Elbow - V Festival, Weston Park, Staffordshire (22/08/2009)

What a phenomenal eighteen months it has been for Elbow. Their stunning fourth album, The Seldom Seen Kid has been rightly acclaimed at every turn. The music press loved it and the awards deservedly followed. It is almost inconceivable now that the album was viewed by some as the last chance saloon for the band, after the lack of attention given to the previous album, Leaders of The Free World. To say that Elbow are riding on the crest of a wave would be as big an understatement as saying that England quite enjoy beating Australia.

And so we arrive at V Festival 2009. Elbow’s big festival slot in support of this album has already taken place a full fourteen months ago at Glastonbury 2008, a night heralded by all as an overwhelming triumph. This gives some small indication of the length of time that the band have been out plugging The Seldom Seen Kid. Indeed, they have barely taken a break since the album’s release and maybe it is just starting to show. There is obviously pride in the new songs when they first appear. Then there is the celebration of an album so well received but to be still playing the same tunes eighteen months down the line is inevitably going to take its toll. Only two of the songs played today are non-Seldom Seen Kid and in the week that Guy Garvey has admitted that they have forty new songs in the making for the next album, there isn't a hint of anything new here.

That said, these tunes are still works of immense beauty and were the soundtrack to 2008. Starlings remains a startling opening, with its big brass intro giving way to some of the most heartfelt lyrics ever written. Bones of You and Mirrorball are songs guaranteed to warm even the coldest of hearts and feel so right in the early evening sun. It is more than the songs alone that make an Elbow gig work. There is something so incredibly human and genuine about this band, summed up by the reverse Mexican wave that the crowd are asked to perform by Garvey. The willing response is inevitable. The Loneliness Of A Tower Crane Driver still makes the hairs on the back of the neck stand on end and Garvey sings it like he is auditioning for the part. Grounds For Divorce and One Day Like This are now so familiar that it is impossible to imagine a time before their existence. Like beautiful friends, all of them, just friends that have started to overstay their welcome. Slightly.

The performance is far from flawless. Guy Garvey forgets the words during Station Approach, is attacked by a wasp during Weather To Fly leading to him breaking up laughing and there is much tomfoolery during the opening to Weather To Fly, when they all gather around Craig Potter's keyboard. Not that there is anything wrong with having some fun onstage, it just feels like they are going through the motions, as though they could play these songs in their sleep. Surely a new song or an old gem would keep it interesting for them and in turn, give the set the edge it so clearly lacks.

This show will probably be hailed as a triumph in many quarters and perhaps Elbow deserve their day in the sun, milking it for all it is worth. They have certainly worked hard enough and as an elbow fan of ten years standing, it is impossible not to smile hearing people still singing 'Throw those curtains wide...' a full ten minutes after the end of the set. There is just a nagging feeling that the celebration of an album has turned into a wake and the future of Elbow cannot come soon enough.

Thanks for posting that, a very astute report. We just got back from V at Weston too, where your point about the long slog became something of a meme with other bands. Out of just those we saw, there were three other acts who declared "This is our last gig after (insert any number over 12) months touring...", where Elbow still have other 2 to go before hanging up their flight cases. That M.E.N. gig is gonna be one helluva party for everyone, not least the band themselves.

Great review takemeanywhere, nothing wrong with being honest. Like Mrswoman says, the MEN will be a celebration and farewell of TSSK and I AM SO EXCITED FOR IT. Went to see Pearl Jam there last week and I'd be lying if I said my mind wasn't drifting out to September when we're all there.

Personally, TSSK is still gripping me like a bloody vice around me. HELLLLP !!

hopefully men will see a longer set and a few surprises. TMA's review is balanced, TSSK has been around a long time, but there were a lot of elbow virgins around us who knew the two hits and that was it who were impressed. What's good to hear are the occassional progress reports we get from Guy that there's material there. Not sure if a festival is the best place to throw it out there though.

Speaking as one of those Elbow virgins that oneofthethree mentioned, my first live Elbow performance was outstanding. TSSK is where it's all started for me and it's only now that I'm looking at their back catalogue - as a result, each day offers a new gem which is 'my favourite ever Elbow song'!
I will always hold TSSK close to my heart as it was my introduction to this amazing bunch of down-to-earth lads, and I don't think I will ever tire of hearing the 'plink' of those first few notes of ODLT - which I'm sure will be a rousing end to many more gigs to come.

Nice one TB1 ! Love hearing the stories about people finding out about Elbow via TSSK then discovering their older stuff.........had Newborn blasting out of my car this morning and it still sounds as good as the first time I heard it.

'Newborn' is a different level,
always will be.



Press your lips
To my eyes
Taste my tears
On your tongue,
Pull the blinds
Play our song
Nothings changed
Nothing could be wrong.

Scream in the night
Kick and strike
Like a newborn
Holding me shaking
Awake in the dark
All of these promises
Kept and unbroken
Tracing the scars
Tracing the scars
Even and cold
As we both become older.
Your arms bound about me
The hush in your voice.
The warmth of your fingers
Entwined around mine
In the eve of our lives
Never a choice.

As an Elbow admirer for 10 years, I agree with everything you have written. Apart from the cricket comment ....

Maybe it's our fault for attending every possible gig we can get too. Maybe it's the rest of the music world having a delayed reaction and only catching on now. The hype that surrounds at present will not last forever and the spotlight will move forward. They well and truly deserve their time in that white light, but I just wanted a little more from them as a band on Saturday.

I adore Tower Crane Driver. The instrumentation is perfect. However, in the sun light, within the realms of a relatively new Elbow audience, is it the right song to be playing? Most people there would have heard a majority of TSSK, so why not add to the set list something from another album, that is equally an anthem.

Hearing the lyrics echoing around the field afterwards was a beatific moment.

Roll on MEN and their time in Blueprint.

Welcome TB1 - LYM