Elbow play MEN

And a damn fine club it is too.. Phil Beckett is a great DJ, and Clint Boon does a stint there too...not sure who is on tonight, but have fun. Oh and be prepared to clean your shoes tomorrow, especially if it rains

Has this already been posted?

absoluteradio.co.uk wrote:

On Friday 18 September, Geoff Lloyd returns to his spiritual homeland to visit fellow Mancunians Elbow, as they prepare to take to the stage at Manchester’s M.E.N arena.

It's a homecoming for the band: the final show of a campaign which has seen them play 150 gigs in the last 18 months. Geoff will be talking to the band backstage as they look back on the amazing year that has seen them voted Mercury Music Prize winners and 'Best Band' at the BRIT awards 2009.

The Elbow at the M.E.N. concert will be broadcast in full on Absolute Radio on 1 November, along with a very special hour-long documentary featuring all 5 band members telling the Elbow story for the first time, including their first impressions of each other and the highs and lows of their career so far.

Both the concert and documentary will be made available to stream on-demand right here at absoluteradio.co.uk, plus there will be a series of free uncut podcasts for fans to delve even deeper into the story of Elbow.

To get you in the mood for their live gig, for a limited time only you can enjoy Elbow's V Festival 2009 Main Stage performance, right here!

Yeah, but a couple of pages back, so no harm bumping it.

Bloody fantastic. Knackered. Loads of photos, will post tomorrow.

Hx

Amazing night, sitting next to al in the Hostle both of us typing away!
The gig was just perfect, great crowd, great atmosphere, shame about the support!
To all the people we met... You are all amazing! I felt like i'd known you all for years, even those who may not post that often... (!)
I will be able to write more and detailed post once i've come down, but until that time, to all the Elbowies and to the band in particular - THANK YOU!

(I think i've fallen in love with this city)

Just using the internet at the hostel (incidentally - Sparkly, if you're reading this, you've been logged on this computer since you stayed at the Hatters!) which had an Elbow/Doves floor. Ace.

Really, really, so worth the journey up. An amazing gig and incredibly, a great atmosphere. Being right at the front helps, but hearing 23000 people belting out the same words was jaw dropping for me and I'm guessing for the band. Every song was sublime, a wonderful send off for the guys. We've pretty much fallen in love with Manchester so we'll definitely be back for album no.5!

Also it was just wonderful to meet everyone, you're all bloody lovely people you know! Mexican Standoff with the sombreros was one of my highlights of the gig! Hope everyone we met beforehand enjoyed their cupcakes, you know who you are

Brilliant, brilliant night. Was getting worried before they came on as there was no atmosphere, the support band didn't really work in that arena (and that's me being generous) but wow. We were central front row so got the best view in the house apart from the obtrusive cameras which were constantly stuck in our faces, or actually the girls' faces. From the pyros from Starlings to the ticker tape for One Day Like This, it was simply stunning. Great sound, Guy was on top form, a genuine frontman, unscripted, talking from the heart. A brass section. The girls looking lovely as ever.

South after was great too after the first few songs after we got in. Vinyl shopping and Kloot tonight.

If there was an emoticon to represent my face when the pyros came on it would be this : D)))))))))

we were on the barrier and i nearly s**t myself when the first ones came out

good old Manchester Evening News
Review here

Come down somewhat now, not as bad as I feared though.

Lovely to meet everyone at the pub beforehand, very glad I made it. Thanks to Sarah and Al for the cakes! Despite us getting twitchy near door opening times we needn't have worried about getting a good spot. it seems there were only a couple of hundred die-hards who hurled themselves to the barrier and the rest of the venue only seemed to start filling up properly an hour later.

It was great being in a crowd, the time passed very quickly while we were waiting. The support really weren't right for the event, but I didn't really care. As for the main event - well I run out of superlatives. Big grin time, hairs on the back of the neck. To hear so many voices singing along to every tune was so special.

Set list:

Starlings
Bones of You
Mirrorball
Leaders of the Free World
The Stops
The Fix (with Mr Hawley)
Mexican Standoff (yay!)
Bitten by the Tailfly
Grounds for Divorce
The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver
Scattered Black and White
Forget Myself
Newborn
----
Station Approach
Some Riot
Weather To Fly
One Day Like This

I got very emotional during Scattered Black and White again - it seems I've developed a Pavloivian reaction to it ever since the Bridgewater Hall.

Highlights for me:

the surprise of the pyrotechnics
Leaders
Mexican Standoff even with the fluffing of the opening ("it's not helping!") and the well co-ordinated throwing of sombreros at the end.
Tower Crane Driver/Scattered - just a beautful 12 minutes and not a single chatterer to be heard anywhere. Fantastic!
Station Approach (tissues needed again)
Being in the midst of like-minded folk who didn't mind me (frankly) making a bit of a tit of myself singing and dancing along, and who actually joined in too!
MrsWoman recruiting everyone she could find to the website - I'm not convinced we were a good advertisement when she said "we've all met through the forum".

And thank you again to MrsWoman for the badge and earrings. I'm going to save them till Christmas and re-convert them back to tree decorations as a souvenir.

I'm hoping that with the cameras about it means the evening is going to appear as a DVD or on tv at some point. There was a Granada TV van outside the venue... We can but hope, but it would be a lovely Christmas present!

Photos will follow but they're taking an age to upload.

Can you believe this......
the first Elbow choir T-shirt is on ebay!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Elbow-MEN-arena-homecoming-concert-choir-t-shirt-Sep-09_W0QQitemZ280399279407QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Music_Music_Memorabilia_LE?hash=item414919752f&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

It was great to see everyone again! What a jolly nice lot Elbowies are! I hope you all eventually found a pub. I can happily boast that I remained stone-cold sober for a change at an Elbow gig as I had to be up for work this morning. Gutted we missed out on the cupcakes though

mrsprestwichred143 wrote:

Can you believe this......
the first Elbow choir T-shirt is on ebay!

That's very fast!

I've put the best of my photos up here. Difficult to get decent ones of Pete and Richard from where we were standing...

Can't add anything else to what's been said ..it was just glorious ...and absolute privelege to be there .
Can I just say as well, a massive thank you to the MEN staff who went out of their way to help me when it became apparent my rubbish legs weren't going to manage the the steps down to my seat(or for that matter get back up again)
They re-seated me on one of the camera platforms ..had a lovely view and enjoyed the gig from what was in effect my own private balcony and no stairs
The downside was because of the 'body fail' I decided discretion was the better part of valour and hopped in a cab home so didn't get to go anlong to the pub or club afterwards so never got to meet any of you lovely folks .

Sorry we missed you redliz but glad you had a good time and good on the MEN staff!

Right in the middle of a mega Manchester shopping spree. But just had to say to hear Bitten by the Tailfly was un-chuffing-believable. Amazing amazing amazing.

So much so it got a standing ovation in our block. Although it was a one person standing ovation by me!!

And Some Riot made me blub!

Fantastic! So glad everyone had such an amazing time last night! I was thinking of you all...when it was noon here yesterday, I thought to myself, "Well, they''ll just be getting ready for the pre-show meetup now..." And as I was driving my daughter to a friend's house for an after-school playdate, I thought, "Right, the show ought to be kicking in any time now..." So sorry I wasn't there to see the show and all of you, but cheers to all of you who've posted reviews, details and pics (those photos were awesome, Hilary!! ). Happy to see that Ticky's sombrero made it onstage (well done there, you!) and that Jones got a set list as well!

The stage presentation looked incredible! Seems to have been a proper celebration of a marvelous chapter in the Elbow story. I think they've earned a well-deserved rest for a while, though it'll be tough to know we're all gonna have to wait for anything new from them. In the meantime, you'll all have a really fabulous night to look back on. Hopefully it'll be on DVD at some point so we losers from the wrong continent can see it, but from all accounts it looked just glorious!

I thought Elbow were on superb form and really enjoyed the gig. However, I'd much rather see them in a smaller venue where the audience are there because they are 'real' fans, not just people who want to see them play 'One Day Like This'. I was sick of having to listen to people talking through the set. What is it with these dick heads? If you want to talk then go to the pub and save yourself £30. That way you can talk all night and not spoil the show for those around you. I don't want to listen to people making phone calls to their friends at home to tell them that they are at an Elbow gig and they've had 8 pints. The world has gone mad!!!

I wanted to get one of the Manchester gig t-shirts but was pushed for time when I arrived so decided to get one after the show. The only problem was the arena staff wouldn't let me leave the floor area to get to the concourse to buy a shirt. I was forced to go out through one of the side exits which led us to Victora station. Anyone know where I can get one of the t-shirts from?

Not sure about the T-shirts-I went to Wembley and couldn't get one afterwards.
Agree about the talking.
To me and Mrs. B it seems that the concert has just become an extension of the pub!
Oh yeah and thanks to the ridiculous admission process, we missed most of Starlings

Cestrian Saint wrote:

I thought Elbow were on superb form and really enjoyed the gig. However, I'd much rather see them in a smaller venue where the audience are there because they are 'real' fans, not just people who want to see them play 'One Day Like This'. I was sick of having to listen to people talking through the set. What is it with these dick heads? If you want to talk then go to the pub and save yourself £30. That way you can talk all night and not spoil the show for those around you. I don't want to listen to people making phone calls to their friends at home to tell them that they are at an Elbow gig and they've had 8 pints. The world has gone mad!!!

I couldn't agree more, although my last 2 Elbow gigs were almost ruined by similar audiences at Rock City and Manc Apollo, so the size of the venue isn't such an issue (lets face it, they're unlikely to play the likes of the deaf insitute or night and day often.) i had great reservations about going to an arena concert, I haven't been to one in a long time, but thought the wait for the next concerts would be too long. I am so glad I went and grateful to Lorraine for patiently waitiing for me to hand me a tkt.
Getting close to the front was a breeze and probably indicates how many people were there just to hear One Day Like This. My heart started to sink during Mirrorball, as there were several groups close to me chatting and giggling through the first few bars of it, but that is the only time throughout that I really noticed a lack of respect. Overall, everyone was well into it. Personally, i'm not into the pyros and tickertape and as great as it was One Day Like This will never sound as good as it did during the main set in Nottingham and then sung by the audience waiting for the encore. That was magic.

Well what can I say about last night that hasnt alreday been said. Such an amzing night. Felt quite tearful for One day Like this,knowing that this would be it for a couple of years.
Thank you soooo much to all who were in the pub before hand. Had such a great time, and it was so lovely to meet you. Sarah and Al, the cupcakes were divine. Hope the Potter family enjoyed theres too, and the M.EN staff
Really really wanted to stop after the gig and carry on enjoying the buzz and company of all my fellow Elbowites, but suddenly got my sensible head pn, and realsied that getting a taxi back frm Mcr at ridiculous, oclock in the morning , on my own, was not the best idea, and would probably cost me a fortune. Still ended up missing my train and having to get an alternative route and spending another £20 for a taxi, but it was worth it, and I would do it all again.
Thank you, thank you, thank you again to you all, and of course thank you so much to the band for a truely wonderful night.
Hope to see you all again, hopefully not in another two years

Not strictly "live" but the cherry on top of our indescribably great weekend. We went to the Koffee Pot after we'd checked out, it was the nearest café and it came with great recommendation! We sat down, ordered our food and listened to Adam and Joe on 6music (A damn fine way to tell a good eating establishment in my opinion) and who should walk in but Mr Garvey himself. We had a chat when he arrived and after a bit of goading we popped over to say hello before his food arrived. Needless to say he was a perfect gentleman and very accommodating!


I'm a happy girl!

Superb pic Sarah! Nice one!

You lucky lucky lady you!!!!

Lovely pic. X

Sarah wrote:

Not strictly "live" but the cherry on top of our indescribably great weekend. We went to the Koffee Pot after we'd checked out, it was the nearest café and it came with great recommendation! We sat down, ordered our food and listened to Adam and Joe on 6music (A damn fine way to tell a good eating establishment in my opinion) and who should walk in but Mr Garvey himself. We had a chat when he arrived and after a bit of goading we popped over to say hello before his food arrived. Needless to say he was a perfect gentleman and very accommodating!


I'm a happy girl!