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Ever the modest wit, Elbow frontman Guy Garvey
announces to the 12,500 capacity crowd (by far their
biggest to date, for tonight is somewhat of a landmark
occasion) that this is not actually the first time they’ve
played an arena; “there’s an ice rink in Bury called
The Arena,” he deadpans, revealing the arc of humility
that first prevented them from a fast ascent to fame
and now helps them revel so warmly amongst the love
of so many thousands of friends.
Crud has had a fair few encounters with Elbow over
the years (it would probably, at points, have been accurate
to say our attendance at a gig by the forever-epic Mancunian
quintet was more likely than us preparing a hot meal
for ourselves), but even we doubted whether they could
make the transition from a safe pair of hands, fiercely
and deservedly lauded but limited in their reach, to
Mercury Music Prize and Brit Award winning, TV-soundtracking,
orchestra-collaborating, and now arena-headlining major
leaguers.
But the evidence is there in a glorious 360 degree
range tonight; during a stately ‘Mexican Standoff’,
beats spewed in quick-step, the guitar malevolent and
wry, in the way ‘Forget Myself’ which always sat a little
oddly in more confined surroundings and now summons
the ghosts of Simple Minds and Peter Gabriel, in the
ovation the undeniably mighty, riff-laden ‘Grounds For
Divorce’ commands, the ripple of warmth that greets
Richard Hawley’s black comic contributions to ‘The Fix’,
through the ticker-tape and dry-ice explosions in all
directions at the climax of flat-pack but satisfaction-stuffed
anthem ‘One Day Like This’ as the audience’s and band’s
beaming faces alike are projected onto the enormo-screen
at the back of the stage.
But particularly in the masterful way in which Garvey
plays host, proving that intimacy need not be shackled
to numbers alone. As much as this was a celebration
of the achievements of their widely adored latest album,
it was also a test. ‘The Seldom Seen Kid’ just went
top of the class, get used to seeing him around.
Verdict: Finally getting the Elbow-room they
so richly deserve.
Best In Show: ‘Newborn’ played like it had been
waiting its whole life to headline Wembley and ‘The
Loneliness Of A Tower Crane Driver’ was magnificently
multi-story in its strength.
Download: ‘Starlings’, then realise you need
the whole album.
Playlist companions: Richard Hawley, Radiohead,
Talk Talk, Doves
More Wembley Arena shots
more info:
www.elbow.co.uk
Photos & Report ~ James Berry for Crud Magazine
2009©
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