!!

It was 2006 Leaders of the FW. I was at my friends Dave and Cassie's and Dave put on this CD of a band he thought I'd like and I was hooked (they were both a the party/concert filmed at the Elbow Room for the DVD. You can see them amongst the crowd). Went to go see them at the Cohesion concert at Platt Feilds and that cemented it. Dave used to manage a band called Meadow who had opened for the Bos during their Cast of 1000's tour and said they were the nicest f****ing bunch of guys he'd ever met. He told me the cutest Guy story.

The were opening for the Bos at Shepherd Bush Empire and arrived at the venue, a bit late and a bit tired, and went looking for thier dressing room. They found the door but when they walked in all the lights were out. Turned them on, and there was Guy standing in the middle of the room with his arms out wide, and he yelled "SURPRIZE!!!" and the band/manager were immediately won over. How long Guy must have been standing there, in the dark, waiting for them they didn't know, but all agreed it was dead cute.

Last summer, I heard a 30 second snippet on the car radio of "One Day Like This" and when I got home, down-loaded it off iTunes. On the strength of that, I bought "The Seldom Seen Kid" the next day.
Last year was a great year for music.
Lesley

I'm a latecomer. I first heard Grounds for Divorce on Radcliffe and Maconie before the relaese of TSSK. Bought TSSK on the strength of it and haven't looked back. Bought all of the back catalogue within a week. It's strange that Grounds was my first introduction to them as it seems to me to be one of the least Elbow-like tracks they've done.

being in america, very few people have heard of elbow. i heard forget myself on the trailer for southland tales. instantly loved the song. from there i heard bones of you, fallen angel, ribcage, powder blue, etc. seemed like every new song of theirs i heard was my new favorite. now i own all the albums and fugitive motel is definitely my favorite.

My science teacher actually did it for me, we were having an argument about the best British band and just kept saying... Elbow are. I had actually never heard of Elbow but when I got home I gave them a listen and i've been in love ever since.

See? Who says British education is failing its kids?

Hello.

I discovered them by playing their 1st album when i worked in HMV. And i love them. DESPITE them being an arch enemy's fave band too....

How did I discover Elbow?

I opened my April issue of Q to a striking black and white photograph of the man I was later to find out was Guy Garvey. I read the article, and struck by the acute likeableness of Guy, got straight onto YouTube to listen to some of their stuff.

I immediately ordered "The Seldom Seen Kid" from Amazon.co.uk and have never looked back!!

The first time I heard of Elbow was when I saw them support The Manic Street Preachers at Manchester Apollo in 2001. After that I kept seeing the name and hearing the odd tune - I think there was a Q compilation CD which contained Newborn?
I remember buying the album as I'd read a few good reviews, but I didn't listen to it much. It was probably January 2002 when this started to change. I attended the Manchester Hifi show and a friend of mine was using Newborn to demonstrate some equipment. I can rememeber having a conversation with him about Guy sounding a bit like Peter Gabriel. He asked me if I'd got the album to which I replied 'yes, but I've not listened to it much'. We talked about Scattered Black & Whites being a fantastic song and I thought, I really must listen to that album more. I can remember making a point of going to see them at the V festival in August that year.
I got Cast of Thousands the day it came out. I struggled with it immediately, but the more I listened, the more certain songs started to grow on me. I loved the use of the Glastonbury crowd on Grace Under Pressure. The whole thing started to make even sense after I saw them at Manchester Academy on Oct 3rd 2003. I loved the films they used as backdrops for Fugitive Motel and Switching Off, and once again I was blown away by the live rendition of Newborn.

My favourite band by a long way!

Saw them opening for Coldplay from the first trumpet of Starlings it was love.

Good first note!

It may have helped that the other opening band were hill-billy rock, but I love Elbow now so that's irrelevant.

Sadly, I've only really been aware of Elbow for about a year and a half--Grounds for Divorce reeled me in, hook, line, and sinker.

It especially saddens me that Elbow won't be playing in the U.S. for their upcoming tour.

Read about them many times, in an italian music magazine, and finally i gave them a chance.